(Flickr: Government & Heritage Library)

Of all states, I wouldn’t have imagined North Carolina to be so whack. But I’m biased in a sense because I don’t think about North Carolina often, if at all.

The New York Times has reported that cuts to unemployment benefits brought on by Republican-controlled legislature in February has went into effect this week. Clearly, North Carolina can’t give a shit for its own population, opting to clear their $2 billion debt by whacking the unemployed over the head.

“We’re responsible for making sure that all North Carolinians have a sound state government,” said State Representative George Cleveland, clearly Republican. “This was a necessary step in that direction.”

….riiiiight.

At an 8.8 percent, North Carolina is the fifth highest in unemployment. African Americans in North Carolina make up 17.3 percent of unemployment by race, making it the fourth highest in unemployment for African Americans, according to an article by the Economic Policy Institute.

And speaking of African Americans…

North Carolina will also be pushing to get rid of early voting, Sunday voting and same-day registration provisions. This comes at the tail of the Supreme Court decision that gutted Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which basically granted access to voters registration to people of color. Civil rights activists told the Los Angeles Times that the move would restrict access to blacks in North Carolina who “vote reliably Democratic.” 

*sighs* North Carolina… so disgustingly Republican and so disgustingly against blacks.