5/28/20
NATIONAL
ISSUES
Contact all Federal
Members of Congress
(includes contact info and
links to social media)
Fax
legislators for free:
Or use Resistbot: https://resist.bot/
Purchase stamps, postcards,
and other mailing supplies:
Or use StampsLicked to
have messages hand-delivered to our own legislators: https://stampslicked.org/
White
House contact: https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house
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POLICE
BRUTALITY/RACIAL JUSTICE / #JUSTICEFORFLOYD: George Floyd died after being knee-knee-choked
by police officers in Minneapolis, even as he cried out that he couldn't
breathe and a crowd watching shouted for them to stop. While the four officers
on the scene have been fired, activists are calling for further action. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/05/26/george-floyd-minneapolis-police-officers-fired-after-public-backlash/5263193002/ Let's join Color of Change in 1.) calling on Minneapolis Mayor
Jacob Frey to block the officers from receiving their pensions, and ensuring
that they do not become police officers again, and 2.) asking Hennepin County
Attorney Mike Freeman to bring charges against the police officers. Mayor
Frey: Phone: (612) 673-2100, Mailing Address: City Hall, 350 S 5th
Street Room 331, Minneapolis, MN 55415. Attorney Mike Freeman: Phone:
612-348-5550, Email: citizeninfo@hennepin.us, Mailing address: C-2000
Government Center, 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487. Then, if we are white, let’s use this “to
deepen our anti-racism work”: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/preview?pru=AAABcnX07hc%2APm8gUUGqTq4TxCwAWKNadg
HORRIFYING
EDUCATION GAP DURING PANDEMIC:
According to a new survey, 4 out of 10 of the poorest children in this wealthy
country are accessing remote learning as little as once a week or less during
the current schools shutdown, sometimes for lack of a computer or high-speed
wifi—or because their school is not offering any remote
instruction: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/27/862705225/survey-shows-big-remote-learning-gaps-for-low-income-and-special-needs-children These
appalling disparities between children from poor households and those of the
middle class or wealthy are not tolerable, and we should not tolerate
them. Not only that, but our states are in a funding bind due to COVID
and education cutbacks are in the works.
Let’s ask our MoCs to ensure enough COVID-relief funding so that
states’ can keep teaching our kids and get more of them Internet access. Let’s also send our states, cities, and
school boards the results of this study and tell them that we regard them as
negligent in their duties if they fail to educate our kids.
VOTER FRAUD: We know
that those on the right harp on voter fraud, but we also know that it is really
a myth. In fact, Trump’s own commission did
not find widespread voter fraud and quietly disbanded. https://apnews.com/f5f6a73b2af546ee97816bb35e82c18d/Report:-Trump-commission-did-not-find-widespread-voter-fraud What is a problem, however, is voter suppression
which the GOP uses to win elections. https://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-audio-trump-adviser-republicans-rely-voter-suppression-justin-clark-2019-12 This makes the news of a “new conservative
organization fighting to restrict voting in the 2020 presidential election” troubling
indeed. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/27/honest-elections-project-conservative-voting-restrictions
Let’s tell our MoCs that we are
counting on them to keep our upcoming elections free, open, and accessible to
all.
TELL NC
GOVERNOR NOT TO KOW-TOW TO TRUMP AND RNC AND PUT PUBLIC HEALTH FIRST: Despite a current surge of cases, Trump and the
RNC are demanding that North Carolina guarantee that there will be no
restrictions on allowing 50,000 people to gather for the Republican National
Convention in August. Let’s tell Governor
Roy Cooper (919-814-2000; Twitter: @NC_Governor) that we expect him
to put public health concerns before politics and protect the people of North
Carolina, as well as the rest of the country, who will be affected when the
attendees of the convention return to their own communities.
THANK TWITTER FOR FACT-CHECKING TRUMP AND TELL BOTH TWITTER AND FACEBOOK TO DO MORE TO STOP SPREADING LIES: Twitter finally took a stand against Trump’s lies about mail-in voting and directed readers to fact-checks, invoking a sharp rebuke from the White House. https://apnews.com/700c52aab0869253625b80255a397f19 and https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-threatens-social-media-companies-fact-checking-tweets/ Now we learn that Trump may sign an executive order regarding social media. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-trump/trump-to-sign-executive-order-on-social-media-on-thursday-white-house-idUSKBN2331NK Let’s thank Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for taking this stand and urge Twitter to continue to provide evidence to debunk Trump’s lies. And lets lean on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to do the same. And while we’re on the subject of mail-in voting, let’s be sure to let our MoCs know that we expect them to fully fund the USPS and guarantee that every registered voter has the right to protect their health by voting by mail in November 2020.
TRUMP’S
CRUELTY TO THE KLAUSUTIS FAMILY: Trump
continues to inflict cruelty on the family of Lori Klausutis, a woman who died
in 2001 while working for Joe Scarborough (when he was in Congress). She had an
unknown heart condition, passed out, hit her head, and died in the office.
Trump has taken to Twitter repeatedly to say that she was murdered by
Scarborough and that it is a “cold case” worth opening. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/romney-cheney-call-out-trump-repeating-baseless-conspiracy-theory-about-n1215646 Let’s
contact our MoC (particularly in the GOP) to point out the unfitness of the
POTUS as manifested in this bizarre cruelty. If we are on Twitter, let’s ask
the founder @Jack to remove the cruel and baseless Tweets immediately as has
been asked by TJ Klausutis, the widower of Ms. Klausutis.
PASS THE HEROES ACT: While the unemployment rate continues to soar, billionaires are continuing to get richer. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/21/american-billionaires-got-434-billion-richer-during-the-pandemic.html A far too large portion of the coronavirus already passed by Congress is being funneled to those who need it least. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-economic-response.html and https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/21/american-billionaires-got-434-billion-richer-during-the-pandemic.html The HEROES Act, recently passed by the House, attempts to alleviate some of this discrepancy, but the Republican Senate is declaring it Dead on Arrival, preferring to focus on restricting liability claims against business, which now some Democratic MoCs are beginning to support. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/499639-democratic-unity-starts-to-crack-in-coronavirus-liability-reform-fight Let’s tell our Senators that we expect them to pass the HEROES Act as it is written and that we are sick and tired of a system that is continued to be rigged in favor of billionaires and large businesses.
DISABILITY
RIGHTS: The United Nations
has put out a report that reiterates what those in the disability advocacy
community have been saying for months; that disabled people are being
left behind and more must be done in the Covid-19 response. https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/05/1063242
The report, A Disability-Inclusive Response to COVID-19, details
ways in which disabled people are put more at risk during the pandemic, from
living in poverty, to being abused and neglected, to receiving inadequate
healthcare, to inaccessible education and information, among others.
Additionally, it notes specific steps that can be taken to ensure that our
pandemic response is inclusive. Let's contact our MoC and ask that they
take the time to read the UN report and use the recommendations within to
center disability rights as they write up and support legislation.
ACTIVISM SIGNAGE
AND ACCESSORIES: With a sizeable portion of proceeds going to
important causes Dissent Pins is a collection of pins, cards, necklaces,
earrings available for our purchase.
Recently, they’ve also added essential workers support yard signs. Let’s take a look and back this
effort: https://dissentpins.com/
NEW FACES
OF DEMOCRACY: Since the 2016 election there have been so
many of us working for change. A new
organization wants to introduce some of those people to us. “New Faces of Democracy is a series of
profiles of these modern day heroes, regular citizens from all walks of life,
who are using their talents and skills to transform the political landscape. In
these short profiles, you will hear their stories and learn about their
missions. And if you want to get involved, some will even have action steps to
help you get started. We all have a voice in our democracy and there are
already paths in place to make it heard.”
Let’s take a closer look at New
Faces of Democracy and sign up with them:
https://newfacesofdemocracy.org/#contact
COVID-19
COPING STUDY: While they already have over 4000 participants,
the University of Michigan COVID-19
Coping Study is still accepting people until May 31. In order to qualify, we need to be age 55 or
over and reside in the USA. Let’s share
this with those who fit the criteria and check it out and take the survey: https://www.covid19copingstudy.com/
ELECTION/VOTING
2020
ELECTION CALENDAR: This
resource is searchable by date and state - https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/2020-state-primary-election-dates.aspx
REMINDER-
CHECK VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS: Let’s make sure to regularly check our voter registration
status. States are purging voters routinely--we don't want to get caught
off guard. Take 1 minute and check right now: I Will Vote Then, let’s check how to vote by
mail in our state. Many rules have changed due to the pandemic and we may
be able to vote with a mailed ballot. We can find our state's latest voting
rules here: How to Vote By Mail in Every State
IMPORTANCE
OF SECRETARIES OF STATE ON THE STATE LEVEL: Thanks to Trump’s tirades against
the Michigan Secretary of State, the importance of that government position is
being validated. This is the person who
is ultimately the overseer of our state voting process. Fortunately, MI’s Sec. of State Jocelyn
Benson gave a timely, informative retort:
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-can-call-me-rogue-secretary-state-i-wont-let-lies-slide-opinion-1506400 There are several secretary of state elections
coming up. Let’s see what states
those are and what we can do to help: https://politicalcharge.org/2020/05/27/2020-election-secretaries-of-state-races/
REGISTER
SWING-STATE VOTERS REMOTELY:
Voter registration rates have plummeted since the advent of the pandemic.
https://www.npr.org/2020/05/26/860458708/pandemic-puts-a-crimp-on-voter-registration-potentially-altering-electorate We
can help change that! Let’s sign up for Vote Save America’s
Adopt-a-State program. We’ll get trained in remote organizing and get plugged
into voter registration efforts—remotely. There’s not a moment to lose! https://votesaveamerica.com/adopt-a-state/
PLAN
AHEAD: GENERAL ELECTION POSTCARDS. We can help write 2 million postcards to voters in Wisconsin
& Michigan for the Nov 3 election! We'll increase turnout
& encourage mail-in ballots at the same time. The organization will send us
postcards, addresses, and instructions for FREE! We provide $0.35 stamps and
mail the cards in October. We can find out more and sign up at here.
HELP PA
VOTE BY MAIL: Trump is continuing to make false claims
against vote-by-mail to discourage folks from using what could be a crucial
tool to make their voices heard in November. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/05/26/trump-says-the-election-will-be-rigged-by-mail-in-voting-despite-research/#cd1353d1a7da
His insistence on politicizing this tool
makes it less likely Republicans will give vote-by-mail the support it needs to
work smoothly - and all the more important that folks who want to vote by mail
request and get their ballots in early. Turnout Tuesday is holding virtual
phone banks to reach out to Pennsylvania voters and help them request a
vote-by-mail ballot. We can sign up to join them here.
VOTER
REGISTRATION DURING COVID-19:
New voter registration was soaring this year, and then plummeted when the
pandemic hit. https://www.npr.org/2020/05/26/860458708/pandemic-puts-a-crimp-on-voter-registration-potentially-altering-electorate Let’s
contact friends and brainstorm some ways we can help register voters safely.
Here are a few ideas to get us started:
- Add a “register to vote” signature that
will automatically appear on our emails with a link to online voter
registration portals like TurboVote https://turbovote.org/ or Vote.org https://www.vote.org/ or
Vote411 https://www.vote411.org/
- Contact our local League of Women
Voters https://www.lwv.org/about-us/membership-local-leagues and
offer to organize, with their assistance, a postcard voter registration
campaign in our community.
- Ask our local public library to add a
“register to vote” link to its homepage.
STATE/LOCAL
MA: SUPPORT IMMIGRATION AND MAKE MASSACHUSETTS A SANCTUARY
STATE: Donald Trump has taken advantage of the
pandemic to further his anti-immigrant agenda, threatening to withhold aid
needed to deal with coronavirus to sanctuary cities and states and putting
further restrictions on immigration and travel to the United States (https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/30/politics/trump-sanctuary-city-coronavirus/index.html; https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/25/trump-broaden-foreign-worker-bans-276510).
We need to keep fighting too. Activists in Massachusetts are continuing to push
the state legislature to pass the Safe Communities Act to make us a sanctuary
state, and we only have until June 1st for the Public Safety Committee to act
on the bill. Let's
email or call our state legislators and the committee to tell them we want this
bill to move forward, and participate in MIRA's Week of Action to spread the word on social
media.
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS/GROUP ACTIONS/TWEETSTORMS
GET TRAINED
TO VOLUNTEER VIRTUALLY FOR BIDEN: The upcoming 2020 Presidential Election will be crucial in deciding the
fate of our country and our democracy. After 2016, we know we cannot be
complacent, but must do everything possible to defeat Trump and get our country
back on track. One way to start is to help Joe Biden's campaign which is
looking for volunteers right now. We can click here to join an Action
Center trainings (which will be offered 75 times between May 27 and November 1)
and learn how to use our online organizing hub to volunteer virtually for Joe: https://www.mobilize.us/joebiden/event/149561
RECLAIM
OUR VOTE SUMMIT: “Our "COVID-19
and the 2020 Elections" webinar series launches with this two-day
event that tackles what must be done to sustain momentum towards fair elections
despite the uncertainties caused by the pandemic. We believe that now,
when things are so difficult and uncertain, is when we must build unity towards
one essential goal - a fair and free election.” Let’s join Center for Common Ground’s Reclaim
Our Vote summit on May 30 and 31. More
information and sign up is here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/covid-19-and-the-2020-elections-virtual-summit
MASS
POOR PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY & MORAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON: “The Mass
Poor People’s Assembly & Moral March on Washington is going digital! On
June 20th, we will hold the largest digital and social media gathering
of poor and low-wealth people, moral and religious leaders, advocates, and
people of conscience in this nation’s history. A global pandemic is exposing
even more the already existing crisis of systemic racism, poverty, ecological
devastation, the war economy and militarism, and the distorted moral narrative
of religious nationalism. On June 20, the 140 million poor and low-wealth
people across this nation will be heard!”
We can sign up here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/rsvp-for-june-20-2020-mass-poor-peoples-assembly-moral-march-on-washington
READING/WATCHING/LISTENING
Some
Countries Have Brought New Cases Down To Nearly Zero. How Did They Do It? - https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/05/23/861577367/messaging-from-leaders-who-have-tamed-their-countrys-coronavirus-outbreaks
Trump
Administration is Rushing Deportations of Migrant Children During the Coronavirus - https://www.propublica.org/article/the-trump-administration-is-rushing-deportations-of-migrant-children-during-coronavirus
You
Don’t Need Invasive Tech for Successful Contact Tracing. Here’s How It Works -https://www.propublica.org/article/you-dont-need-invasive-tech-for-successful-contact-tracing-heres-how-it-works
Dr.
Anthony Fauci: To keep churches safe, use masks, limit singing and wait to resume
Communion - https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/05/27/dr-anthony-fauci-catholic-churches-masks-communion-covid-coronavirus
'The
price you pay': Sweden struggles with 'herd immunity' experiment - https://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Sweden-herd-immunity-experiment-backfires-covid-15289437.php
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We can stay up
to date on Congress by checking out their schedules. a) The House publishes
a weekly schedule at The Weekly Leader (published and dated Friday)
as well as daily schedules at The Daily Leader. b) The Senate updates
their schedule daily at the Senate Floor Schedule
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