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Heidi Jon Schmidt's avatar

Wrote to the National Cathedral and have already ordered Budde’s book. She was the bright light in this awful week.

Someone reminded me that instead of saying ‘Trump rolled back DEI’ we could say ‘Trump began the resegregation of ….’ NASA, etc.). I thought I’d pass that on.

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Jess Craven's avatar

Love that.

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Trina's avatar

Excellent idea about what to say, thank you!

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Susan Troy's avatar

That's a good one.

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Eileen G's avatar

I’m so frustrated and angry. I cannot leave a message for Ruben Gallego. The voicemail box is full and I get the same message when I call the local Arizona phone number. I went ahead and voiced my frustration through his official email contact regarding both the inability to leave a voicemail as well as requesting a no vote on the terrible anti-transgender bill.

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Sharon's avatar

Same with my reps. Resist bot is a game changer.

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Jess Craven's avatar

Right?

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Diana Quinn's avatar

YES, IT IS!!!!

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jackie cort's avatar

can you tell me what resist bot is?

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Anna W.'s avatar

A way to contact your representatives - Googling it will be much faster than me trying to remember/type all the details

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Sharon's avatar

Yes! If you text 50409 resist bot will walk you through simple steps to get signed up so you can easily sign your name to letters that go directly to your reps. For example, if you put 50409 in your phone and in the body of the text type “SIGN PSXDNX” you will be signing your name to resolution 7 to fight it. Resolution 7 hurts women.

That’s just one example. Give it a try! Makes fighting against these horrific resolutions and bills so easy! 😊

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Sharon's avatar

Great news that the resistance is growing! More and more people getting informed vs hiding under a blanket in the fetal position = more anger which = more fighting! Love it!! Here for it!

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Jess Craven's avatar

Agree. Me too!

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Susan Troy's avatar

I'm going to an East Bay Indivisible meeting tomorrow. I invited friends to go with me, but everyone was busy. I know I'll make friends there.

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Sharon's avatar

Yes!!!! You most certainly will. Like minded who are not “too busy” to fight this madness. Thank you!!!

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Susan Troy's avatar

I appreciate that. This feels a bit lonely sometimes 😊🙏

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Sharon's avatar

You are 100% not alone. Did you go? Curious how it went! I used to live in the Bay Area and I would have gone with you!

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Alice in Whyland's avatar

Thank you for your inspiring work Jess. I and many others appreciate you so much

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Jess Craven's avatar

So very welcome, Alice. Thank you.

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Linda Rey's avatar

Made my calls!!! THANK YOU!!

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Jess Craven's avatar

Thank YOU!

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BitsyBelle's avatar

Thank you, Jess, you’re the best cheerleader and the best guide ever. If it weren’t for you, I would just give up and stick my head in a bag.

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Jess Craven's avatar

Oh goodness--we can't have that, can we?

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BitsyBelle's avatar

The good news and the bad news you pass on, and the ways we can help, which for a 76-year-old here is very doable, makes it easy To communicate.

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Trina's avatar

Thank you so much, Jess. Called and emailed Rep, Senators, and Rev. Budde. Posted the info for thanking her on Mastodon.

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Jess Craven's avatar

Thank you!

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Dave Conant - MO's avatar

Billionaires are not our friends. Even Mike Bloomberg, who made himself look good by promising to finance the U.S. part of the Paris Accord costs, disappeared after his Presidential run as did Tom Steyer. If these people, who can't be hurt seriously by their fellow ultrarich, aren't willing to stand up for what they say they believe, it's up to us to overwhelm them with numbers and votes.

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Deb Pierce's avatar

There's one billionaire who absolutely is our friend, and that's Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois. He saved the pensions and healthcare of State of Illinois retirees, and (being one of those) I will be forever grateful to him. He's the real deal.

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Mary Tirpok's avatar

I’m so glad to see your subscribership go up, Jess!!! I share your letter wherever I can! Ty 💚💛❤️💜🩵

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Jess Craven's avatar

Thanks, Mary! I wish this newsletter weren't necessary, but since it is I'm glad to see more people joining the effort, too!

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Tim West's avatar

Shouldn't we tell our Democratic Senators to oppose Pete Hegseth, too?

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Jess Craven's avatar

I believe they all are, no?

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Michael D.'s avatar

I thought I heard/read that both Peters and Slotkin (MI) may actually be willing to support him. That may be old news though. Guess I need to contact them.

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Cheryl Johnson's avatar

I think you may be confusing the Military funding bill that the GOP poisoned with anti-trans provisions. Unfortunately some Dems voted in favor of that. AFAIK, none of the Dems are supporting Hegseth.

A bunch of Dems did vote in favor of Marco Rubio for Sec. of State.

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Tim West's avatar

Maybe. I didn't know.

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Susan Troy's avatar

I write daily emails to my representatives asking them to block Hegseth, Kennedy, Patel, Gabbard, and McMahon. It's like taking a daily vitamin pill. I've had it with incompetence, grift, graft and ignorance.

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Alice in Whyland's avatar

I told mine to encourage those across the aisle to vote no

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Eileen G's avatar

I can’t get myself to tell Andy Biggs that he will “lose his seat in 2026” because we are so terribly gerrymandered in AZCD5 and we have been trying year after year after a year to get the word out and unseat him and it feels like a David versus Goliath situation. I once had the opportunity to attend as a guest of my LD 13 Dem representative at a Chandler Chamber of Commerce event where representative Andy Biggs spoke. One of my friends, also a guest of our shared Dem state House rep turned his seat and had his back to Biggs when he spoke. I happen to be at a table facing the rest of the room full of both R’s D’s and I’s and did not censor my facial expressions when Biggs spoke on policies that mostly everything he said I disagreed with - especially wanting armed police officers in schools as security resource officers which I think is actually happening in my city as I speak- I need to start attending school board meetings again, but my work hours don’t allow me to always make it to those meetings lately. I will tell Biggs to vote no on gutting social services that will fleece tax paying American citizens and line the pockets of billionaires - sickening.

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Lynell(VA by way of MD&DC)'s avatar

Thanks, Jess. I suppose you heard that a Constitutional amendment has been introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow President Donald Trump a third term in office. It was introduced by Rep Andy Ogles (TN)

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Jess Craven's avatar

I hadn't. But that can't pass the Senate.

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Jessica Handler's avatar

Thank you for this newsletter. I use your scripts to call my (Democratic) senators and (Democratic) Congressperson almost every day. You're doing the heavy lifting, and another Jessica here in (forever John Lewis's district 5) in Atlanta (that's me) appreciates it. Also I've referred about a dozen resistance-minded friends to your newsletter. My Dem senators (one of whom was my neighbor until recently) voted FOR the Laken Riley act and I am appalled, and called to tell them so. Also, yes to #resistbot.

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Jess Craven's avatar

So surprised at Ossoff and Warnock, especially! What were they thinking?

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Deb Pierce's avatar

Most of the Dem senators who voted for the Laken Riley Act were from swing states, including Warnock and Ossoff. I believe they were insulating themselves from future attacks from RWNJs about protecting brown-skinned murderers of blonde-haired white girls. Those attack ads almost write themselves, and Dem senators in swing states know that. I wish they were more courageous, but their consultants tell them not to be.

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Rachel Simon's avatar

Where are the students and citizens who screamed against Biden about Isreal and Hamas? We have worse egregious govenrment here now! Where are these outraged young people when our country is burning?

I stood up from the time I was 14 years old, leading marches against the Vietnam War, Womens Rights.

I am now 74 years old and I am not impressed with the silence I hear from college students. They are the future, they need to speak up about the real abuses happening right here in out back yards.

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Merrill's avatar

A really, really great question.

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Susan Troy's avatar

Bishop Budde had jurisdiction over the chapel Trump invaded to have his bible photo op with Miley. She is amazing. So is Faithful America, an ecumenical, progressive organization pushing back against the unChristian, White Christian Nationalists. I first learned about Bishop Budde through a Zoom meeting Faithful America held before Thanksgiving in 2023. The title of the Zoom? "Tough Turkey. How to Talk with your MAGA relatives. Check them out at FaithfulAmerica.org. It's been a long while since I've been to church--in fact, I stopped going to church about the time that the Evangelicals started their braying. But what Christian values I do have do not include hate, division, hellfire, and brimstone. Jesus was a rabbi. Love, peace, and forgiveness are the radical gospel of Jesus--the one MAGA, Johnson, and Co. would like us to forget. Don't any of us do that?

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Sally Stokes's avatar

I found Budde’s book on libro.fm. It’s a great alternative to audible.

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