The conservative “She Votes 2012” bus tour has been traveling throughout North Carolina over the past few days. The group stopped in Greensboro Tuesday, rallying women in the Triad to vote their values at the polls.
More than 20 people gathered in a parking lot at the Shoppes of Wendover Village in Greensboro to welcome a big blue and red bus that read Concerned Women For America: She Votes 2012.
Among the supporters is Betty Ann Bush of Greensboro. She said she’s worried about what the future holds for her eight grandchildren.
“American families and the values that we cherish are being eroded. We are being told as Christians that we are out of sync that something is wrong in what we believe in and no it’s not,” said Bush.
Conservative Women of America is a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C.
The four-state bus tour is part of a million dollar nationwide project to get out the vote in the November general election. Conservative Women of America has made six stops in the tar-heel state. On Monday, the group stopped in Wilmington, Greenville and Raleigh and on Tuesday, they visited Greensboro, Charlotte and Asheville.
According to the organization, there are more than 280,000 unregistered evangelical and Christian voters in North Carolina. Tammy Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the North Carolina Values Coalition in Raleigh, said the swing state’s power will come from local communities.
“The marriage amendment passed by 42 votes in Guilford County. Forty-two votes is the size of a small church and when we looked at our analysis of the election and the votes afterwards and we realized how many churches were engaged in Guilford County, it was the tipping point. It is very important for people in the churches to get out and get to work in the fall elections,” said Fitzgerald.
Many women who attended the event say it’s not just one single issue that their concerned about. Other concerns include the government’s role in fiscal accountability and healthcare reform.
“We have supported the killing of babies and that is one thing that concerns me very much and we are not supporting each other and what God says,” said Chattie Parker of Greensboro.
Rebecca Davis of Guilford County added, “We have the freedom speech but today the freedom of speech is so out of control, the four letters words everything is wrong.”
Concerned Women for America CEO and President Penny Nance says she wants to change the political slogan of this year’s election from a “War on Woman” to a “War for Women”. She said several conservative groups are working together to encourage more women to vote their values.
“The main message is for conservative women to get out and vote. Women have carried every presidential election since 1964 and if a candidate wants to win, he needs to engage us. If you are concerned about the federal power grab for our healthcare, and our national debt, if you want to stand up for life and marriage, now is your opportunity. This is how you change things. It’s by speaking with your voice at the ballot box.
After the North Carolina visits, the “She Votes 2012” bus tour they'll head to Virginia, Montana, and North Dakota.