Chop Wood, Carry Water 11/22

We cannot lose.

Hi, all, and happy Monday!

Hope you were able to get some rest and restoration this weekend. Of course, that was made much harder by the (second) tragedy in Wisconsin—if you’re from that state we are all sending love and support—but nonetheless I hope you were able to find some respite.

I begin this email, as I do from time to time, with an excerpt from Robert Hubble’s latest newsletter. (I’ve said it many times, but if you’re not a subscriber to “Today’s Edition” I can’t recommend it highly enough.) After re-capping the latest in a series of disheartening events in our country he closes with this:

Be patient. Don’t quit. Instant gratification isn’t the measure of success in democracy. We are engaged in an effort that began 240 years ago and that will continue for centuries after we are gone. Let’s do our best during the time that we are in the vanguard. Have confidence that our struggle will be continued in the future by those who we inspired as we worked through disappointment or despair, unsure that our efforts would bear fruit. Keep up the good fight, come what may. If we do that, we cannot lose!

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Keep up the good fight, come what may.

How do we do that? Easy. Actions. Repeated. Daily.

So let’s do that one more time.

Call Your Senators (find yours here)

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

Now that the Build Back Better Act has passed in the House I want the Senator to vote for it in the Senate right away. There isn’t a provision we can afford to lose. Please pass it as soon as possible without watering it down.

The minute that is done the Senate needs to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting rights Advancement Act. This needs to happen before they go back on recess. We are in a democracy emergency; there is no more time to wait. [If Democrat add:] Democrats should abolish the filibuster to get this done. Thanks.

Call Chuck Schumer!

Let’s call Chuck Schumer at (212) 486-4430 or (518) 431-4070 or (202) 224-6542 and say:

I’m calling the Senator in his capacity as Senate Majority Leader to say that I want him to bring the Build Back Better Act up for a vote as soon as humanly possible, then immediately move on to the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This isn’t the time for vacation. We’re in a crisis. All of this legislation needs to pass immediately—before anyone goes on break. Thanks.

Extra Credit

Please sign this petition asking REI CEO Eric Artz to stop selling outdoor products coated with PFAS. (I don’t typically think petitions do much, but when they’re to consumer brand leaders they can sometimes be quite effective.)

Chop Wood, Give 💰

As the “Giving Tuesday” emails start rolling in, (and boy, have they) consider this: Native groups historically get the smallest piece of the funding pie when it comes to electoral organizing. Yet Native votes are capable of swinging elections in several states. We can help by donating to native-led groups organizing in critical states and races throughout the country, and Movement Voter Fund (my favorite grassroots org) has a fund specifically for this.

How better to celebrate this week than to make a donation of any size to their Native Voter Fund?

Get Educated!

I thought this sounded fantastic:

WEBINAR: RETHINKING THANKSGIVING: SOLIDARITY WITH INDIGENOUS RESISTANCE
Date & Time: Monday, November 22, 5:00pm PT
Location: Register here
Details: Indigenous solidarity is an essential part of the struggle for racial justice. It is critical that we deepen our commitment to Indigneous Sovereignty in ourselves, and in our movements. Join the Indigenous Solidarity Network, Catalyst Project, SURJ, and more to interrogate so-called Thanksgiving, and move beyond the myths of America's history with Indigenous People.

In this webinar, we will hear from the frontlines of Indigenous efforts to resist violence and colonization fueled by the current extractive economic system and gather ways to further and deepen solidarity with Indigenous resistance.

Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here!)

[to your Senators] [H/T] [Quick send text SIGN PEVXKD to 50409]

I'm writing as your constituent to ask that, now that it has passed in the House, you vote for a strong Build Back Better Act. This historic legislation creates millions of jobs, cleans up our communities, helps our families, and protects the climate we all cannot live without. All paid for by taxing corporations and rich people, and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Bravo! Deadly climate impacts like heat waves, hurricanes, droughts, and floods are continuing to grow in severity and frequency across the country. It’s too late to stop some of the damage we’ve caused, but every investment we make in real solutions, like the ones contained in the Build Back Better Act, will help create a safer future for our communities. Passing the Build Back Better Act could be the single most important bill passed by this Congress, and your constituents will be watching how you vote. Vote for the strong Build Back Better Act. Thank you.

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OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk tomorrow.

Jess