Chop Wood, Carry Water 4/11
Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.
- Nelson Mandela
Hi, all, and happy Monday!
First of all, thank you so much for the many kind and supportive responses so many of you sent after last week’s post. You really are a wonderful and caring group; I’m honored to be among your numbers.
Several of you suggested a short break, and it just so happens that I am taking one this week—my family and I are about to embark on a trip to Yosemite! We’ll return on Friday. I’d considered sending this newsletter from there—it pains me to ever miss, as you know—but I think I will take the next four days off, barring anything crazy.
And, living in the times we do, there likely will be craziness. LOL.
The newsletter will resume a week from today (those of you who pay for a subscription will, of course, still receive “Extra! Extra!” On Sunday). I’ll then work straight through the next several months—with one short break in the summer—and then on to November. I don’t care what anyone says—we can and must win then, and we will.
We also can and must hold our elected representatives accountable, and continue to remind them of what matters to us.
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 ______.
I understand that just this morning President Biden announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach to be the new ATF Director. I’m glad, and I strongly support it. [optional add:] This department has lacked leadership for far too long— the position has been politicized by lawmakers who seem to care more about NRA donations than they do about American lives. It’s got to stop. In a country where gun violence is an epidemic, having no leader at the ATF is criminal. Dettelbach is highly qualified for this job. His leadership and his record of innovation in fighting crime and violence make him ready to aggressively and creatively address our pressing issues from day one. Please ask the Senator to support his nomination vocally. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling to ask if the Congressmember is yet a co-sponsor on HR 7018, the Green Postal Service Fleet Act of 2022? [If yes thank. If not add:] I would like him/her to sign on right away. USPS's current plan for its new fleet of trucks is bad for the environment, and it's bad for labor. Congress can stop it and they need to. Thanks. [H/T and petition]
One more thing: is the Congressmember yet a co-sponsor on HR 748 Ethan’s Law? [If yes thank. If not add:] This is the most commonsense gun bill imaginable—all it asks it that gun owners be required to store their firearms securely when a minor could have access to them. It will absolutely save lives. Will the Congressmember please co-sponsor it? [More info]
Extra Credit ✅
Charter schools were supposed to be laboratories for innovation - to augment and improve public schools. And some of them are exactly this. However, big business and billionaires have turned the concept into a money-making machine that benefits only themselves.
The growth of these corporate charters has undermined local public schools and communities—taking taxpayer money with no oversight or any overall increase in student learning and growth.
The Biden administration has proposed some rules to rein them in to be closer to the original intent. There's a comment period that closes on the 13th (Wednesday). The comment pages are currently stuffed with canned opposition letters from a group that profits from charter schools and is hostile to public education.
Let our voices be heard in defense of public education! Indivisible Ventura has put together a page with a few EASY ways we can express support before Wednesday. Go here to check it out.
Get Smart! 📚
QUESTION: How are Republicans getting away with their democracy-destroying travesties?
ANSWER: Via their ironclad grasp on STATE LEGISLATURES—developed in stealth and funded over decades by powerful, moneyed interests. Such that today the GOP could run Daffy Duck virtually unobstructed—and keep him in office for decades.
SO: What do we do about all this?
THE ANSWER: WE TAKE BACK THE STATES.
Join Focus for Democracy for an introduction to THE STATES PROJECT. Learn how we start winning crucial elections in critical, flippable state legislatures. Remember what the Ukrainians just taught us: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.
SIGN UP for Focus for Democracy’s Down-ballot Series Part 1
this coming Wednesday, April 13 at 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern
To register, click here and a Zoom link will be emailed to you.
Win Races! 🗳
Phone Bank to Flip Wisconsin Blue!
Elections in Wisconsin are one of our best FLIP opportunities this fall. Since President Biden won the state by just 1 point in 2020, we need all hands on deck to keep this state blue. Help us get seditionist Ron Johnson out of office by signing up for a phone bank today!
Mondays 6PM ET
Sign Up Here: mobilize.us/grassrootsdemocratslahq/event/446580/
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)
[to your Senators] [H/T] [Quick send text SIGN PMVDJD to 50409]
Today, I urge you to recognize and reckon with the racist implications of existing marijuana criminalization within the United States. The recently passed House Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act identifies the specific harms inflicted on communities of color by marijuana policing. The Senate must also call attention to these harms and ensure they guide future policy reforms around marijuana.
According to the most recent FBI UCR, there were an estimated 350,150 arrests for marijuana-related violations in 2020 alone. That is an average of one American being placed in handcuffs every 90 seconds.
From data analyzed by the ACLU, the racial disparity in those arrests amounts to Black Americans being 3.6 times more likely to be arrested than their white counterparts, despite similar consumption rates amongst racial crosstabs.
At a time when a supermajority of Americans support legalization, including majorities of voters of all political parties, now is the time to recognize the harm caused by current marijuana criminalization on the Black community and make an affirmative commitment to a justice-centered path forward.
The House of Representatives passed The MORE Act last month. There is no time to waste delivering this vital legislation to the United States Senate and then President Biden’s desk.
Please use your position to ensure that we end the harm of criminalization and legalize marijuana. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
Not sure if there's a better way to suggest actions than posting here. I'm a paid subscriber and I try to do an action every day. I am deeply grateful to you and awed by all you do.
It's come to my attention that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services have provisionally denied Medicare access to Aduhelm, the new FDA-approved Alzheimers drug, providing it only to people in clinical trials. This came to my attention from our local Black newspaper, which is of course pointing out the disproportionate effect of this decision on BIPOC people: https://www.postnewsgroup.com/opinion-alzheimers-drugs-decision-has-deeper-impact-on-health-of-blacks-other-minorities/
The Alzheimers Association has a tweet-to-the-President campaign (https://p2a.co/RB4lWtg) and also suggests calling your congresspeople. I would like to see some group with a stake in this organize a petition, and I would certainly like to see you highlight this as an action worth taking.
Thanks for thinking about this.
Debbie Notkin
kith@spicejar.org
take some time and come back refreshed. We all need each other.