Chop Wood, Carry Water 5/10
Hi, all, and happy Tuesday.
The first words Elijah Cummings spoke to Congress, apparently, were a short poem called “God's Minute." It goes like this:
God's Minute.
I only have a minute. Sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, I did not choose it, but I know that I
must use it.
Give account if I abuse it. Suffer if I lose it.
Only a tiny minute, but eternity is in it.
Beautifully said. And beautifully lived.
Let’s take a page from John Lewis, and from all the activists who’ve come before us, and use our minute well.
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
The Supreme Court is currently experiencing a massive crisis of legitimacy, and deservedly so. An important step in restoring faith in the institution is to require justices to follow the same Code of Conduct all other federal judges must follow. I want the Senator to help introduce legislation that requires Supreme Court members to abide by a strict code of ethics.
Also, I know the Senate will vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act tomorrow. I want the Senator to vote yes. [If Democrat add:] Abolish the filibuster and get it done. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
The Supreme Court is currently experiencing a massive crisis of legitimacy, and deservedly so. An important step in restoring faith in the institution is to require justices to follow the same Code of Conduct all other federal judges must follow. I want the Congressmember to help introduce legislation that requires Supreme Court members to abide by a strict code of ethics. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
Chase bank has its annual shareholder meeting next week & Jamie Dimon, the CEO, is urging investors to vote against climate action. 😡 Stop the Money Pipeline is asking us to swamp his office with calls to demand that they support climate action.
Call (212) 270-1111. Say roughly (and make sure to add if you’re a customer):
"Hi, I am calling to make a complaint about the fact that Chase bank is opposing two critical climate resolutions at its Annual General Meeting next week.
One resolution calls on Chase to use an absolute emissions reductions target to measure its climate goals -- which Wells Fargo and Citi have already done. The other resolution calls for Chase to align its business with what the International Energy Agency says is required to keep global warming to below 1.5 degrees.
I urge JPMorgan Chase to support these two critical climate resolutions. Can you please pass my message on to Mr. Dimon?"
Get Smart! 📚
Tired of disinformation online and the impact it has on family and friends? Are you worried you can’t trust the info on your own social media feeds? Join Red Wine and Blue on Tuesday, May 10th at 7:30 pm ET to hear from Mosheh Oinounou, an Emmy winning journalist and former producer at CBS News who will teach us how to identify and fight misinformation and disinformation online. Sign up here.
Save Roe! 💙
Please check out and share the LA Women’s Collective’s Fall of Roe Resource Guide, a high-impact and well-vetted list of resources and tools to support, learn and engage in the fight for reproductive rights, particularly for those coming from disadvantaged states and abortion deserts. Some of it is LA-based, but most is national. Really good stuff.
Also, please, please make a plan to attend a march this Saturday. I’ll be in downtown LA. What about you?
Win Races! 🗳
Today I want to put in a plug for Blue Tent. They’re an organization that endeavors to get progressives to “give smart,” as opposed to emotionally, when it comes to political donations. They came out with a great piece a few days ago ruminating on how ironic it is that, in the wake of the Roe leak, people are throwing money at the DCCC and Planned Parenthood while races in states that could determine the future of abortions are still underfunded. Don’t get me wrong—we all support Planned Parenthood, but they can do nothing to save abortion if we don’t win STATE LEVEL elections. As Blue Tent writes:
If you’re interested in fighting for change through electoralism, consider donating to state races in Arizona, Michigan, Maine and Pennsylvania…in the former two, abortion will instantly become illegal once Roe is struck down and the legality of the procedure in the latter two depends on Democratic control of the legislature and governor’s mansions. State attorney general races are equally important as these offices can make or break the decision to prosecute.
It’s a really smart piece and they’re a really smart org. If you need help deciding where to give they’re really worth the tiny price of admission.
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)
[to POTUS] [H/T] [Quick send text SIGN PAJJLE to 50409]
President Biden, I’m writing to beg you to be a climate leader and withdraw ALL support for expanded gas exports.
You’ve laid out an ambitious agenda for climate action and environmental justice, and taken important steps toward making that vision a reality. But allowing the industry to move forward with its massive planned expansion of fracked gas exports from the Gulf Coast would be completely inconsistent with these commitments.
The International Energy Agency’s latest World Energy Outlook made it clear that achieving your climate goals and averting the worst impacts of the climate crisis means putting an immediate stop to the expansion of fossil fuel development. The fossil fuel industry wants to dramatically expand exports of fracked gas to overseas markets, and this expansion would lock in decades of fossil fuel use at a time when we need to be rapidly transitioning to a clean energy economy instead.
Gas export facilities also pose a serious threat to nearby communities, usually communities of color who are already overburdened by industrial pollution and the effect of fossil-fueled climate change. The last thing these communities need is more fossil fuel infrastructure in their backyards, and an administration committed to environmental justice cannot allow these projects to move forward.
I urge you to protect our communities and climate by doing everything in your power to stop the fossil fuel industry’s planned expansion of fracked gas exports.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
Again, thank you for all you do and for keeping us informed. Loved the poem.