Chop Wood, Carry Water 9/14

Sep 14, 2023

This and other great pro-union content can be found here

Hi, all, and happy Thursday.

Also happy UAW deadline day! Let’s stand ready to support our friends in organized labor at this critical moment. If you need a little more incentive to do so read this. This is a just, important fight, and our UAW friends deserve to win it. Union strong, y’all!

Speaking of reading, last night a friend sent me the new Atlantic article about Mitt Romney. Good Lord! Once I dove into it I couldn’t stop; if you haven’t yet read it I urge you to do so. The piece, an excerpt from Romney’s upcoming biography, crystallizes the bleak urgency of this moment in a way that nothing else I’ve read quite does. It’s an enraging and depressing read, but also strangely energizing. As bad as we thought Republicans were, they’re worse. As much as we knew they were cowards, we underestimated their cowardice. As cynical as they’ve appeared, they’re more cynical in reality. By miles.

The article is appalling and disheartening, but it’s also an excellent reminder—as if we needed one—that the stakes of our work couldn’t be higher. The MAGA Republican party needs to be blocked, rooted out, eradicated. It must be kept from ever regaining power. The earth where it’s stood, figuratively speaking, must be salted.

The task feels overwhelming, until we remember that a) there are millions of us working at it, b) we have only to do this work one day at a time, and c) our enemy is coming from a place of weakness; they, not we, are back on their heels. They, not we, are losing elections everywhere. They, not we, are hemorrhaging public support. They, not we, have lost the youth forever through their actions.

They, not we, in short, will lose. Never forget it. Never despair.

And never stop fighting.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m upset by yesterday’s ruling on DACA by Judge Hanen. We need permanent legal status and a path to citizenship for DACA recipients. Congress should pass the Dream and Promise Act, as the House did in 2021 and 2022. Will the Senator support this bill if and when it’s introduced in the Senate?

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m upset by yesterday’s ruling on DACA by Judge Hanen. We need permanent legal status and a path to citizenship for DACA recipients. The House should pass H.R. 16 the Dream and Promise Act, as they did in 2021 and 2022. Will the Congressmember support this bill?

[If GOP add:] Also, I am strongly opposed to the impeachment of President Biden. I want Republicans to back off immediately. We need you to focus on passing appropriations bills, doing something about corporate price gouging, helping with the gun and opioid crises, and addressing climate change. You work for us, not Donald Trump. Please do your job.

Extra Credit ✅

OK, instead of a regular Extra Credit item today I am going to ask you to please, please consider adopting just 5 Vote Forward letters for the Virginia elections. They have SO MANY MORE to distribute, y’all, and this election is making me lose sleep.

I have taken another 5 letters. Will you join me? It takes about twenty minutes to complete that many.

Get Smart! 📚

From October 2nd through 6th, The Civics Center will hold workshops to train students, parents and educators nationwide in how to hold nonpartisan voter registration drives at their high schools.

The Civics Center has taught us that when youth are registered they vote! It’s getting them registered that’s difficult, because so many barriers are placed before them, and they often don’t know how or where to register.

That’s why – especially if you are an educator or a parent with a student in high school – you should check out the Civics Center’s calendar here and attend a virtual workshop. Let’s do this!

Spread the Word! 📣

The Congressional Integrity Project has some useful talking points on the GOP sham impeachment. Find them here. Please also share this Time article about how weak the Republicans’ case is.

Win Races! 🗳

I signed up to call voters in Kentucky with SURJ today because we must must must win the Governor’s race there. Can anyone join me? If not today there are several upcoming shifts:

Fight For Kentucky 💫 Actions Happening Soon 💫

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

[to President Biden and all 3 reps] [H/T and toolkit] [Text SIGN PTVPIP to Resistbot at 50409 or on Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER / SMS (50409)]

[If the DACA question is important to you there is a United We Dream emergency call tonight at 7PM ET. Register here.]

I’m writing about the new ruling on DACA from the U.S District Court of the Southern District of Texas. To say that I find it disappointing is an understatement.

DACA recipients' lives are in limbo with continuing right wing attacks on the program. Millions of people have been denied their right to seek asylum due to Biden’s continued use of the Title 42 policy. And over 11 million immigrants have no path to adjust their status and have no protections from deportation.

Our communities need permanent protections. DACA and temporary work permits aren’t enough. The only path forward should be a pathway to citizenship for undocumented young people. This policy proposal is extremely popular with the American people. According to a Quinnipiac poll, 83% of Americans support a pathway to citizenship for immigrant youth.

Additionally, a recent survey from the Global Strategy Group, Hart Research, and LD Insights found that 63% of voters said they would be upset if immigration reform does not pass and undocumented immigrants remain vulnerable to deportation.

I urge you to prioritize our immigrant communities by actively supporting a pathway to citizenship. Thank you.

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

Talk soon.

Jess

Chop Wood, Carry Water