Chop Wood, Carry Water 2/14

Love is an action. 💙

Justice is what love looks like in public.

—Cornel West

Hi, all, and happy Monday!

This morning, while carpooling to school, we passed a woman standing on a local traffic triangle holding a sign that said “HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!” When we slowed to wave at her she peered into the car, saw that I had three kids with me, and held out three heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, one for each.

“Wow!” I said. “Are you just doing this…because?”

And she said “Yup! Enjoy!”

The kids were thrilled. Not just by the chocolate, although that made them very happy, but by such a kind gesture, offered by a total stranger.

“I can’t believe she just did that,” they marveled, as they tucked the boxes into their backpacks.

We agreed that there are some very, very nice people in the world. And that such acts of decency were a very good thing. Then one of the kids said “When I grow up, if I have extra money? I’m going to do that on Valentine’s day!”

And there you have it. Good promotes good.

It really is so easy to make a difference in someone’s day, and therefore in someone’s life. A kind gesture, an unexpected gift, a word of thanks to someone whose job is taken for granted…those are Valentines that really make a difference.

Candy, after all, is consumed in a minute. A kind gesture is never forgotten.

So let’s find a way to surprise someone with kindness today. Why not? The people we’re fighting are filled with rage and fear. Part of how we beat them is by flooding the world with the opposite.

Hope matters. Love matters. Modeling decency matters.

And of course, actions matter. So let’s take some now. 💙

Call Your Senators (find yours here)

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

I want the Senator to co-sponsor Senator Merkley’s Keep It In The Ground Act (S.1115), which would eliminate new fossil fuel production projects on federal public land and waters. This is absolutely the kind of legislation we need during a decade in which we need to rapidly shift away from fossil fuels. The bill currently only has 7 cosponsors in the Senate; will the Senator be the 8th? [H/T]

Also, please ask the Senator to vocally support and work to pass S. 1720 the Postal Service Reform Act! Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here)

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

I want the Congressmember to co-sponsor Rep. Huffman’s Keep It In The Ground Act (HR 2519), which would eliminate new fossil fuel production projects on federal public land and waters. This is absolutely the kind of legislation we need during this decisive decade where we need to rapidly shift away from fossil fuels. The bill currently only has 18 cosponsors in the House; will the Congressmember be the 8th? [H/T]

Extra Credit ✅

OK, here’s the darker side of Valentine’s Day: cheap chocolate is generally made with forest-destroying palm oil (and don’t even get me started on the slave labor).

One of the worst offenders in pretty much every way is Ferrero Rocher. So please post this on your social media:

Hey 📢 @FerreroRocherUSA, there's too much rainforest 💔 in your chocolate candy! Be the rainforest's #valentine and break up with Conflict Palm Oil - we need to #keepforestsstanding

https://act.ran.org/page/37925/subscribe/1?locale=en-US&en_chan=tw&ea.tracking.id=so_tw&en_ref=21519075

Win Races! 🗳

I am ALL IN with human rights attorney and amazing progressive Jessica Cisneros—whose primary election in TX-28 is on March 1st-- and would like to raise some money for her race. If you have any extra pocket change please make a donation of any amount or better yet, SIGN UP FOR A PHONEBANK! I went to a meeting with her pollsters last week and she can WIN this race! Her Trumpy, FBI-investigated, big-oil-loving incumbent Democratic opponent has way more money, though, so she needs funds and volunteers in order to get the word out. Please help—she’d be a huge gift in Congress.

Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)

[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [Quick send: text SIGN PLBAAI to 50409]

I’m writing once again to remind the lawmaker that the Supreme Court has lost all credibility and needs to be expanded. To quote Dan Rather, who wrote about this over the weekend in his newsletter “Steady:”

“Instead of reasoned argumentation we see snap judgements. Instead of deliberation we see grandstanding. Instead of humility we see a cocky disregard for precedent. The legitimacy of the Supreme Court is wavering – some might argue it has already been debased. . . . For what we are witnessing is not the law as much as it is transactional rhetoric without any pretense other than power.”

We must, must, must expand the court by four seats in order to rebalance it. It’s been utterly discredited by the extremist judges on it, and our democracy is paying the price. Please co-sponsor and vocally support the Judiciary Act, HR 2584/ S 1141.

If you refuse, I’d like an answer in writing as to how you envision this court ever regaining credibility. (Spoiler alert: there isn’t one.) Thank you.

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

Talk tomorrow.

Jess