Chop Wood, Carry Water 1/6
We were made for this moment.
Hi, all, and happy Monday!
It’s January 6—a painful anniversary, indeed. If you’re anything like me you’re a bit loathe to face this day—let alone this week, or month, or year, or four years! It’s been a pleasure, hasn’t it, to lose ourselves in the holidays? In long books, movie outings—OMG Wicked!—family meals, ice skating, cookie making, or whatever other non-political pleasures we’ve pursued? But it couldn’t last forever. We knew eventually we’d have to end our blissful intermission and return to the quotidian work of fighting authoritarianism; that work begins again today.
So welcome back to all of you.
If you’re new here, you’re doubly welcome. I know it took courage to sign up to take action, and I want you to know that you’re in good hands. Not so much because of me, although I’ll try to serve you well, but because of the community to which this newsletter goes out. They’re incredible.
Some folks here have subscribed for months, many for years. A small percentage go back to the earliest days of CWCW, in 2016, when it was no more than an email to close friends and family. Almost all are skilled and seasoned fighters who will encourage you, help you find your inner strength, and inspire you with their persistence as we navigate these uncertain times together. I, of course, will endeavor to do the same.
All of us will celebrate your efforts, no matter how humble, halting, or small. You’ll soon learn that they matter—a lot.
Every subscriber to this newsletter, I’ve found, shares a few traits; foremost among them are courage, compassion, and determination. My readers come here not because they must, or because they’re paid to—I wish!—but because they are driven to try to save the fragile, flawed, but infinitely precious democracy we call home.
If that’s you, too, you’ve found your people.
If you’ve been here awhile you already know this.
Either way, 2025 is going to be a doozy of a year. It will be awful sometimes, that’s for sure, but it’ll also take turns we don’t expect, and deliver wins in unforeseen places. We will deal with all of it together—one day, one breath, and one action at a time.
After all, we were made for this moment. Never forget it. I certainly don’t.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
In light of the recent terrorist attack in New Orleans and the rising threat of domestic terrorism in general, I want the Senator to vocally oppose the confirmations of Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, and Kash Patel to run the FBI. We need leaders in these positions who understand how to protect Americans, both here and abroad, and desire to do so. None of these nominees meets those qualifications. Hegseth has virtually no management experience and a checkered history, Patel is focussed on vengeance for Trump, and Gabbard is a Russian stooge. These people won’t protect us. They will, in fact, put us in danger. I expect the Senator to vote no. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
It’s official. Just this morning President Biden announced a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters! It’s a huge, huge deal, and will really throw a wrench in Trump’s plans to “drill baby, drill.”
According to the Guardian:
The ban encompasses the entire Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Pacific coast off California, Oregon and Washington, and a section of the Bering Sea off Alaska.
A White House statement said the declaration protected more than 253m hectares (625m acres) of waters.
Amazing! But there’s still more President Biden can do in his last few days in office to protect the environment, and Climate Hawks Vote has a list for him. Click here to send him their email and cc your Congressional delegation. I always like to personalize these letters a bit so they don’t get discarded. Please consider doing so!
Get Smart! 📚
Red, Wine and Blue presents: Project 2025 & Its Impact on Public Education
Tuesday, January 7, 2025 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM ET
Project 2025 calls for the elimination of the Department of Education, dismantling diversity and inclusivity programs and erasing protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community. As the new Administration begins to implement it, what will it mean for our local schools? What will the impact be on students, teachers and families?
Join Jillian Gaeta of Roots to Revolution for answers to these important questions and help spread this information to others in our communities.
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
George Lakoff and Gil Durant of the wonderful messaging newsletter
have published a set of 2025 Resolutions that are well worth checking out. You’ve heard me argue for lots of them; none of them can be repeated too many times.Please read the list and share it. The suggestions contained therein, if taken, will help us strategically, emotionally, and collectively.
Win Races! 🗳
There are local and state legislative elections coming up in many places—including in Virginia, tomorrow!—and the Environmental Voter Project is turning out voters for all of them.
Please consider signing up for one of EVP’s upcoming virtual phonebanks. These calls are so easy — EVP trainers will make sure you have everything you need before you get started.
Check out available shifts—including one later today for VA—and sign up here.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T] [Text SIGN PMVUCL to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
I’m writing to ask you to prioritize anti-hunger programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in upcoming legislation.
SNAP is the most effective hunger-relief program in the nation, and many people rely on it to ensure their families can access the food we all need. I know many Republicans want to cut SNAP funding to pay for Trump’s tax cuts; I wholly oppose it.
No one should go hungry in the richest country in the world—especially so that billionaires can buy more yachts. Please keep hunger relief at the forefront of your mind as you enact legislation. Support and strengthen vital programs like SNAP. Thanks!
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
I’ve been lurking Free, I had an idea in November to start a daily post “Do One Thing Today” with a directed action for my friends/family. I did for a couple weeks…
And then I discovered you!
What you do is amazing.
Thank you for your work and dedication. Instead of duplicating I have become a paid member and will do my best to follow through, and lift up your efforts.
So overwhelming, but… if every day, we ALL do even Just One Thing… it has to make a difference. It. Has. To.
Thanks for this. I used a modified version of your script on my brand new senator, Angela Alsobrooks. I said I expected her to vote, not just no, but HELL NO.