Hi, all, and happy Wednesday! Deep breaths. We’re probably in the worst part of this crisis right now. One way or another we should—hopefully—have some kind of resolution to the debt ceiling situation in the next couple of days. In the meantime, yes, it’s trying, and deeply aggravating, and scary. More deep breaths.
Amen! We absolutely will look back and marvel at what we confronted during this challenging time and how we rose to the occasion. Our country is at war - not in the way Ukraine is or Europe during WW2 - but this is the greatest internal challenge our country has faced since the Civil War. We will prevail. (I also remind myself that most of us 40-70 yrs old have lived a relatively (on a national level) uneventful, peaceful life. We were so fortunate and probably didn’t realize it. I was in a restaurant in Montreal last October and I just stared at all the people who looked so comfortable and worry-free. (I’m sure they weren’t completely worry free, but I’m sure they were not worried about the stability of their democracy.) Anyway, fight on we must! ❤️
I just sent this letter to the 10 top executives at the three corporations providing material support to building Cop City in Atlanta (where I started my civil rights work in 1966):
My son is a police officer; I care a lot about good police training.
I am contacting you today because your organization is providing insurance to the Atlanta Police Foundation, and they’re attempting to build a police training facility that is perpetuating violence in the center of where the civil rights movement was born, Atlanta, Georgia.
The community has been speaking up against the construction of Cop City for years. They’re trying to cut down a forest to build a police militarization facility for police to train in urban warfare. On January 18th, police murdered forest defender Tortuguita who had been organizing tirelessly to #StopCopCity.
I am demanding that your company cut ties with the Atlanta Police Foundation and stop providing material support to this project that is violating human rights, destroying families, and is opposed by the vast majority of Atlanta residents.
Recently, 23 individuals in Atlanta were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism, bringing the total to 42 total charges that could carry 30 years in jail. These most recent arrests occurred after police violently raided a music festival near the proposed site of Cop City, revealing the lengths they'll go to repress the massive groundswell opposing this project.
By continuing to insure this dangerous project, you are aligning yourselves and your business reputation with state-sponsored police oppression, environmental destruction of the Weelaunee Forest, and the murder of 26-year-old activist Manuel "Tortuguita" Páez Terán.
You need to do what is morally right, and leave the contract.
It is hard to build a solid reputation for safety, accountability and fairness between police forces and the public they serve.
It is fairly easy to damage or destroy it when even a few cops misbehave. This project is a huge mistake, and will do untold damage - and your company will be strongly identified with the failure and the damage. Please do what's right and end your support now, before it's too late.
Jess, congratulations on your North Carolina fundraiser with Jamie Raskin pulling in $150,000. That is an awesome number anytime, but especially impressive in the off-season of an off-year!
Here is the Bookshop link for David Pepper’s new book. https://bookshop.org/p/books/saving-democracy-a-user-s-manual-for-every-american-david-pepper/20075262?ean=9781662938214.
Heres the link at bookshop.org for Saving Democracy by David Pepper. https://bookshop.org/p/books/saving-democracy-a-user-s-manual-for-every-american-david-pepper/20075262?ean=9781662938214
Here’s Jeff Jackson’s take. He’s a freshman Representative from NC (Dem). https://jeffjacksonnc.substack.com/p/crunch-time-on-debt-ceiling
Amen! We absolutely will look back and marvel at what we confronted during this challenging time and how we rose to the occasion. Our country is at war - not in the way Ukraine is or Europe during WW2 - but this is the greatest internal challenge our country has faced since the Civil War. We will prevail. (I also remind myself that most of us 40-70 yrs old have lived a relatively (on a national level) uneventful, peaceful life. We were so fortunate and probably didn’t realize it. I was in a restaurant in Montreal last October and I just stared at all the people who looked so comfortable and worry-free. (I’m sure they weren’t completely worry free, but I’m sure they were not worried about the stability of their democracy.) Anyway, fight on we must! ❤️
I just sent this letter to the 10 top executives at the three corporations providing material support to building Cop City in Atlanta (where I started my civil rights work in 1966):
My son is a police officer; I care a lot about good police training.
I am contacting you today because your organization is providing insurance to the Atlanta Police Foundation, and they’re attempting to build a police training facility that is perpetuating violence in the center of where the civil rights movement was born, Atlanta, Georgia.
The community has been speaking up against the construction of Cop City for years. They’re trying to cut down a forest to build a police militarization facility for police to train in urban warfare. On January 18th, police murdered forest defender Tortuguita who had been organizing tirelessly to #StopCopCity.
I am demanding that your company cut ties with the Atlanta Police Foundation and stop providing material support to this project that is violating human rights, destroying families, and is opposed by the vast majority of Atlanta residents.
Recently, 23 individuals in Atlanta were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism, bringing the total to 42 total charges that could carry 30 years in jail. These most recent arrests occurred after police violently raided a music festival near the proposed site of Cop City, revealing the lengths they'll go to repress the massive groundswell opposing this project.
By continuing to insure this dangerous project, you are aligning yourselves and your business reputation with state-sponsored police oppression, environmental destruction of the Weelaunee Forest, and the murder of 26-year-old activist Manuel "Tortuguita" Páez Terán.
You need to do what is morally right, and leave the contract.
It is hard to build a solid reputation for safety, accountability and fairness between police forces and the public they serve.
It is fairly easy to damage or destroy it when even a few cops misbehave. This project is a huge mistake, and will do untold damage - and your company will be strongly identified with the failure and the damage. Please do what's right and end your support now, before it's too late.
Just made my calls. Thanks for keeping us informed and motivated. My ghoul of a rep Laurel Lee (R, FL) just sent out this survey. It would be a shame if people took it to tell her debt negotiations should NOT include cuts. https://iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/EsurveyForm.aspx?__cid=FL15LL&__sid=100019&__crop=14342.8191858.5056009.7436860
Jess, congratulations on your North Carolina fundraiser with Jamie Raskin pulling in $150,000. That is an awesome number anytime, but especially impressive in the off-season of an off-year!