Chop Wood, Carry Water 11/21

Short one today!

Hi, all, and happy Monday!

Well, it’s finally happened. My thireteen-year-old tested positive for COVID this morning and is feeling wretched. Mike and I are both fine so far, but none of us have had COVID yet, so my husband and I are bracing ourselves to likely finally succumb.

I’ve been taking care of MJ this morning and will continue to do so now, so I’m going to take a day off from the newsletter. I will, though, finish and send out “Extra! Extra!” in the next hour or two—I didn’t get to it last night. Sorry about that!

Also, I wanted to send out one very urgent request from my friend Elizabeth from Markers For Democracy. Here it is—please help if you can:

I'm reaching out to ask you to put out the word to your readers again for help supporting GA Absentee Ballot voters in getting to the polls.

Context:  GA Absentee Ballot voting is a mess.  Counties are late getting their ballots out.  Some have not sent them yet.  Some people were sent provisional absentee ballots. The GA state legislature has created a lot of "mousetraps" in the absentee ballots, so they are complicated & the window for voting is small.

The Need:  Volunteers to make calls to GA voters who receive absentee ballots & persuade them to vote in person & help arrange for free rides to the polls. Voters over age 75 need not wait in line.  These are calls to people who appreciate the call & need the help.  We are having success persuading voters to vote in person, but we need more people to make calls.

Training is provided.  Mobilize link here.  The link description is incorrect (things are moving fast) & will be corrected - but this is the correct link.  Description says this is for cure calls, but it is reaching out to voters who receive absentee ballots & help them make arrangements to get to & from the polls. Again, sign up here—there are multiple shifts most days.

What better way to spend your spare time this week than in helping Georgians overcome flat-out voter suppression? I hope some of you can lend a hand.

I’ll be back with a full newsletter tomorrow. Also an update on the Cochise County, Arizona situation—and thanks to the literally thousands of you who sent the email!

Finally, thanks to those of you who reached out after the shooting in Colorado Springs. It’s gutting for all of us, I know. As the mom to a queer teenager it’s…I have no words.

But it’s also the reason I will never stop doing what I do. Ever. Not until every last American is safe from this kind of hate-fueled murderousness.

It’s a life’s work, I know. But what better way to spend a lifetime? Each of us has a choice: fight for a better, more unified, more inclusive, more just country, or become part of the dark. lethal vision wished on us by the ruthless and power-thirsty.

I choose the former. I know you do, too.

That’s what fuels my gratitude this week, and always.

Jess