5/1/18
Contact Federal Government Officials
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Many
newspapers, including New York Times and Washington
Post require subscriptions, but without one we can see a few articles each
month. We can also check with our local
libraries to find out how to get online access through them.
1. Although
his nomination process has been stalled since November and he was thus never
confirmed, Thomas Homan has been fulfilling the role of Acting Director for
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Senate Democrats have sent a
letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, demanding the
documents that the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
(HSGAC) had requested regarding Homan (https://bit.ly/2HDK9pG, https://wapo.st/2rbpZIi). This is a first step in reigning in ICE's
unchecked power, by taking action to get Thomas Homan to testify under oath
before the Senate. Let's read the letter here, then let's also contact Homeland Security
Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and tell her that she is impeding regular order and
needs to submit the information that HSGAC has requested. Mailing address: The
Honorable Kirstjen M. Nielsen Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528 Phone: 202-282-8000 Twitter: @SecNielsen
2. The
Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Gina Haspel's nomination for CIA
Director is set to begin on May 9th. In the meantime, it is being reported
that she is privately assuring senators that she would not restart the
CIA's rendition, detention, and interrogation
program, and plans to affirm this publicly, during her hearing as well (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cia-haspel/cia-nominee-to-pledge-not-to-restart-detention-interrogation-programs-sources-idUSKBN1HY2V9). This assurance does not erase the torture
that she oversaw in the past; something which 109 retired generals and admirals
raised concerns about in a letter to the Senate (http://time.com/5250440/gina-haspel-retired-military/). Let's read through their letter, then join their call to reject Haspel as
CIA Director. We can use the call
script from
5calls as we contact our senators.
3. Everytown
for Gun Safety has a tool that lets us look up whether our Members of Congress
have accepted money from the NRA so that, if they have, we can call and tell
them we won’t be voting for them on Election Day. Let’s visit
https://everytown.org/throwthemout/ and click on “Follow the NRA Money”
4. The
European Union has taken the important step of banning neocontinoids, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/27/eu-agrees-total-ban-on-bee-harming-pesticides, a form of pesticide that has been proven dangerous to bees, birds, and
other wildlife. Yet, the U.S. continues to insist that a total ban isn’t
necessary, and that the EU’s research is not based on “quality science.” https://pesticides.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/212331717-Why-doesn-t-EPA-ban-the-neonicotinoid-pesticides-. Considering EPA Chief Scott Pruitt’s recent
attempts to redefine what can count as science https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/how-the-epas-new-secret-science-rule/558878/, we have just cause to believe that the U.S.
will not take this necessary step unless there is a huge amount of public
pressure. While contacting the EPA (202- 564-4700; pruitt.scott@epa.gov) on this is still important, we can also
contact our governors and state legislators and ask them to follow Maryland and Connecticut’s lead in banning this dangerous pesticide.
5. Last
Wednesday, the state of Tennessee honored James Shaw Jr. as a national hero for
wresting an AR-15 away from the shooter who killed four people of color in the
Nashville Waffle House and then raised over $200,000 for the victims on his gofundme
site.
Yet, the president has said nothing about the incident. Not only has he not
praised Shaw, he hasn’t even expressed his condolences to the families of the
victims. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/glanton/ct-met-trump-nashville-shooting-dahleen-glanton-20180425-story.html. Even if we expect this abhorrent behavior
from the president as normal by now, this blatant disregard for the lives of
people of color, and the president’s consistency in ignoring any shooting that
does not fit in with his racist narrative of Muslims, immigrants and people of
color as criminals rather than heroes, should not be ignored. We need to tell
the White House and our MoCs to publicly honor Shaw’s heroism.
6. In the
past month, over 40 people have been killed and several thousand injured by
Israeli forces "protecting” the Gaza border during five Fridays of
protest—in some cases, from Molotov cocktails and, in many others, from
slingshots and stones wielded by children. On his recent trip to Israel,
newly confirmed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made clear his support for
Israel’s violent response to the weekly protests and refused to fully endorse a
two-state solution. Parroting Trump, Pompeo also insisted on the “malign
activities” of Iran, despite the apparently false claim he made during his
confirmation hearing that he would support the Iran nuclear accord: https://www.wral.com/pompeo-expresses-support-for-israeli-response-to-gaza-protests/17520249/ If Pompeo does not speak for us in his
support of Israeli repression and his demonizing of Iran, we need to let him
know--preferably before May 12 when Trump, if he follows Pompeo and
John Bolton, may ditch the “ridiculous” Iran agreement: 202-647-4000 or 2201 C
St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20520.
7. "Why
do so many Americans not vote?" It's a question that continues to bedevil
American politics. Since "we can’t solve a problem we don’t fully
understand" here's a short, pithy article that lists and explains the main
reasons why. Spoiler alert: apathy tops the list. Political Charge, run by
resistance activist "Tokyo Sand," will follow up this helpful article
with future posts on "solutions we can all work on to combat these
reasons." Let's keep an eye on this blog:
Election 2018 –
General
1. An
election guide from Postcards
for America: In this Google doc, each State shows ALL
Democratic Candidates running for Congress, Governor, Lt Gov, Attorney General,
Secretary of State (if applicable) with links to their websites and Twitter.
Each has a link to a Twitter Thread, a Shareable Facebook Post and a Document. For
most States, there are also Info & Links for Voter Registrations, Absentee
Ballots, Early Voting & Voter ID, Age Requirements and being a Poll Worker.
Let’s check this out and use and
share it: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NCYjsm3xKb79z19Gx7PWt5Zs9lkLiTqglHBHYs9mlX8/edit
2. On May
8th, voters in Ohio have a chance to vote for a more fair redistricting process
with Issue 1 on the ballot. While not perfect, this measure would almost
certainly increase the degree of minority-party participation in redistricting,
along with public participation and transparency in the mapmaking process ( https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/ohio-senate-bipartisan-compromise-redistricting/552413/). If we live in Ohio, let’s pledge to vote Yes on Issue 1. And all of us can help make phone calls to
get redistricting reform passed by virtual phonebanking from this link. (If we’re new to this, we can check out the
tutorial here.)
3. There’s
another special election right around the corner, and this one is particularly
pressing. Flippable
pick Helen
Tai is running for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
that’s up on May 15th, and she has a solid opportunity to pick up a
long-GOP held district and send a message to state Republicans that their
attacks on the judicial branch won’t be tolerated (http://www.theintell.com/news/20180115/solebury-supervisor-endorsed-for-178th-district-special-election). We can help her win by making phone calls
at this virtual phone bank link. (We can direct questions to volunteers@helentai.com).
Election 2018 –
By State
1. AR: Pulaski County Circuit Judge Alice Gray granted a preliminary injunction
that stops an Arkansas voter ID law from going into effect ahead of the
state’s May 22 primary. We can read more at The Hill. The state is appealing this decision; more
on that at ArkansasOnline. If we are Arkansas voters, let's stay
aware of the status of this issue before early voting begins May 7.
2. MI:
Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Shri Thanedar, a millionaire
who has poured millions of dollars of his own money into the
race, privately mused about running as an independent or Republican just
weeks before launching his campaign. Although he is running as a
"progressive Democrat," he is personally pro-life. Let's read more
at The Intercept. If we are Michigan voters, let's continue
to gather information about all the gubernatorial candidates before we cast our
votes in the primaries.
3. TX: A Texas voter ID law, SB5, considered one of the strictest in the
country will stay in effect for the 2018 elections. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals in New Orleans upheld the law in their ruling last Friday. It's been
twice blocked before but will hold up for the midterm elections. Let's
read more at NPR. If we are Texas voters, let's review the
information at VoteTexas.gov to make sure we have the necessary
ID. Let's share this information with our Texas friends and family.
4. TX:
Special Election May 5, Texas House of Representatives District 13.
Includes Austin, Burleson, Colorado, Grimes, Fayette, Lavaca, and Washington
counties. Let’s be voters for Democrat Cecil R. Webster, Sr., www.websterfortexas.com/
Other Actions
1. After
years of denials, George Mason University was forced to admit that it had
“granted the conservative Charles Koch Foundation a say in the hiring and
firing of professors in exchange for millions of dollars in donations.”
https://apnews.com/0c87e4318bcc4eb9b8e69f9f54c7b889 This meddling into academic
independence was uncovered by UnKoch My Campus. Let’s explore their
website http://www.unkochmycampus.org/ to learn more about how the Koch
Foundation is using its donations to advance its extremist ideology, and to see
how we can help their campaign to preserve accountability, transparency, and
academic freedom. Let’s also check to
see if our local and favorite colleges and universities accept Koch funds and ask
them not to anymore.
2. Seeking
to connect with other activists? Wanting to learn more about how to resist more
effectively? Then maybe the ACLU conference, held June 10-12, 2018 in
Washington D.C., is just the thing. "The ACLU Conference brings together
ACLU members and activists alike for learning, mobilization, and inspiration.
The event is an opportunity for members from around the country to exchange
ideas, to celebrate the extraordinary history of the ACLU, and to look forward
to the challenges ahead." While there is a registration fee, the program
is open to the public. We can register, and get more information on the
conference, here:
3. Here's
an easy one: Barack Obama wants to make Election Day a national holiday. Too
many Americans end up not voting because of conflicts with work schedules or
other job-related logistical complications. Here is a quick request for us
to sign a letter calling for the creation of a national holiday to help every
American exercise her/his constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. https://go.traindemocrats.org/page/s/election-day?
4. Apparently
his own misogyny, racism and propensity for vulgarity don’t get in the way of Trump’s calling
Michelle Wolf’s comedy routine at the White House Correspondents’ Association
(WHCA) dinner “filthy.” But one might have hoped that, having invited
her, the association would defend Wolf’s right to criticize the
president. In a fawning letter to her members, WHCA president Margaret
Talev—who had previously lauded Wolf’s “embrace” of the First Amendment
and “her truth-to-power style”—apologized for Wolf’s performance: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/04/30/trump-scolds-filthy-comedian-michelle-wolf/ We may not be members, but we
can express our opinions of the WHCA’s cowardly decision to fold in the face of
Trump’s rage: Twitter, email, phone, fax, and address are at:
5. "Although
there’s been much emphasis on marching, attending town hall meetings, and
calling your elected representatives, here are some additional ways to consider
making worthy contributions to the Resistance." - Activist Tools: Resistance 101 for Introverts,
or Activism for Everyone: http://twwusa.org/5058/activist-tools-resistance-101-for-introverts-or-activism-for-everyone/
6. We know,
unless we are Native, that our roots lie elsewhere and the land we now live on
once belonged to those who were here before us.
With the new Native Lands app, we can enter our zip (or Canadian postal)
code and learn more about where we now live.
Let’s learn more: http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/decolonize/this-app-can-tell-you-the-indigenous-history-of-the-land-you-live-on-20180416
7. Victory
Institute is bringing its signature Candidate & Campaign Training to Long
Beach this May as part of their efforts to train a diverse pipeline of LGBTQ
leaders to run for office and win! Understanding how to develop a winning
strategy that uses campaign tools effectively is what leads our campaigns to
victory. The Candidate & Campaign Training provides comprehensive,
non-partisan training to present and future LGBTQ candidates, campaign staff and
community leaders. We will learn the necessary skills and strategies by
engaging in tough, realistic campaign situations, and hearing from our campaign
experts. We can join the thousands of openly LGBTQ people already
trained on how to build winning campaigns — including former Houston Mayor
Annise Parker and California State Senator Ricardo Lara. Training will be
held at the Hilton Long Beach – 701 West Ocean Boulevard Long Beach, CA
90831. Costs are $350.00 for training materials, food, and a shared
double-room $550.00 for training materials, food, and a private single
room. We can find out more about Victory Institute here: https://victoryinstitute.org/ We
can apply here for the training here : https://victoryinstitute.org/long-beach-cct-form-may-2018/
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1. Many of us use Vanessa Otero’s Media Bias Chart
(newest version here: http://www.allgeneralizationsarefalse.com/the-chart-version-3-0-what-exactly-are-we-reading/) Thanks to the Credo InfoLit Online Learning
Community, we can now watch/listen to Otero’s webinar to learn about the
taxonomy and methodology behind the chart, as well as suggestions on how to use
it for teaching media literacy. To access the webinar recording, we need to click here and then do a few additional
steps: http://mktg.credoreference.com/infolit-learning-community-webinars Once on the site: A) Register for access to the InfoLit
Learning Community, B) Go to your e-mail
to complete registration, then C) Log in and scroll down to the section with
past webinars, look for “Information Literacy in a New Media Landscape” by
Vanessa Otero.
States
1. TN: A resolution, HJR37, that would change the Tennessee
Constitution to say that God is the source of liberty for the state's citizens
is gaining momentum. The state House passed the measure last year and it
will go before a full state Senate vote after it cleared a judiciary committee.
Let's read more at CBSNews. If we are Tennessee voters who view this
amendment as unconstitutional, violating principles of separation of church and
state, let's contact our Tennessee
state senators to
let them know we oppose HJR37. We don't want our state tax dollars used
for the lawsuits that this resolution would be sure to produce.
Reading/Watching
1. Toward a fairer economy: Two business-school
students argue that MBA programs should look at workers not as “an expense to
be tolerated” but as “an asset to be valued.” Let’s read and share this
thoughtful piece: https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2018/04/26/business-schools-are-ignoring-american-workers-here-why-that-problem-how-business-schools-are-failing-rank-and-file-workers/VN3MDyWw7zcdd3z8Lf1jJM/story.html
2. “Our
shame: The sins of our past laid bare for all to see” – “We take
responsibility for our proliferation of a false narrative regarding the
treatment of African-Americans in those disgraceful days.” - https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/opinion/editorials/2018/04/26/shame-us-sins-our-past-equal-justice-initiative-peace-memorial-lynching-montgomery-bryan-stevenson/551402002/
3. She may
have died in 1960, but Zora Neale Hurston has a new book out. Fifty years after
her death, a non-fiction piece of work about the final slave ship survivor: : http://www.vulture.com/2018/04/zora-neale-hurston-barracoon-excerpt.html
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