Chop Wood, Carry Water 3/6

A Swing Blue Alliance member has created a page with seven free, downloadable posters that can be printed and posted. They’re AMAZING! Let’s get them up everywhere!

Hi, all, and happy Thursday.

I can always tell when it’s been a rough news day because my shoulder—which is currently “frozen”—hurts more than usual. Boy, does it ache today. We’ve had Trump’s awful SOTU (which I didn’t watch, but heard plenty about), Gavin Newsom’s inexplicable betrayal of trans people, ten Congressional Democrats’ voting with Republicans to censure Rep. Green, a French Senator going viral for saying that Trump is our Nero and America can’t be trusted anymore, the imminent demise of the Department of Education…the list goes on and on.

It’s a lot. How do we survive a moment as awful this? How do we continue?

My answer remains the same: We take it a day at a time. We stay in touch with why we’re fighting. We surround ourselves with love. We chop wood. We carry water. We do the next right action and we let go of the results. We remind ourselves daily that everything has a beginning, middle, and end. Some day we will get through this—or most of us will. But not if we quit now. Not if we throw our hands up and say “It’s too hard. They can have our country.” NEVER!

So let’s simply persevere. Let’s keep fighting. Let’s take our inspiration from the Ukrainian people—read this!—and refuse to give up. Most Americans are not on board with what’s happening right now. Millions more will join us as Trump destroys things they cherish. It’s awful now, and it will almost certainly get worse before it gets better. But Trump is ultimately planting the seeds of his own destruction. Each American he hurts will grow into another member of the opposition. He’s already unpopular. That will soon increase tenfold.

So that’s something to hold on to. Here’s another: We owe it to everyone who came before us to fight.

We like to say that we stand on the shoulders of giants—giants who remained steadfast through challenges just as vast—if not more—than ours. People who gave everything to keep democracy alive, increase equality, and build a more just future. Countless numbers of them put their lives on the line. Countless numbers of them died.

It is not on our watch that their work should prove to be in vain.

But there’s more. Remember that we not only stand on the shoulders of giants. We are becoming the giants for the next generation of fighters. Someday it will be our shoulders that are needed. Americans we can’t even imagine now will invoke what we do in this moment and say “if they could do it, we can.”

But only if we stand and fight.

That is why, despite the pain—literal and figurative—in our collective shoulders, we must, must, must persist. And we will, together. For those who came before, for those who will come after, and for people everywhere who crave freedom and are looking to us to fight for it.

P.S. — We have a new Practivist Pod episode out today—the interview is with legal analyst Glenn Kirschner. It’s great and really informative! Listen here or watch on YouTube here.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

[if Dem:]

I’m calling out of extreme frustration with Senate Democrats. They have complied with unanimous consent requests over 400 times since inauguration. I oppose this and I'm asking the Senator to begin objecting to unanimous consent in every single instance until DOGE is disbanded and Elon Musk is gone.

Senate Dems must use the same tool Republicans did to kill our legislative initiatives: It is simple, effective, and may be the only way to slow this administration's catastrophically destructive program. I am counting on the Senator to use every tool at his/her disposal to put the brakes on the ongoing destruction by Trump and Musk. Use your Power. Withhold Unanimous Consent.

I would like a call back confirming they have received my message. Thanks. [H/T Melissa Knutson]

[If GOP]

I’m calling with extreme alarm about Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education. Eliminating the department would devastate public schools, hurt students with disabilities, strip away civil rights protections for millions of students, and eliminate crucial workforce development programs that boost our economy. Public education is a fundamental right that Americans widely support—the Senator needs to fight for it. Thanks.

[Adapted from this script]

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

[If Democrat other than the ten who voted with Republicans for censure:] I’m calling because I’m disgusted that ten Democrats voted with Republicans to censure Rep. Green this morning. What the heck is the matter with our party? Can we not even find unity when one of our own is being attacks by lawless traitors? I call on House Democrats to find a spine, get way more aggressive in opposing Trump and Republicans’ agenda, stop listening to clueless consultants, and, for God’s sake, consider getting new leadership. Hakeem Jeffries is a great man but he’s absolutely wrong for this moment—we need a visionary and a fighter as House Minority Leader. He is neither. Thanks.

[If your rep is one of the ten Democrats who DID vote for censure]

I’m calling because I’m disgusted that the Congressmember voted with Republicans this morning to censure Rep. Green. What the heck? Representative Green was showing some spine—something almost no House Democrats are doing right now—and calling attention to Republicans’ attacks on Medicaid. How dare the Congressmember betray him—and all of us—by voting to censure him for it? S/he will not be seeing any more of my donation dollars or getting my volunteer time. That was an absolute betrayal. Thanks.

[To your House Republican]:

I'm calling to demand that the Congressmember oppose any legislation, including H.R. 899, or efforts by the executive branch to abolish the Department of Education. Eliminating the department would devastate public schools, hurt students with disabilities, strip away civil rights protections for millions of students, and eliminate crucial workforce development programs that boost our economy. Education is a fundamental right, not a privilege for the wealthy. Thanks. [H/T]

Protest in DC!

For those of you in the Washington DC area:

Democratic leadership is signaling they are working towards a government funding bill with “assurances” from Republicans, giving their only leverage away. Join DMV area Indivisible groups on Monday, March 10 from noon - 1pm to demand Democrats stand united and vote NO! Afterward, you'll break into groups to deliver our urgent messages directly to our reps' offices.

Register here.

Get Smart! 📚

Here’s a recording of Timothy Snyder’s talk with Red, Wine, and Blue last night. I haven’t watched yet but I hear it’s incredible. Snyder literally wrote the book “On Tyranny.” He knows of what he speaks.

Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities just sent out their updated set of graphics lifting up the “trade-offs” Repubs are making in cutting health/nutrition to pay for tax cuts. These graphics have been used by Members at hearings and events – and we should use them too! It’s good to have clean, accessible, visually compelling graphics on the tax cuts.

They made these public, and they’ll continue to update this link as we produce more.

Social Media Graphics for 2025 Policy Debates | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

One example below:

A Great Activism Tool! 📝

Another easy way to contact your reps!

You can contact your two senators and your representative in Washington by sending one email that reaches all three. Just let democracy.io do the legwork for you. Simply enter your street address, city and zip to get the names of your senators and your representative. Then choose to email one, two or all three by hitting Write to them! When you have finished your message, democracy.io will deliver it for you. You can even copy and paste my scripts or Resistbot letters into this form, tailor them with a personalized message, and send!

[H/T Margaret Ross]

Register Voters! 🗳️

Are you looking for one of the most effective ways to strengthen democracy, train young leaders, and boost youth voter registration?

The Civics Center has a great answer: Cap, Gown & Ballot, a nationwide campaign to encourage all high school students to register to vote before they graduate and to train students and educators to hold nonpartisan voter registration drives in their schools.

DID YOU KNOW? Almost every single American graduating from high school this Spring (4 million in total) is old enough to register to vote, regardless of what state they live in.

So, what better time to hold a voter registration drive?

TCC could really use our help in funding gift cards and swag that TCC sends to the teens who complete the program.

We can also help spread the word by sharing TCC’s Substack post, which provides more details on Cap, Gown & Ballot. Or use their volunteer toolkit for more ideas on how to reach out.

Win Races! 🗳

GREAT WISCONSIN INFO!

1. Grassroots Democrats is running phonebanks into Wisconsin several times a week, and I’m going to be on tomorrow’s for the first hour! Please come make calls with me, or sign up for a different shift. This is a must-win election, and we CAN win—if we do the work. Sign up here.

2. Rogan's List
   put together a doc at tinyurl.com/onwisconsin2025 with a full range of links to postcard opportunities, phonebanks by day, the few textbanks on the books, groups doing door-knocking, social media content, donations and key dates. A fantastic resource!

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

No Resistbot letter today, sorry!

---

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

Talk soon.

Jess