17 year old Eric Willoughby is mad as hell and he’s not taking it anymore!
Just last year in Eric’s home state the Democratic majority on North Carolina’s Supreme Court ordered that a special master be appointed to redraw Congressional districting maps which had been drawn by the Republican Majority in the State House which the Court found to be unconstitutionally partisan. The resulting map produced a split U.S. Congressional delegation (7-7) which accurately reflects North Carolina’s political makeup.
But the State Legislature remained firmly in Republican hands, and when the makeup of The Supreme Court flipped to Republican control this year the court allowed for a new map to be drawn, no matter how unconstitutional it may turn out to be.
But North Carolina law allows for three public hearings on the planning for the new map, which is how young Mr. Willoughby found himself addressing Republican lawmakers who had worked diligently for his entire life to undermine the basic rights of minority voters and usurp control of women’s reproductive decision making from women and their doctors to the legislature itself.
Here is Eric’s message to them:
Hell to the yeah!
That was a fine piece of oratory!
Things got kinda loud over at Twitter:
Hell yeah! Gen Z is the only thing that can save this country and MAGA/Christian Nationalists/Republicans know it. This is why they want to raise the voting age to 25, taking away more rights from more people.
— Tommy Lavin ⛧ (@TommyLavinTST) September 30, 2023
They will have a rebellion on their hands if they do try, Tommie…
Excellent. Love this young man, fanfuckintastic! 👊🏽
— Veronica (@Veronic31491223) September 30, 2023
Right on, Veronica.
Wow…
— Joseph F Drawing Fire (@sjosephs53) September 30, 2023
Wow! is right!🧨
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/SDmOJjQBC3
— Citizens of Earth (@KnewOnEarth) September 30, 2023
🤣🤣🤣 Not happy at all.
Thank you Eric for speaking for all us who feel the same as you do but would not do half so well in expressing.
Yup – they’re gonna do it. They must if we keep democracy in this country.
I couldn’t get over the stone-faced look on that GOPer chairing that hearing as this young man spoke. I swear, he was wishing he could order that young man hauled away and gladly put a bullet through his head for calling the GOP out so eloquently and bluntly. A “how DARE this young man, this WHITE TRAITOR tell the truth on us – and to our faces with cameras rolling?” type of look. Next year is going to be interesting. I get that young people don’t like the thought of someone of either of our likely nominee’s age running for President, and that it’s time for younger leaders say their parent’s instead of their grandparent’s age.
But I still think that given the choice and that some thirty million people who weren’t old enough to vote in 2020 will be able to next year GOPers should be afraid, very afraid when young people like this warn them. The old model of “young people won’t take the time to vote” has changed and they have been doing so in increasing numbers. GOPers through their actions are telling them to shut up and leave them to strip away rights. I think, or at least hope Republicans pay a huge price next year. Hell, THIS year with “off year” elections coming up soon in VA and KY.
Wow! is right. This young man has a future ahead of him and I hope he and others like him forge it in a way that protects and strengthens the democratic principles most of us cherish. What a breath of fresh air!
An amazing young man.
Let’s hope this young man, and the rest of his generation, get their asses to the polls. They can feel all outraged and all that but unless they actually SHOW UP and vote, this is all meaningless political theater.