It is difficulties that show what men are.
– Epictetus
Hi, all, and happy Thursday!
Sorry I’m late on this today—I had a small surgical procedure this AM; it set me a bit behind.
There’s a lot going on, and much of it is deeply distressing, so I’ll start by reminding everyone to take deep breaths. I know this is a very, very challenging moment in history. The Supreme Court isn’t making it any easier—in fact, they are a major cause of our distress.
And as bad as we expected their ruling on guns to be, it sounds, from what I’m hearing, that the decision that came down this morning was far worse.
It is gutting, especially as most Americans vehemently disagree with relaxing gun laws.
There is nothing we can do legislatively to overcome their ruling. Not now, anyway. There is only the slow, grinding work of gaining seats in the Senate, holding our House majority, and then expanding the Court—which we absolutely must do—and fixing this with new laws.
Having no immediate recourse, of course, is deeply unsettling. But it’s our lot in life to be part of a long, noble, and at times maddening struggle. We may wish otherwise, but, as I’ve said before, we don’t get to choose the times we live in. We only get to decide how we’ll respond to them.
So let us respond with all of our courage, and all of our strength.
Need some fuel? Here’s a bit of good news. I’m on a call with my progressive leadership team, and a veteran pollster is telling us that the January 6th hearings are having a bigger impact than anyone expected! The polling is shifting; not only that, but people are talking about the hearings more, posting about them more, and remembering more of what they’re hearing than anyone predicted.
To me it’s one more example of how fluid everything is right now, and how unpredictable. We think we know what’s going to happen because pundits tell us what’s going to happen. But SO OFTEN they are wrong.
They were wrong in 2018 when they said we couldn’t flip the House.
They were wrong in 2020 when they said we couldn’t unseat a popular (with his base) one term president.
They were wrong in 2021 when they said we would NEVER flip two Senate seats in Georgia.
And they were wrong about the hearings. Are you seeing a pattern here?
They. Underestimate. Us. Every. Time.
Let them.
We’ll prove them wrong again in November. And we will fix this mess together, one day, one issue, one law at a time.
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, please support the bipartisan gun bill that will come to a full Senate floor vote tomorrow.
Second, I’m furious and sickened by today's rulings from the Supreme Court. Whether they’re striking down gun safety laws, eroding the separation of church and state, getting rid of Miranda rights, or overturning Roe, this court is showing us clearly that they are broken. I refuse to accept an extremist Supreme Court and neither should my representative. I want the Senator to co-sponsor and actively support the Judiciary Act, S 1141, to rebalance the court, and the Judicial Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act, S. 1141. I’m outraged and I want to see action. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m furious and sickened by today's rulings from the Supreme Court. Whether they’re striking down gun safety laws, eroding the separation of church and state, getting rid of Miranda rights, or overturning Roe, this court is showing us clearly that they are broken. I refuse to accept an extremist Supreme Court and neither should my representative. I want the Congressmember to co-sponsor and actively support the Judiciary Act, HR 2584, to rebalance the court, and the Judicial Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act, HR 7706. I’m outraged and I want to see action. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
We’re hearing that the January 6th hearings are being posted about widely on social media. One of the reasons this has been possible is that DemCast put together an absolutely stellar January 6th social media toolkit. There are tons of pre-made posts in it for 4 different platforms, and they’re updating it after every hearing.
Please take a moment today if you’re on any social media platform and spread the word about what we’re learning in these hearings using their toolkit.
It really makes a difference!
Win Races by Phonebanking! 🗳
Please come join me for my weekly Arizona phonebank, y’all! I get lonely! Not to mention, we are seeing how critical states like Arizona will be not just in 2022, but 2024. We must, must, must flip their state legislature as well as holding Mark Kelly’s seat and ensuring we elect Democratic Governors and Secretaries of State.
Everything is on the line. Please come make calls with me. 3-5 PM PT today. Sign up here.
Win Races by Textbanking! 🗳
Like text banking? Want to help us win in PA? Pick a shift (or two) to text PA voters in support of Democrats at every level! All in PA has shifts every Tuesday and Saturday from 3-6 EDT.
Peer-to-peer texting is a great way to connect with Pennsylvanians to talk about the issues we're prioritizing ahead of the midterm elections.
You'll start each text banking shift with a training for first time volunteers. They ask that you attend their training if you haven't previously texted with All In PA using Spoke.
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)
[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [Quick send text SIGN PNJTUV to 50409]
I’m writing because you have the power to end rent-a-bank schemes that are letting unscrupulous banks charge needy Americans interest rates of up to and over 600%.
Short-term consumer loans are a scourge, preying on the needs of families on the brink of bankruptcy. 12 million Americans turn to these loans each year, hoping to get a leg up at a difficult time. Instead, they often get locked into a predatory system; the typical borrower ends up taking out eight loans in a year.
These kinds of lenders are disproportionately concentrated in Black and LatinX neighborhoods.
Even though 45 states and DC have put at least some cap on the interest rates all around the nation, banks skirt these laws by laundering their high-interest loans through rent-a-bank schemes that render these state regulations toothless. Congress needs to act to help states protect their neediest borrowers.
The Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act would grant all consumers the same loan protections the federal government already provides to active members of the military. It would cap interest rates at 36%, giving families a much better chance at climbing their way out of debt.
Please co-sponsor this vital legislation and keep money in the pockets of American families. Thanks!
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
I appreciate the reminder to take some deep breaths, and taking the long view of the unbalanced Supreme Court. "There is only the slow, grinding work of gaining seats in the Senate, holding our House majority, and then expanding the Court." Perfect perspective, IMO.
For day 3 of my CWCW journey, I give myself partial credit:
- I called my Senators and Congresswoman about the SC (and gun bill in the Senate).
- I tweeted one of the canned social media offerings from the J6 social media toolkit from DemCast
- I did my Resistbot text de jour
I missed Thursday's Arizona phonebank, and I have not signed up for text banking. That will be a growth edge for future development.