Chop Wood, Carry Water 4/21
Hi, all, and happy Friday.
I believe it was Plato who said: “Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.”
It’s a pretty accurate description of what we’re doing here, right?
“Good actions give strength to ourselves.” How true! We do become empowered as we get more active. We grow more hopeful, too. And more balanced. More calm. More sure of our ability to make a difference.
Good actions “inspire good actions in others.” Also true. Folks are more likely to take action when they see people they know and trust doing the same. Vocal exhortations are well and good, but leading by example is how we build an army. Some of us call this “organizing.”
We take good actions, feel better, encourage others, and change the future. It’s that simple. We’ve seen it over and over again. What we’re doing here matters. It’s effective. It’s important. It’s invigorating.
It’s got the Platonic stamp of approval.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling, as scandal after scandal pertaining to Clarence Thomas breaks, to demand that the Senator call on him to resign at once. I also want the Senator to prioritize passing S 359, the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023. The Supreme Court is the only part of the federal judiciary to not have such a code, and the results have been catastrophic. Our democracy can’t function with a broken judiciary. Pass this bill now, please.
Also, please ask the Senator to vote to confirm Juli Su as Secretary of Labor. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling, as scandal after scandal pertaining to Clarence Thomas breaks, to demand that the Congressmember call on him to resign at once. I also want the Congressmember to prioritize passing HR 926, the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023. The Supreme Court is the only part of the federal judiciary to not have such a code, and the results have been catastrophic. Our democracy can’t function with a broken judiciary. Pass this bill now, please.
Extra Credit ✅
In our ongoing attempt to stop Cop City in Atlanta—especially in light of new autopsy reports showing that the forest defender killed by the police there was shot fifty-seven times— we can make a couple of quick and easy calls to the contracting companies hired to build it:
GI Partners at (415) 688-4800.
Brasfield & Gorrie at (678) 581-6400
Brent Scarbrough & Company at (770) 461-8603
Script: "Hi, my name is _____. I am reaching out to ask that [CONTRACTOR] withdraw all professional ties and contracts with the Atlanta Police Foundation in the construction of Cop City. This plan would not only deforest 381 acres to build a police militarization facility that is overwhelmingly NOT supported by the people of Atlanta, but we now know that it led to police shooting a protestor 57 times and then covering it up. This project is hopelessly tainted, and your company will be harmed by its association with it. Please withdraw from the Cop City project now. Thanks.
Get Smart! 📚
On Wednesday, April 26th join the Environmental Voter Project to learn more about their 2023 findings from the Hidden Potential of Green Voters in Red States report.
EVP’s Executive Director, Nathaniel Stinnett, will do a deep dive into EVP's key findings from early 2023 predictive models highlighting the latent political power of environmental voters in 12 traditionally purple and red states.
I’m very excited about this! hope to see some of you there!
Spread the Word! 📣
MAGA Republicans’ Cuts Could Jeopardize 100,000 Manufacturing Jobs:
MAGA Republicans’ devastating spending cuts could jeopardize more than 100,000 American manufacturing jobs, making us less competitive with China – all so they can give the ultra wealthy and special interests a handout. Of the new, good-paying jobs Republicans are threatening, many are in Republicans’ – including Marjorie Taylor Greene’s - congressional districts. Uplift this story.
Win Races! 🗳
After years of hard work, Pennsylvania Democrats finally took back the PA House, which Republicans have dominated since 2010. But Dems have only the slimmest of majorities (one seat!) and now that seat is in jeopardy. The Democrat representing PA House District 163 in Delaware County resigned and the seat will be filled in a special election on May 16.
We have a great candidate, Heather Boyd, who is a mom, a teacher, and more recently the District Director for Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon. This is a Democratic district, but Republicans tend to turn out in greater numbers for spring elections, so we need to GET EVERY LAST DEMOCRAT out to Vote!
Republicans have fielded a strong opponent and are pouring boatloads of money into this race. Let’s make sure we get our people out! Come phonebank with us every Monday between now and election day from 5-7PM ET.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To all 3 reps] [Source] [Quick send text SIGN PDSHZF to 50409]
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) recently reintroduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), comprehensive legislation that sets a bold vision of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. agriculture by the year 2040.
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues for farmers and our food system, which is why we must prioritize climate-smart solutions in the next Farm Bill. Across the U.S., farmers are on the frontlines of the climate crisis – dealing with severe drought, flooding, wildfires, and other extreme weather conditions. Challenges of this scale demand bold solutions. The Agriculture Resilience Act aims to give farmers the tools they need to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. To do this, it focuses on six concrete policy areas and offers solutions rooted in science that are farmer-driven.
It’s an excellent bill, and a needed one. We should stand with farmers—and our climate!—and pass it now. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
OK Jess- part of your quote today “Good actions...more sure of our ability to make a difference” compelled me to write. I am privileged and I mean that- to be traveling in Morocco as I type. I have made it a point to check in with your daily CWCW when I can connect to Wi-Fi and send letters mostly through resist-bot or when you ask for emails to be sent. Whatever I can do from this distance. All calls to Senators were sent via resist bot too. Because it is important, we see results, and we will keep doing the slow steady march to good. Being here for Ramadan has been a marvel in its own right and to all our friends on this march who are celebrating the end of Ramadan-I wish them Ramadan Mubarak. Have a good weekend and give yourself some time.🙏
I'm from MA and visited North Bridge yesterday, home of "the shot that was heard around the world," and was so inspired by our forebears of this country. Quoting Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The world has seen no grander movement than that of our Revolution...The people, to a man, were full of great and noble sentiment. It is marvelous to see how many powerful writers, orators, and soldiers started up just at the time when they were wanted...all made to unite in the one object of establishing the freedom and independence of America." Also, "Every revolution was first a thought in one man's mind." Ralph Waldo Emerson. Timeless, and so applicable to all our efforts today.