Chop Wood, Carry Water 6/10

Hi, all, and happy Friday!

I hope lots of you got to watch the first January 6th hearing last night; I didn’t, sadly, as I was hosting a graduation party for my kid. As soon as this newsletter goes out, however, I will commence watching it. I’ve already gathered from twitter, the media, and this helpful recap that it was every bit as explosive as we expected it to be. Good. If anything can shake this country out of its torpor let it be this. Everyone needs to understand the urgency of the situation, and, as a result of that understanding, be fired up to act.

Knowledge alone, after all is meaningless. It’s what we do with it that matters. Knowing we’re in trouble does nothing—it can even be paralyzing—unless we pair that understanding with empowered action.

That’s why I’m here! Consider me your action doula!

As such, let me repeat an important truth: It’s not enough to call our reps. We must also change them. If you’ve never signed up for an electoral action through this newsletter I’m going to beg you to do so now. All of the outrage in the world will do nothing to win in November. That can be done only with the elbow grease of millions of angry and motivated Americans, including YOU.

On the sidelines we will perish. In the field, together, all of us doing just a little, we will win.

Let’s make sure we choose the latter.

Call Your Senators (find yours here)

[Yes, this is repetitive. And yes it is important to keep calling. Negotiations are happening NOW. We are in a rare and fragile moment. We literally can’t call too often. Please keep it up.]

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

I know the Senate is still negotiating a gun safety bill, and I want to repeat my request that you go with legislation like the Protecting Our Kids Act and not a watered down, toothless bill. Americans have had it. We want expanded background checks. We want an assault weapons ban. We want federal red flag laws. We know these things work, whereas “hardening” our schools and arming our teachers has not and will not. We are watching and we are angry. The Senate had better get this done or face the voters’ wrath in November.

Extra Credit ✅

Call Chuck Schumer at (212) 486-4430 or (518) 431-4070 or (202) 224-6542 and say:

My name is ____ and I’m calling from [city, state.] I’m calling the Senator in his capacity as Majority Leader because there are two confirmation hearings I want him to schedule right away. The first one is for Gigi Sohn, who’s been nominated to fill a vacancy at the FCC that has been open for over a year and has left the commission unable to move forward on critical policies like net neutrality. The second one is for Steve Dettelbach, who’s been nominated for ATF director. We’re in a gun violence emergency. We need leadership at this agency now! Please schedule both Dettelbach’s and Sohn’s confirmation hearings immediately!

Get Social! 📚

The U.S. Department of Justice recently released its guide on voting after a criminal conviction. It’s really helpful and could help re-enfranchise a LOT of voters! Campaign Legal Center used the info to create a Restore Your Vote tool, which clarifies state-by-state voting rules for those with felony convictions. Please post the below on your social (the tag below is for twitter. If you post on FB you’ll have to tag them there with :

Nearly 18 million Americans w past convictions can vote right now--they just may not know it. In this election year, pls help amplify @CampaignLegal's Restore Your Vote tool, which clarifies state-by-state voting rules for those with felony convictions. 

https://campaignlegal.org/restoreyourvote

Raise 💰 to Win Races! 🗳

You’ve seen the headlines: if SCOTUS stays the course, access to safe reproductive healthcare will be decided by state lawmakers. Also gun laws, voting laws, LGBTQ-rights laws…I could go on.

But we’ve also seen that building power in the states is POSSIBLE, by winning state legislative races. Doing so in November is within reach, and will make a HUGE difference.

Wondering how you can help? Start a Giving Circle with the States Project to raise money for a swing state of your choice. They will help you organize your network to raise impactful dollars for this crucial fight.

They’ve just launched a new six-week program to help new folks build circles.

Here’s how it works: Sign up below and then, over the next month, you’ll receive two emails per week from the States Project to help you do this work.

• The first email will offer a lesson on their work, designed to help increase your political fluency and build your organizing skills. 
   

• The second email will give you a task to complete for your Giving Circle, where you can put what you've learned so far into action. 

The States Project provides the tools, information, and strategy — you bring your people. Whether you raise $100 or $100,000, you’ll be helping to save democracy. And possibly a whole bunch of lives.

Get started here.

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

[to Congress] [H/T] [Quick send text SIGN PUANKF to 50409]

The text of 18 U.S. Code § 2384 - Seditious Conspiracy is as follows:

“If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.”

On January 6th, 2021, President Donald J. Trump directed a group of armed insurrectionists to attack the U.S. Capitol and the legislative body of the federal government in order to overturn the results of America’s 2020 presidential election, which he lost.

I demand that everyone responsible for this heinous act be prosecuted including: former President Donald Trump, members of the House and Senate who willfully incited this violent insurrection, breaking their Oath of Office and betraying the American people, and any and all persons who breached the security perimeter at the Capitol, with the intent of disrupting the certification of the electoral college vote.

It's called Sedition. It's a crime. Congress needs to push the Justice Department to act. Now. Thank you.

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

Talk tomorrow.

Jess