Chop Wood, Carry Water 7/7
Keep caring, even when it hurts
Hi, all, and happy Monday.
I got about 4 hours of sleep last night, so I’m going to keep this opening extremely brief—I literally can barely string a sentence together.
One thing must be said, however: if you’re in Texas, especially in the area near the flooding, I am so, so sorry. What a horrible, horrible tragedy. I send my love, prayers, and thoughts, and have included below some links for places folks can give if they’re able.
It’s hard to hold all of the sorrow of this moment, my friends—the tragic deaths in the Hill Country, the continued ICE raids, the brutality of Trump’s bill, the escalating violence and insanity of it all. I have found myself in tears many times of late.
And yet I keep remembering a line from a book I loved as a child: “the heart that breaks open can contain the entire world.” To love is sometimes to grieve, but it is also to expand, to draw in, to embrace. I know that as the Trump administration fires up its hate machine, I feel more love—not less—for my community. Are you experiencing the same? Because if so what a gift, right? Of course no one wants to have received it under these circumstances, but still, more love can never be a bad thing.
More care hurts, but it’s beautiful, too. And it’s necessary for humanity. So let’s not stop caring, and let’s not stop acting. For actions like the ones below are some of the greatest expressions of love we can make.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I want the Senator to vote no on the rescissions package currently before them. Republicans have already taken so much from the American people. We don’t want to lose Public Broadcasting, too. And the cuts to foreign aid are so cruel. We are becoming a vicious country—utterly unChristian. Please ask the Senator to vote against this package. Thanks.
[If GOP add:] And I want to say again how disgusted I am with Republicans for passing Trump’s bill. I will be spreading the word far and wide about how awful it is. Shame on him/her.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I understand that H.R.3740, the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, has been reintroduced by Congressman Eric Swalwell. This bill would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, the gun industry liability shield that prevents gun violence survivors from having their day in court. I’d like the Congressmember to sign on as a co-sponsor.
Also, I want him/her to vote NO on the GENIUS and CLARITY Acts, two bills that would legalize crypto corruption, enrich Donald Trump and his billionaire allies, and destabilize our financial system. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
The USPS Board of Governors announced its intention to appoint David Steiner, reportedly the White House’s preferred candidate, as the next Postmaster General. The appointment of a FedEx board member would represent a fundamental conflict of interest and threat to the Postal Service – a fox in the henhouse.
The Board’s decision should be made without political interference and reports of pressure from White House privatizers should raise alarms for everyone who cares about our Postal Service.
Sign a letter to the USPS Board of Governors here telling them to reconsider their decision!
Get Smart! 📚
Join the Center for Common Ground and the Workers Circle for the next installment of their Effective Advocate series.
From them:
Each month, Effective Advocate provides a chance for us to gather with a warm community for updates on how current events are affecting our democratic system, learning about key federal legislation, and training on concrete actions you can take as an advocate for a better and more beautiful world.
This month, we will discuss how you can support the Good Trouble Lives On Day of Action on July 17 and the power of understanding elections as resistance.
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
Lots of people are only paying attention to what’s in Trump’s awful bill now that it’s been passed. If you come across folks asking exactly what’s in it and when different parts of it come into effect this post explains all of that, and has a handy chart showing when different provisions will kick in as well as how long they last.
Also here are brand new talking points from Fair Share America.
Give 💰!
The Union is helping amplify grassroots relief efforts to support Camp Mystic families and the wider region. I gave to a couple of these and hope you will, too.
Here’s how you can help:
Donate to the GoFundMe for Camp Mystic families Supports therapy, family trauma care, and urgent recovery needs.
Support TEXSAR
Texas Search and Rescue is a volunteer-led disaster response nonprofit working on the ground now.Give to the Salvation Army Kerrville
They are accepting both monetary donations and in-person drop-offs at the Hays St. location of emergency goods.Contribute to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund
A trusted, local relief fund directly supporting families affected in the area.Support Texans on Mission
Faith-based volunteers helping with cleanup, recovery, and rebuilding efforts.World Central Kitchen En route to assess the communities’ needs for food and water, and will determine if more support is needed.
Get in the Streets! 🪧
This summer, Indivisible is launching One Million Rising—a national effort to train 1M people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation. This is how we build people power that can’t be ignored.
Let’s build a force bigger than fear and louder than hate. Let’s get ready. Let’s get organized. Let’s stop Trump.
Win Races! 🗳
Postcards to Virginia is launching Part 3 of their Wake Up, Virginia postcard program. They are sending a third postcard to the same group of women who lean Democrat or Republican and haven't voted in past elections. (They say "lean" in Virginia because no one registers for a party in the state.)
The goal is to wake these women up with postcards and get them to pay attention to what is happening around them.
For Part 3, you can use the postcard of your choice.
GETTING ADDRESSES
NEW TO POSTCARDS4VA - To get addresses, you need to be registered with Postcards4VA, CLICK HERE.
ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT - If you already have an active address account on our address portal, click here to start downloading addresses.
Instructions for this campaign are provided when you download addresses.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [Text SIGN PYWMPZ to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
As devastating floods continue to ravage Texas, I’m writing to say that we MUST restore funding to the agencies tasked with predicting, mitigating, and recovering from extreme weather disasters.
Trump’s cuts to the key weather and disaster response agencies have left critical forecast positions across the country vacant, undermining the early warning systems that save lives during natural disasters. Communities across the country are facing increasing disasters and need a coordinated federal response – but Trump still wants to continue gutting the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA’s) workforce, zero-out weather research funding, and is looking to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) entirely as he funds massive tax breaks for America’s wealthiest individuals and corporations.
The situation we’re in is unbelievably dangerous: 10 percent of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s workforce, around 1,300 staffers and researchers, are gone under Trump. Just last week, he called for reducing NOAA’s workforce by a further 17 percent – more than 2,000 staffers and researchers. He slashed 20 percent of FEMA’s full-time staff and moved to freeze its funds. His administration plans to phase out FEMA and completely zero-out NOAA’s weather research, weather laboratories, and tornado and severe storm research budget.
And what will happen because of these cuts? Well, we just found out in Texas, didn’t we? It’s completely heartbreaking ad it didn’t need to happen.
If we don’t want more innocent lives to be lost we must reverse these cuts now. Congress must use whatever levers of power they have at their disposal to get that done. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
You are a marvel Jessica Craven! In spite of your exhaustion you still published another incredible newsletter. Thank you and thank you including the One Million Rising information. I signed up last week and I have been posting about it frequently.
As always, Jess, a useful and caring column. My conservative daughter-in-law who lives in Texas was so sad because she was a teacher whose students went to those camps that were inundated, and my grandson when he was small went to those camps. I told her to remember what she learned in her church, love connects us all. I hope that penetrates the Trumpism that’s around her.