As we head into the second year of the Trump presidency, the condition of our country seems to be worsening. Our nation’s reputation is going into the gutter, values which we hold dear are being blatantly trashed by those in power, and a depressing number of the electorate stubbornly continue to see a fine set of clothes on the naked emperor. However, there is continued and growing disgust with and opposition to the kinds of abhorrent behavior we have witnessed over the last year. Perhaps the patient’s spiking fever is a sign that the immune system is finally kicking in. The important thing now is to get serious about ending the Republican majorities at the mid-term elections. The GOP has proved that it can and will put up with anything for the sake of promoting the personal agenda of its elected officials. We must all put our shoulders to the wheel and become active in the effort to replace this self-serving crew with representatives who put constituency first and career second. The Ten-Minute Activist plans to continue its daily presence, with a few adjustments. Saturdays will - except in emergencies - be a catch-up day. Although we will continue to offer simple, quick actions every weekday, we will sometimes include additional, more “effortful” options, e.g. donating to important House and Senate races, or phone-banking for key Democratic campaigns. It’s up to us. We are called upon not to be successful, but to be faithful. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
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In the dark days following last year's Inauguration, the Women's March was a beacon of light. In honor of the one-year anniversary of the March, here is a transcript of Oprah Winfrey's recent speech. www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/01/full-transcript-oprah-winfreys-speech-at-the-golden-globes/549905/ It’s Been a Year It’s been a long year since the Inauguration of January, 2017. We’ve seen things go down in this country that we never thought could happen, and although, thankfully, we’ve also seen a lot of good people fighting back, the spectacle of Trump’s Washington has been shocking. It seems as if the worst of human nature is trying to legislate itself into existence in the very nation which has held itself up as a moral leader. Perhaps the values we pride ourselves on holding have been more often honored in the breach than the observance, but at least they have been honored. The current President and many of his party display no appreciation of, or respect for, the bedrock virtues which we have been taught to prize: honesty, integrity, fair play, equal opportunity, respect, humility, unselfishness, compassion - yes, and even chastity. Action: What virtue dear to you is the one you feel that Trump and his tribe have most violated? Write an email or postcard to your elected representatives (whether Democrat or Republican), telling them what this means to you. Flake (and McCain) The two Arizona senators – Jeff Flake and John McCain – have been outspoken against Trump, particularly his attacks on the press. Jeff Flake has been especially outspoken in recent days and has said, “No longer can we turn a blind eye or deaf ear to those assaults on our institutions and, Mr. President, an American president who cannot take criticism, who must constantly deflect and distort and distract, who who must find someone else to blame, is charting a very dangerous path, and a Congress that fails to act as a check on the president adds to that danger.” Action: 1. Contact Senator Flake and thank him for his outspokenness on behalf of our freedoms. 2. Contact Senator McCain and thank him for speaking against Trump's attacks on the press. Bring Jorge Garcia Home After 30 years in this country, Jorge Garcia was forced to return to Mexico, having been brought here as a ten-year old. He leaves a wife and two children in Minnesota. Action: Contact your Senators and ask them to stop the cruel and forced separation of families. People like Jorge Garcia, who have lived productive lives here for many years, should not be forced to leave their communities and families and return to countries which are now foreign to them. Censure Trump Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) will be introducing a censure resolution against Trump for his racist comments about Haiti and other countries. Action: \and ask they support Richmond and Nadler's censure resolution against Trump for his intemperate and hateful speech. NSA Surveillance The Senate is due to vote Wednesday on an extension of Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act, which bypasses our Fourth Amendment rights and authorizes “backdoor” search and seizure of private digital information. The House has already voted to approve an extension. Action: Ask your Senators to vote NO on S. 139, FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 Voting Rights Here is what 5 Calls has to say about the appointment of Thomas Brunell as Deputy Director of the U.S. Census Bureau: Thomas Brunell, a Texas professor who has testified in the support of Republican-engineered gerrymandering schemes and written a book entitled “Redistricting and Representation: Why Competitive Elections are Bad for America” is poised to be appointed as deputy director of the U.S. Census Bureau. Because the 2020 Census count will determine the allocation of representatives and affect how political districts are drawn, Brunell's leadership of the Bureau could undermine democracy for decades. Historically, the Bureau has been staffed by career civil servants with expertise in statistics. However, Brunell's nomination suggests Trump plans to politicize the Bureau to suppress an accurate count of Americans in 2020. Action: Contact your Senators to protest the appointment of Thomas Brunell, a man with all the wrong values. DREAM Act of 2017 We have already acted on the DREAM Act of 2017, H.R. 3440, but DREAMers are still in limbo, and it’s time to act again. There are already 200 co-sponsors of H.R. 3440, including three Republicans. The push is on now to pass a clean act, especially given Trump’s recent offensive comments about other countries. Action: Contact your Member of Congress and ask them to pass H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act of 2017 without delay. |
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