North Carolina County Taxpayers Spent $5000 to Hear Linda Sarsour Vent

 

 
What is going on in North Carolina?  I often hear people from the Northeast say they are heading down to live/retire in the Carolinas to get away from high taxes and liberal government policies, but I would think really long and hard about choosing North Carolina.

The political Leftwing is working day and night, year after year, to change North Carolina (by changing the people!).  When I was writing at Refugee Resettlement Watch I was puzzled by the push for more refugees to be placed there and I even noted that some world famous Islamic terrorists like KSM went to college in the Tar Heel State.
As I noted the other day, North Carolina, even under Donald Trump, is the fifth most ‘welcoming’ refugee resettlement state in the nation.
Now to the news about the Sarsour event, put on by the taxpayer-funded ‘Human Relations Commission’……

The local news reported in advance that the venue was at capacity and that Sarsour would not be talking about conflicts in the Middle East—yeh sure!

Civil Rights Organizer Linda Sarsour Speaking in Hillsborough Sunday

Sarsour has drawn criticism because of her advocacy work related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is the eldest child of Palestinian immigrants. She has advocated for the boycott and divestment of Israeli in response to the treatment of Palestinians.
But Commission chair Stroman said the event is not related to the conflict in the Middle East, and will focus on Sarsour’s work on Women’s Rights across barriers of race and class.

The Tower, a pro-Israel magazine, published a detailed report on what really happened as Sarsour spoke to a group that numbered less than 100 by the time it ended.  She railed against Israel, capitalism and the police.
She is entitled to her views of course, but it should enrage the taxpayers of Orange County, North Carolina that they had to pay ($5000!) for this “free” event that required a large number of police officers to work on a Sunday and give Sarsour a soap-box with no one countering her bigoted views!

At Women’s History Month Speech, Linda Sarsour Tries – and Fails – to Present a Less Divisive Image

 

Palestinian-American and Women’s March leader Linda Sarsour was the keynote speaker on March 31 in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The event was sponsored by Orange County’s Department of Human Rights & Relations and The Orange County Human Relations Commission (HRC) of NC “in honor of Women’s History Month.” Sarsour was paid $5,000 plus expenses.
As she recently tried at NYU, Sarsour attempted to repackage herself as someone tolerant of different views. However, the divisive Linda Sarsour quickly emerged.
Speaking to about 110 people in a room with room for 200, Sarsour attacked Israel and applauded the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
[….]
At this event, Sarsour expressed strong concerns about Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, but applauded boycotting only one country on the planet – the Jewish majority country of Israel.
[….]
Discussing some of her fellow activists, Sarsour stated, “They believe in the abolition of police. That’s what they believe. I’m almost there.” This statement drew wide applause from what can broadly be called the “social justice” activists in the room which included attending officials and event organizers.
Sarsour did not acknowledge or thank the many law enforcement officers in the room and outside who kept the event safe and kept about 70 demonstrators peacefully apart. Sarsour also said she was nearing the point where she could support abolishing prisons.
During the question and answer period, Sarsour identified racism and capitalism as equivalent problems. Sarsour explained that capitalism forces people to compete with each other and stated, “Racism and capitalism, you can’t talk about them separately.” She did not complain, however, about being paid $5,000 plus expenses to speak. Sarsour certainly never objected to that part of capitalism.
[….]

 
A few days before the event, Orange County sent out an email stating that Sarsour could not be recorded, filmed, or photographed by attendees. The taxpayers funding the speech could be removed for doing so. Oddly enough, the event organizers billed Sarsour’s speech as a “Courageous Conversation.” A number of audience members observed that courageous speakers have no problem being recorded.
During Sarsour’s talk, I saw a number of people recording and taking pictures using their phones. An event staff member repeatedly asked a pro-Israel audience member to stop filming, yet ignored others in the room. The pro-Israel woman who was filming told the staff member that this was a public meeting, which she said included a quorum of elected officials, and she would not stop recording. This neutralized the staff member who finally stopped approaching her.
[….]
Considering that Sarsour was paid $5,000 plus expenses, and the event had about ten uniformed officers working and other expenses, it is likely that each “free” ticket will end up costing the taxpayers $100 or more.

This next paragraph demonstrates a standard trick of Leftwing activists.

I have seen it many many times.  Rather than allow people to raise their hands to ask questions, attendees are forced to write them on a card for the moderator to choose which questions will be asked.  For future events like this one, a government sanctioned event!, demand in advance that this strategy to silence opposition not be permitted.

After Sarsour spoke, she sat down for a question and answer period with Deborah Stroman, who chairs the Orange County HRC. Audience members submitted written questions that were given to Stroman. The first three questions Stroman asked appeared to be her own questions. Stroman then chose several questions submitted by the audience. As one audience member observed – they were all softballs. Stroman concluded the event by thanking Sarsour for her “truth-telling.”
During her speech, Sarsour mentioned the protests outside and bragged that protesters help her fill rooms for speaking engagements. Toward the end of Sarsour’s speech, there were only about 75 people left in the room.It was striking that this national Women’s March leader drew a sparse crowd while bragging about filling rooms. Perhaps Sarsour’s divisiveness is not as popular as she thinks.

I’ve only snipped a bit of the story, go here, for much more.

What do you do?  First find out if your county has a ‘commission’ like this one supported by your tax dollars.  And, you better watch them like a hawk!  The Progressives (or whatever they call themselves these days) know how to use your money to promote their views—don’t let them!

I wish I had more hours in a day, I think a great initiative for someone is to simply watchdog your county via preferably a blog or website to counter the surely Leftist local media. Hint! Washington County Watch has a nice ring to it!