Chop Wood, Carry Water 9/7

Sep 07, 2023

Hi, all, and happy Thursday!

This is a jam-packed newsletter, so I’ll keep the opening brief.

What are we doing here? Loving our country, that’s what. And each other. And our planet. What a wonderful thing! As a subscriber reminded me in an email yesterday: “Love is one of the superpowers of the universe.” She’s right, of course. More powerful even than “anti-hate.”

So today we’ll show our love for this messy country of ours through our positive, pro-democratic, hopeful actions. What an honor! What a joy!

What a superpower. How lucky we are to have it.

P.S. — I hope I’ll get to see lots of you at the SPAN event later today! So excited!

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m calling about S 1409, the Kids Online Safety Act. I am very concerned about the harmful effect this bill will have on LGBTQ kids. Senator Blackburn admitted recently that it would be used to "protect minor children from the transgender [sic] in our culture." That is ominous, to say the least. It is very important to me that the Senator oppose this bill and instead focus on passing comprehensive online privacy legislation. Don’t make life harder for our LGBTQ kids—it’s already tough enough. Vote no on KOSA. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

I understand that the discharge petition for HR 660 Ethan's Law will be dropped next Wednesday, September 13th. Rep DeLauro will hold a press event to announce it. This is such a no-brainer of a gun safety bill —it will simply require safe firearm storage when youth are present. This will save children’s lives, cut the suicide rate, and help stop school shootings. I’m assuming the Congressmember is a co-sponsor? [If yes thank. If no add:] I find that very disappointing. May I have an explanation of why not? In writing, please?

Extra Credit ✅

I just got the below from my contact at the DNC. Please, please sign up for their new newsletter and spread the word about it! We need everyone who wants to help us win elections to be on this list.

I am reaching out with a very exciting update! The DNC Grassroots Volunteer Newsletter signup form is ready to go! As this newsletter will be one of the best ways for us to share relevant updates with volunteers and supporters, we would love your help circulating this far and wide. We're going to spend a couple of weeks recruiting folks to sign up for the newsletter and then will launch the first one after we have a good audience. Folks can expect monthly priorities, calls to action to share with your networks, and any other relevant updates in these newsletters from the DNC Organizing Team.
SIGNUP HERE

Extra Extra Credit for Wisconsinites! 🧀

Resisbot now has a quick-send letter you can send to your WI state reps demanding they not impeach Janet Protasiewicz! Text DEFEND to Resistbot on Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER / SMS (50409). Then text everyone you know in the state and ask them to do the same!

Get Smart! 📚

Do you want to feel less hopeless and learn how to create local change in your community?

Consider signing up for a Barnraisers Project fall organizing cohort. These cohorts, led by veteran organizer and writer Garrett Bucks, are designed to teach you how to organize majority White communities for social justice. Alumni have taken their skills from the cohorts and helped organize political campaigns, school integration efforts, affordable housing referendum and reparations funds (amongst many others). Their next round of free cohorts (five virtual 90 minute sessions, every other week for 10 weeks) kick off the week of September 18, and registration is open until next Friday.

If you have any questions, feel free to email Garrett at garrett@barnraisersproject.org.

Give 💰!

On Sunday, September 10, from 4-5:30 PM please join the Durham County Democrats and the Durham Indivisible Group 'We Stand Up!' for a zoom event to raise money to hire Democratic organizers across North Carolina. This is SO IMPORTANT!

Their speakers are:

Nancy MacLean, author of "Democracy In Chains”

Tony McMullin, founder and director of Postcards to Voters

Elijah King, 3rd vice chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party

Beverly Gray, MD, a Durham OBGYN who filed a federal lawsuit challenging NC’s new abortion bans.

Win Races! 🗳

Whooo! Postcards 4 VA is announcing STAMP SCHOLARSHIPS for folks writing for rural candidates in Virginia!

Stamp scholarships consist of free packets of stamps in quantities of 100 to 1000 stamps.

You can use the stamp scholarship to write for any 2023 candidate running for office (local, Delegate or State Senate) in a rural district in Virginia. The candidate does not have to be part of the pool of candidates listed on Postcards4VA.com but they can be!

To request a postage scholarship, email Michelle McKinney at 518mlm@gmail.com with the following information:

Candidate - Name of the candidate you are supporting (if you don’t have one picked out ask Michelle to recommend one of theirs, but you will have to supply your own cards.)
Quantity - Number of stamps you're requesting
Contact information -Mailing address, email address and phone number

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

Alan Unell asked me to put this Resistbot letter in today’s newsletter—it’s included in his “Womb Slaves Unite” post. The letter demands that Congress pass legislation to protect women and other pregnant people from the new no-travel laws being passed by Texas, Alabama, and other states.

Please send the letter by texting Sign PUVRUX to Resistbot on Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER / SMS (50409). As always if you prefer to edit it you can copy and paste the text into a document, change it as desired, then email it to your lawmakers through their official websites.

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

Talk soon.

Jess

Chop Wood, Carry Water