6/4/20
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:
White
House contact: https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house
|
HEROES
ACT: In May, the House
passed The Heroes Act (H.R. 6800), which would provide relief and protections for
U.S. residents in response to the pandemic (https://n.pr/303KKsD). Let's read through Indivisible's analysis of what the
legislation does and does not include, then let's contact our senators and ask
them to support The Heroes Act and make sure that it is passed. We can also
flood Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's phone lines and tell him that we
want this brought to the Senate floor immediately: Phone: (202) 224-2541
REVOKE
LICENSES OF THE FOUR COPS WHO KILLED GEORGE FLOYD: It’s not enough that the four cops involved in
the George Floyd incident have been fired. Let’s tell the Minnesota POST
Board to revoke the licenses of Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng,
and Thomas Lane. We can call the POST Board office at 651-643-3060 and/or email
the POST Board members: Kelly McCarthy, Chair kellymccarth@gmail.com;
Jason Bennett jbennett@mankatomn.gov;
Timothy Bildsoe tbildsoe@gmail.com;Clarence
Castile ccastile651@gmail.com;
Andrew Evans andrew.evans@state.mn.us;
Mark Fahning mark.fahning@gmail.com;
Dave Hutchinson david.hutchinson@hennepin.us; Joel Powell powell@mnstate.edu;
Sara Rice Sara.rice@mltpd.com;
Kevin Stenson kstenson@cityoflindstrom.us;
Rebecca Swanson beckys@alextech.edu;
David Titus dtitus@sppdfederation.com;
Troy Wolbersen troyw@co.douglas.mn.usJim
Yang chou.jim.yang@ci.stpaul.mn.us
SPEAK OUT
FOR POLICE REFORM ON THE LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS: In response to recent police murders of unarmed
black people, Congress is finally being pressured to do something to reform
police department, but what they will end up with remains to be seen,
especially since many Republicans do not want to take it up. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/500809-calls-for-police-reform-sparks-divisions-in-congress.
Let’s tell our MoCs that we expect them to act on measures that outlaw
chokeholds, “prohibit police departments from using military-grade weapons,
mandate that all law enforcers wear body cameras and ban private prisons and
jails.” On the local level, let’s get involved in initiatives that cut funds to
police departments and redirect them to community initiatives like affordable
housing and increased funds for PPE and COVID-19 testing.
IN DEFENSE
OF BLACK LIVES: This week,
the Movement for Black Lives is
hosting a week of action. Each day focuses on a different issue, with numerous
ways that we can get involved at varying risk levels. Today, Thursday, "We
Demand Community Control: The most impacted in our communities need to control
the laws, institutions, and policies that are meant to serve us – from our
schools to our local budgets, economies, and police department." Let's
check out today's five actions, read through the provided materials,
and work with others to carry out at least one. If we have missed previous
days' actions, let's make sure to go back and act on each issue that is
posted: https://m4bl.org/week-of-action/
FIGHT
AGAINST THE MILITARIZATION OF OUR POLICE: Donald Trump wants to put the
military on our streets when we should be thinking about making state and local
police less like military organizations. That starts with their equipment.
Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) is planning on introducing an amendment to the
annual National Defense Authorization Act to end the 1033 Program, which allows
for the transfer of surplus U.S. military equipment to local police forces and
has been a significant factor in the militarization of our police. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/us/politics/police-military-gear.html
or https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/06/02/bills-would-ban-sale-military-weapons-police-bar-deployment-troops-protests.html Let's contact our members of Congress and
tell them we want them to support this effort.
POLICE
VIOLENCE: Activists,
educators, and policy experts DeRay Mckesson, Samuel Sinyangwe, and Brittany
Packnett joined with researchers and protesters across the country to create
Campaign Zero. The organization "integrates community demands and policy
recommendations from research organizations and President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing,"
to end police violence and mass incarceration. They also take a comprehensive look
at local, state, and federal policies addressing police violence to make
recommendations on what actions we can take at each level. Let's read
through this thread by data scientist and policy analyst Samuel Sinyangwe, then visit the Campaign Zero website to
learn how we can build communities and reduce police violence: https://www.joincampaignzero.org/
TELL SENATE
TO PASS GLOBAL PANDEMIC PREVENTION LEGISLATION:
COVID-19 has
taught us a grim lesson: we must be prepared to stop global pandemics before
they start. After Trump has dismantled much of protective structures to do
this, a bi-patisan Senate team is now working on ways to start over. US Sens.
Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) last week
introduced legislation designed to better detect and contain infectious disease
outbreaks overseas before they become global pandemics. The Global Health
Security and Diplomacy Act (GHSDA) (not yet numbered) requires the president to
advance a comprehensive Global Health Security Strategy with clear goals,
objectives, and lines of responsibility to better guide US investments in
global health security. Further, it establishes a coordinator for global health
security and diplomacy at the Department of State to manage program
coordination. Also, it encourages the president to appoint a senior director
for global health security to the National Security Council to coordinate the
interagency process. https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/49978-bipartisan-bill-would-help-better-detect-contain-overseas-pandemics/ We can read the bill here, then contact
our Senators to co-sponsor and support it:
SHARE
VIRTUAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR BLACK WOMEN
In these
immeasurably difficult and stressful times, we know black women share an
especially heavy burden, but their mental health is always at risk. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/mental-health-among-african-american-women We can click here to for information about
therapists, wellness groups, apps and Instagram accounts to provide support and
healing:
ACCESSIBLE
ACTIVISM: For those of us
who are unable to attend protests due to accessibility, safety, or other
concerns, disability advocates and Amnesty International have created resources
we can use to effect change in other ways. Let's check out 26
Ways to Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets and How to Be an Activist When You're Unable to Attend Protests,
then let's get to work.
WATCH JUST
MERCY: The feature film Just Mercy based on
the book by the director of the Equal Justice
Initiative (EJI), Bryan Stephenson, is a compelling true story of racial injustice.
Given the current unrest, Warner Bros. is making this available for free on
streaming platforms during the month of June.
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-watch-just-mercy-free-streaming-rental Let’s make sure to watch this and share
this opportunity with our friends and family.
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
NEXT
TUESDAY, JUNE 9 ELECTION: NEVADA: Nevada
is on pace for strong voter turnout in its 2020 presidential primary election,
according to new figures released by the Nevada secretary of state’s office. We
can read more at Las Vegas Review Journal. If we are Nevada voters,
let's send in our ballots today for this all-mail primary if we have not
already done so.
VOTE BY
MAIL FLORIDA: Postcards To Voters continue
their work to reach every registered Democrat in Florida not yet sign up for
vote by mail with Bay County. (area around Panama City on the Gulf
side.) Let's assist this effort by requesting 5 addresses today.
FLIP A
SENATE SEAT IN IOWA: Theresa Greenfield will be the Democratic
standard-bearer against Senator Joni Ernst in Iowa in November in a race that
could be critical to who controls the Senate for the next two years. Polls have
showed Greenfield and Ernst running neck-and-neck (https://www.kcci.com/article/ap-theresa-greenfield-wins-democratic-senate-primary/32749045, https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/495937-poll-ernst-lead-evaporates-in-iowa-senate-race).
Let's help her win by signing up to volunteer or donating to her campaign.
USE
THIS TWEETSHEET TO RAISE AWARENESS OF JUNE ELECTIONS ON TWITTER: With all that’s going on, it can be easy to
forget upcoming important elections in June, but for real, lasting change, we
must Vote! Electing the right people is how we can get this troubled nation
back on track. If we are on Twitter, we can tweet out these prewritten
tweets from the Bluewave Report with important dates and election information
to get out the vote this month: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aeC8ac9_sfDyyM28-KYj-aoV3pmyncYIA_q7hqJ10fQ/edit
STATE/LOCAL
ALL: POLICE USE OF
FORCE: Across the United States, there are wide variations in police
departments' use of force policies. These policies determine what actions are
permissible or prohibited, including chokeholds, shooting at moving
vehicles, issuing warnings, utilizing de-escalation strategies, and
others. Campaign
Zero's Use of
Force Project used data available from The Guardian's The Counted database and found that police departments
with more restrictive policies had fewer killings, and police were less likely
to be assaulted. The Use of Force Project has used available research and data
from departments throughout the U.S. to create a model use of force policy with
the goal of reducing police violence in communities. Let's read through the model policy, then contact our mayors and
other local elected officials and ask them to make our communities safer
by implementing it.
ALL: “REIMAGINING POLICING” TOWN HALL IDEA: “Former President Barack Obama spoke in a virtual town hall event with
young people to discuss policing and the civil unrest that has followed the
death of George Floyd in
Minneapolis. . . He urged “every mayor in the country to review your use of
force policies” with their communities and “commit to report on planned
reforms” before prioritizing their implementation.” https://www.boston25news.com/news/trending/former-president-barack-obama-address-nation-wednesday/EQSMVEI76BEJZLOJL6JY6WQ2QI/ One of the ideas presented was the #8Can’tWait that cities can implement immediately
with police forces. Let’s contact our own mayors and ask that they follow
the guidelines outlined in the town hall.
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS/GROUP ACTIONS/TWEETSTORMS
VOLUNTEER
TO ADOPT A BATTLEGROUND STATE FOR 2020 VICTORY: The election may hinge on six key states and
a Vote Save America has just launched a strategy to win them. The Adopt a
State Program is brand-new remote mobilization program that will help us
directly support the work of organizers and candidates in these six key
battleground states that will be most important to winning a progressive
majority on Election Day—no matter where we live. After months working with the
most effective state parties, political strategists, and progressive
organizations on the ground in Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan,
Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to find out where we can help the most,
they will only send us actions that will make a real impact. We’ll get first
rate training to become part of the best group of digital organizers out there. This custom
live training series will include four sessions on Thursday evenings in June,
curated to help make us the most effective organizers we can be. When
we sign up, we’ll learn the messaging that works best, and the remote and
in-person opportunities that will help us make the biggest possible impact on
the outcome of its races: https://votesaveamerica.com/subscribe/
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
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
Understanding
my Privilege - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlRxqC0Sze4&feature=youtu.be
This is
a working document for scaffolding anti-racism resources. The goal is to
facilitate growth for white folks to become allies, and eventually accomplices
for anti-racist work. These resources have been ordered in an attempt to make
them more accessible. We will continue to add resources. - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PrAq4iBNb4nVIcTsLcNlW8zjaQXBLkWayL8EaPlh0bc/preview
How to
respond to “riots never solve anything!” - https://soletstalkabout.com/2020/05/28/how-to-respond-to-riots-never-solve-anything/
Peaceful
protesters get lost in action-packed coverage - https://apnews.com/b9351945f4f5f2afe35a6ff973940aaf
Right Wing
Involvement in Protests - https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/06/03/white-men-wearings-hawaiian-shirts-carrying-guns-add-volatile-new-element-floyd-protests/
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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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