U.S. and the rest of the world must cooperate for the benefit of all
Your address (quigle.minogue@blogger.com) has been removed from list
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Goodbye from our Newsletter, sorry to see you go.
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Greater Miami Valley Events & News
(Mar. 11) FW: Celebrate poetry at our Dunbar Literary Circle
(Mar. 12) FW: SSI and SSDI workshop
(Mar. 13) FW: Community invited to participate in sustainability open house
(Mar. 14) FW: WDYTF webinar with founder of Oakland Office of African American Male Achievement
(Mar. 15) FW: Breakfast Briefing
(Mar. 15) [OFFICIAL-L] Let's Talk forum on enrollment and student retention
(Mar. 18) FW: Golden Rule at Dayton International Peace Museum
(Mar. 18) FW: Welcome Dayton Partner Event: Neighborhood & Friendship Brunch
Our focus this month concerns the women who March On! Women and Social Change.
Come on out, listen, and share. We'll feature some of Dunbar's poems and others who talk about the women who helped shaped out country. Feel free to bring another author's work, including your own.
Join us on Sunday, March 11th , 2:00 to 4:00 pm, as we share poetry and short stories about Women and Social Change at our Dunbar Literary Circle. Come read a passage from your favorite poet or writer or simply listen and enjoy the recitation from others.
The Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site is located at 219 N. Paul Laurence Dunbar Street, Dayton, Ohio. Please enter through the Visitor Center entrance on Edison Street (around the corner from the Dunbar House).
Tours of the home are free and available from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (last tour at 3:30 pm). For more information call 937.224.7061 or 937.225.7705.
The Dunbar Literary Circle meets on the second Sunday of the month. Each month we touch on a different topic.
From: Greg Kramer
Subject: SSI and SSDI workshop
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs are the largest of several Federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities. While these two programs are different in many ways, both are administered by the Social Security Administration and only individuals who have a disability and meet medical criteria may qualify for benefits under either program.
Definition of Disability: For all individuals applying for disability benefits under title II, and for adults applying under title XVI, the definition of disability is the same. The law defines disability as the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
Monday March 12th, 2018: 12pm to 3pm
Presenter: Theresa Busher, Public Affairs Specialist Social Security, Dayton
Hosted by & presented at:
Access Center 1329 Stanley Ave. Dayton, OH 45404
(937) 341-5202 voice or 711 Ohio Relay
PLEASE RSVP No later than Monday March 5th, 2018
Call (937) 341-5202 voice, Email: maria.matzik@acils.com, or 711 Ohio Relay
Ask for Maria Matzik ext. 1007
Space is limited! Register early!
If you cannot keep your registration, please call to cancel!
Sign Language Interpreters and materials in alternative format: Available upon request.
Please request interpreter service and alternative format when registering for the event.
Please request either by calling: (937) 341-5202 voice or 711 Ohio Relay
Ask for Maria Matzik ext. 1007 Email: maria.matzik@acils.com
The Access Center is a fragrance-free environment. We ask that you refrain from wearing cologne and scented products out of consideration for people with chemical sensitivities and breathing problems. We do our best to provide an environment that everyone can feel comfortable in.
From: City of Dayton Office of Communications and Public Affairs
Subject: News Release: Community invited to participate in sustainability open house--Tuesday, March 13
Community invited to participate in sustainability open house
Tuesday, March 13, Dayton Convention Center -
Release Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Contact: Monica Jones, Office of the City Manager, 937-333-3663, monica.jones@daytonohio.gov
The City of Dayton is updating its comprehensive vision and strategies for sustainability and is seeking community input to help create a successful plan.
The community is invited to an open house on Tuesday, March 13, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Dayton Convention Center, where ideas and input can be shared and discussed. These key areas will be included:
The City's "green team" will incorporate public input received into strategies and action items in a new sustainability plan.
The City of Dayton adopted a Sustainable Practices Policy in 2007 to guide the effort to make the organization and its operations more sustainable. Strategies and action items have been achieved across a number of areas, and the City Commission passed a resolution supporting regional sustainability and the Dayton Regional Green Initiative in 2014.
For more information, contact Monica Jones at monica.jones@daytonohio.gov or 937-333-3663.
What: City of Dayton Sustainability Open House
Where: Dayton Convention Center, 22 E. 5th St., Rm. 202-204
(parking available at on-street meters or validated for those parking at the Dayton Transportation Center)
When: Tuesday, March 13, 2018, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (drop in any time)
From: West Dayton Youth Task Force
Subject: [Register Today] WDYTF webinar with founder of Oakland Office of African American Male Achievement
As a part of our second year campaign to promote culturally relevant curriculum and culturally responsive schools, Racial Justice NOW! and the West Dayton Youth Task Force will host veteran education/ administrator Chris Chatmon from the Oakland unified Schools District. Baba Chris serves as Deputy Chief of Equity for the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) and was named as a "Leader to Learn From" by Education Week magazine.
Chatmon was selected as a Campaign for Black Male Achievement “Social Innovation Accelerator” because he is committed to improving life outcomes for all youth and especially African American males. Chatmon is passionate about uplifting the African American community and has dedicated his career and life work to creating pathways of success within Oakland and beyond. His inspirational leadership motivates educators and community members to engage, encourage, and empower young people regardless of gender or non-gender identity, race, class, or nationality. As a veteran/ Elder educator and administrator,
Baba Chris will cover topics, such as: Cultural identity
From: NCCJ of Greater Dayton
Subject: (Mar. 15) Breakfast Briefing
March 15 Breakfast Briefing On Behalf Of Sinclair Workforce
Register
Freedom from Workplace Harassment
March 15, 8-9:30 a.m.
Breakfast Briefing
In partnership with the National Conference for Community & Justice (NCCJ)
We are in the midst of a nationwide cultural transformation as employers and employees alike grapple with the repercussions of harassment in the workplace. Learn how you can address and prevent workplace harassment.
From: Wright State Communications
Subject: [OFFICIAL-L] Let's Talk forum on enrollment and student retention
The next forum in Wright State University's Let's Talk series will focus on enrollment and student retention. The forum will be held:
Thursday, March 15
3:30 to 5 p.m.
Student Union Apollo Room
The forum is open to the campus community and the public. It will be streamed live for those who cannot attend in person at wright.edu/streaming.
The forum will feature a panel that includes Mary Ellen Ashley, vice president for enrollment management; Amy Barnhart, assistant vice president and director of financial aid; and Tim Littell, executive director of student success and associate dean.
The panelists will discuss the state of enrollment nationally and in Ohio; Wright State's recruitment, student success, and financial aid strategies for fall 2018; and the ongoing work of the university's nine strategic enrollment planning committees.
Following short presentations from the panel, campus constituents can ask questions and initiate dialogue in a town hall setting. Wright State President Cheryl B. Schrader will moderate the discussion.
Part of President Schrader’s focus on campus conversation, Let’s Talk allows the Wright State community to discuss one issue or theme at the university. The goal of the series is to create a public opportunity for open, informed discussion while providing the community with accurate information and perspective.
Suggestions from the university community for future discussion are welcome and can be made on the Office of the President's webpage
From: Interfaith Forum of Greater Dayton
Subject: Golden Rule at Dayton International Peace Museum
On Sunday, March 18, the Interfaith Forum is presenting an interactive “Golden Rule” program in the Dayton International Peace Museum annex which features a display of Golden Rule quilts from 17 faith and humanist perspectives. 208 W Monument Ave, Dayton, Ohio 45402; free parking behind the museum or park in Westminster Presbyterian Church parking lot. 3:00-5:00 PM. (Best to enter from Wilkinson St.) Simple, light refreshments will be provided.
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MPEN e-Newsletter No. 2018-0302 for Ohioans
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From: SPAN Ohio
Subject: Information, Bill Status and a Call to Action
Conference Details
Date: Saturday, April 28, 2018
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Place: Quest Business & Conference Center,
8405 Pulsar Place, Columbus, Ohio
Each year we try to offer you a program of value and this year is no exception. We hope all of you will register and come ready to be active in the campaign for healthcare justice.
Program highlights include:
Dennis Kucinich has always been a strong supporter of single payer and he told us last year that he would do anything to help the cause. When he was in Congress, HR 676 was often referred to as the Conyers-Kucinich bill.
This is an exciting time for Single Payer! Our bills in the Ohio legislature have record support as well as those in Congress.
*This event is not a campaign event. Mr. Kucinich agreed to be the keynote speaker long before he declared his candidacy. SPAN Ohio does not endorse candidates.
To Register: Registration is required as space is limited. So, don't delay, register today.
Registration can be done online or by printing out a registration form and mailing it in with your registration fee. We are not mailing out conference brochures due to cost.
Registration Fees: We do our best to keep registration fees low. It costs nearly $10,000 to hold this conference and registration fees only bring in about $4500. However, we do not want money to be a barrier to those who want to attend, but just can't pay the registration fee. Therefore, we do offer a limited number of scholarships. If you would like to have a scholarship to attend, contact our Treasurer, Barb Walden at User298053@aol.com
Annual Fund Appeal
Fundraising is never easy. We all dread those constant e-mails asking for money and most of us have become very adept at deleting them quickly. SPAN Ohio has always tried to be respectful of that and we only have one annual fundraising letter that goes out to our supporters and this is it. Since it is the only fund appeal we do, we really need your support. There is no contribution too large or too small. Every bit helps us continue operations and programming.
While we are mostly a volunteer organization, we do have operational expenses. It costs money to maintain the website and database as well as send out the email blasts we send. And, yes, we do try to be respectful in that capacity as well. We also need to be able to print literature for our educational efforts and continue to fund our State Director and lobbying efforts.
Besides general operational expenses, our biggest goal is to get this issue passed here in Ohio. We will continue to lobby legislators for our bills in the Ohio General Assembly. We have record support for the bills and with an active base supporting us, we can move them forward. But, we may still have to go to the ballot.
We've learned from past campaigns what works and what doesn't, most recently from the attempt in Colorado to pass single payer health care. One of the biggest mistakes is to enter a campaign like that without funding. We are building a war chest so that we can provide expert testimony in committee hearings and, if necessary, conduct a campaign that can withstand the efforts of our opponents. And we know who they are.
Anthem Blue Shield of Ohio was the largest contributor to the campaign against ColoradoCare. Our opponents will be home grown. Our supporters must be as well.
Bill Status
State Bills: Both bills, SB 91 and HB 440, have had sponsor hearings. The next step would be to have proponent testimony.
At this stage we would bring in experts to testify on the merits of the bill. But first, we must get that proponent hearing. That means calling and writing the chairs of the committees to which the bills are assigned.
Make a call (preferred) or send an email to each of the above and urge them to schedule proponent testimony on our bills.
National Bills: When John Conyers left Congress, the question arose as to who would take over the sponsorship of HR 676, the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act. We don't have to wonder any longer!
From: Kaili Lambe; Organizing Director, CREDO Action from Working Assets
Subject: Sen. Portman can vote to end U.S. support for Yemen war
Call Sen. Rob Portman: End U.S. Support for Saudi-led war in Yemen | ||
The United States has quietly assisted Saudi Arabia in its war in Yemen for years. Sen. Bernie Sanders just introduced a resolution to end U.S. support for this devastating war, and Sen. Portman is one of the deciding votes. Will you call him now? Click below for a sample script and the number to call:
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For years, the United States has been quietly supporting Saudi Arabia's brutal war in Yemen that has driven more than 8 million Yemenis to the brink of famine and caused the worst cholera epidemic in history.1,2
References:
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Read more articles in MPEN e-Newsletter No. 2018-0302
End of MPEN e-Newsletter
posted by lucas at 6:44 PM
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MPEN e-Newsletter No. 2018-0301
From: People For the American Way
Subject: This is the BLUE WAVE taking shape -->
RIGHT NOW, the most important election in the country is the special congressional election in Pennsylvania's 18th district... and a BRAND NEW POLL of likely voters from Emerson University now has Democrat Conor Lamb BEATING radical Trump Republican Rick Saccone by 3 points!!!
We have the momentum! But there's only ONE WEEK from tomorrow to lock up this CRUCIAL victory!
Democrats and progressives are being MASSIVELY outspent in this race by right-wing super PACs (including Paul Ryan's).
Republicans are treating this race as an all-out emergency, because they know that if we can beat them here, it could solidify a national BLUE WAVE that flips control of the US House and maybe even the Senate!
Donate today to flip this GOP-held seat to the Democrats and to help us defeat Trump Republicans all across the country>>
The Republican, Trump-endorsed Rick Saccone, is a far-right extremist who:
Saccone would be another GOP rubberstamp for Trump's dangerous, un-American agenda. That's why we're running digital ads, phonebanking voters in the district to turn out every last progressive, and more...
Election Day is just 1 week from tomorrow!
Please rush your most generous donation right now to flip this seat
and defeat Trump Republicans up and down the ballot in 2018!>>
From: New York Times
Subject: Today's Headlines:
(1) As Primaries Begin, Divided Voters Weigh What It Means to Be a Democrat
(2) Mueller’s Focus on Adviser to U.A.E. Indicates Broader Inquiry
(3) Trump’s Steel Tariffs Raise Fears of a Damaging Trade War
As Primaries Begin, Divided Voters Weigh What It Means to Be a Democrat
By JONATHAN MARTIN and ALEXANDER BURNS
Primary elections in Texas on Tuesday and Illinois this month will test the growing divide in the Democratic Party between bold liberalism and tradition.
Mueller’s Focus on Adviser to U.A.E. Indicates Broader Inquiry
By MARK MAZZETTI, DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and MAGGIE HABERMAN
The special counsel has asked about the role of the adviser, George Nader, in White House policymaking, indicating that he is examining Emirati influence on the Trump administration.
Trump’s Steel Tariffs Raise Fears of a Damaging Trade War
By JIM TANKERSLEY
A global tit-for-tat on trade could crimp economic growth, undermining the stimulative effects of President Trump’s deregulation push and his signature $1.5 trillion tax cut.
From: Evan, Rashad, Arisha, Brandi, Jade, Johnny, Janaya, Corina, Chad, Mary, Saréya, Eesha, and the rest of the Color Of Change team
Subject: The FCC Gutted Net Neutrality. Congress Only Needs #OneMoreVote to Overturn Them
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This past week marked the 6th anniversary of the murder of Trayvon Martin and as we reflect back on how movements for justice have grown, much of the organizing would not have been possible without an open internet. From the creation of #BlackLivesMatter, to the canceling of a book deal for one of the jurors who acquitted George Zimmerman1, to the creation of organizing tactics that have been used in social movements all over the world, and currently in use by the students of Parkland, FL2, an open internet has made the advocacy for Black human rights and the amplification of our stories possible. All that may come to a halt if one more Senator doesn’t sign on to the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution overturning the FCC’s decision to gut the net neutrality rules put in place by the Obama Administration.
Tell the Senate to Pass the CRA and Save Net Neutrality
The FCC’s decision to repeal rules that made the internet an equal and open space is just an updated version of the tactics used in the past to silence Black voices and deny opportunities to marginalized communities. Before net neutrality was in place, the 5 major internet service providers (AT&T, Time Warner, Charter, Comcast and Verizon), who provide broadband service for 75% of the country, were regularly slowing traffic speeds to popular websites.3 Now that there’s a Verizon lobbyist in charge of the FCC and a presidential administration that caters to big business, there’s almost nothing to stop these corporations from controlling what you can consume on the internet, even as you’re paying for it.
If you’ve ever used the internet to say #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, or to remind the world that Flint, Michigan doesn’t have clean water, then you know how vital an open internet is to sharing our stories and advocating for human rights. Major corporations like Verizon, Comcast, and AT&T shouldn’t get to decide which messages are heard, based on what’s good for their profit margin. Join the rest of the internet as we come together and flood the Senate with phone calls, texts, and tweets demanding they protect net neutrality.
We Only Need #OneMoreVote in the Senate to Save Net Neutrality
References:
Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.
From: Robert B. Reich
Subject: The emperor has no clothes
I've been a teacher for more than 30 years. My job is to teach, challenge, and enrich my students' minds.
Donald Trump's response to the latest tragic school shooting—to put even more guns in our schools—is just the latest Trump scam. It's a distraction. It's meant to divide us. And it certainly won't make our kids safer.
But the Parkland students aren't falling for it, nor are young people and students all over the country—including many who have been organizing against gun violence for years. Over the coming weeks, they are coming together to organize marches and other protests all across the country. I'm standing with these students, and so is MoveOn—by mobilizing its millions of members to participate in the protests and by pressuring corporations to cut their support for the NRA.
Will you stand up to the NRA by making a donation to MoveOn today? Just click below. Donate
We know how to reduce gun violence: for starters, universal background checks and bans on high-capacity magazines and AR-15s and other military-style assault weapons like the ones used in Parkland—and in Sutherland Springs, San Bernardino, Aurora, Orlando, Las Vegas, and Newtown. And we know the way to get there: direct pressure on corporations, demanding action from politicians at the federal and state levels, and—ultimately—breaking the stranglehold of the NRA by isolating it from its corporate and political enablers.
Republicans in Washington are so completely bought by the NRA that new federal laws are unlikely in the short term. But the students leading the movement to end gun violence—from Parkland and from communities across the country that have been impacted—aren't waiting for the Republicans in Washington, and neither is MoveOn.
Student-led groups and their allies, including hundreds of thousands of MoveOn members, are calling on corporations to stand up to the NRA, and this #BoycottNRA movement is catching on like wildfire. The retailer Dick's Sporting Goods is the latest to defy the NRA by taking AR-15s and high-capacity magazines off its store shelves, while Walmart and others are raising the age of who can purchase guns. Indeed, the NRA isn't invincible. (Remember the old "emperor has no clothes" parable? That's the NRA right now.)
MoveOn is joining students in keeping the pressure on corporate America and pushing to pass new laws in state legislatures. And MoveOn will hold the NRA's enablers in Congress accountable, so we can finally start to move forward with commonsense gun legislation in Congress, too.
I pledge to stand with students—not by carrying a gun but by standing up to the NRA.
Will you join me in the fight against gun violence by making a donation to MoveOn today? Donate
Want to support MoveOn's work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that all of us must never give up on. And to do it MoveOn needs your support, now more than ever. Will you stand with MoveOn? Donate Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
From: Stephen, Erica, Cassandra, and the team at Win Without War
Subject: “The brutality of this war will be beyond the experience of any living soldier.”
The U.S. military is secretly rehearsing for a bloody war with North Korea.
Top military brass gathered in Hawaii last week to draw up plans for evacuation helicopters and troop movements. [1] They said 10,000 Americans could be wounded in just a few days.
Munsup, this is our push moment to prevent war with North Korea.
Win Without War is using every possible tactic to pressure Congress to step in, from grabbing headlines to flooding phone lines. But we need your help. The truth is, if we don’t get in Trump’s way right now, we could be looking at war with North Korea in a matter of months.
After the military’s planning exercise, the Army’s Chief of Staff warned that a war with North Korea would be the most brutal any living soldier has ever seen.
If you’re scared — well, so am I. But his warning is also a huge opportunity.
Powerful people are speaking out to say that the human costs of this war would be awful beyond imagining. We have a major chance to turn this growing murmur of worry into a massive outcry for common-sense diplomacy.
Can you pitch in $6 to seize this moment and drag Trump off the brink of war?
[1] New York Times: “U.S. Banks on Diplomacy With North Korea, but Moves Ahead on Military Plans”
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From: Kaili Lambe; Director of Organizing, CREDO Action from Working Assets
Subject: End war in Yemen (signatures needed)
Tell the Senate: No war in Yemen
| The petition to the Senate reads:
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Last August, an American-made laser-guided bomb killed seven children in Yemen’s capital city. Before the strike, a 5-year-old named Buthaina had five brothers and sisters. After the strike she had none.1 Buthaina and her siblings were just a few of the estimated 5,000 killed or injured in the Saudi-led war in Yemen that started in 2015 – an average of five a day.2
Right now, American military forces are refueling the Saudis’ American-made planes so that the Saudis and their coalition can drop American-made weapons to carry out a devastating war that is killing civilians, destroying crops, cutting off access to ports and wreaking havoc on the people of Yemen. As a result of American support for the war, millions are facing starvation and the country is battling what may be the worst cholera epidemic in history.3
We must speak out now to stop this deadly war in the Middle East. Fortunately, progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders just introduced bipartisan legislation to invoke the War Powers Resolution, which would require a vote in the next few weeks on ending U.S. support for this Saudi-led war.4 We have a short window to demand that the Senate vote to end U.S. military involvement and withdraw its support from the conflict that has led to what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.5
For nearly three years, under the guise of reassuring our allies and “confronting Iran,” the United States has quietly assisted Saudi Arabia in their conflict with the Houthis – a Yemeni Shiite militia group originally formed around the historical economic and political marginalization of Yemen’s northwest. The United States has provided weapons, provided logistical and intelligence support, and helped refuel coalition jets as they dropped bombs on Yemeni civilians. But the Houthis have limited ties to Iran and absolutely nothing to do with Al Qaeda, ISIS or any other terrorist organization that could conceivably fall within the scope of military intervention covered by the current Authorization for Use of Military Force.6
This unauthorized war started under the Obama administration, and in the face of egregious civilian casualties, President Obama scaled back U.S. involvement. But Trump has given the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates the green light to double down on its disastrous air campaign.7 The civilian death toll in Yemen has been heart-wrenching – with over 10,000 casualties and rising – but the United States continues to offer resources to the Saudi-led coalition.
In October 2016, a coalition airstrike targeted a funeral procession, killing over 130 innocent people and injuring 500 more.8 During the 10 day period from Dec 6 – 16, Saudi airstrikes killed 136 civilians, including at least seven civilians when they Saudi-led coalition struck a hospital on Dec. 10.9 Then on Jan. 1, Saudi airstrikes killed 23 people in the port city of Hodeida.10 In providing the Saudi-led coalition targeting intelligence, mid-air refueling and other logistical support, the United States is complicit in violations of international law.
Beyond the direct violence, the ongoing war in Yemen has forced millions to flee their homes, resulted in the world's worst cholera outbreak, and has left more than two-thirds of Yemen's population – more than 20 million people – not knowing where their next meal will come from.11 According to the UN 400,000 Yemeni children are acutely malnourished – that is at risk of death from starvation – while as many as 8.4 million people in Yemen are on the verge of famine.12 That is because Saudi forces are using food as a weapon of war – enforcing a blockade that has stopped much needed food, medicine and supplies from entering the country.13
What’s more, the war has contributed to a fast-moving cholera outbreak – the largest documented in modern history – that has already affected more than 1 million people.14
U.S. tax dollars are directly financing this Saudi-led war, even though U.S. involvement has not been authorized by Congress – whose responsibility it is to debate, vote on and authorize military action. By participating in this war in this way, Congress and Donald Trump are robbing the American people of their right to be represented in these decisions.
Congress must remove us from this conflict, immediately. Tell the Senate: Pass S.J.Res.54 to end U.S. support for Saudi-led war in Yemen. Click the link below to sign the petition.
https://act.credoaction.com/sign/End_War_in_Yemen?t=8&akid=27493%2E1004336%2E7VBtgf
Add your name:
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References:
From: Gard of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the American Federation of Teachers, Parkland, FL
Subject: I'm a teacher at Stoneman Douglas High School
I'm Jim Gard, a math teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. I started a petition because I'm shocked that the White House has issued press credentials for a right-wing conspiracy theory blog that is spreading lies about students at my school.
It is outrageous enough that outlets such as Gateway Pundit are spreading lies and driving attacks on students like saying one of them was coached into using anti-Trump talking points when expressing his grief about the school shooting. But it is even more outrageous that an outlet that peddles lies and conspiracy theories holds a White House press credential and the authority that carries.1
Sign my petition if you agree Donald Trump and this administration must make it clear that these attacks are unacceptable by pulling this blog's credentials and permanently banning the site and its publishers from the White House.
The White House must show that there are consequences for driving vicious personal attacks on student victims of gun violence and peddling conspiracy theories. It must pull Gateway Pundit's press credentials, permanently ban them from official events, and commit to not giving credentials to any outlet that engages in these types of conspiracy theories or attacks on vulnerable students and victims.
In the aftermath of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County, Florida, students who survived the attack have bravely stood up to demand action for safe schools and safe communities. I know these students.
But now, right-wing blogs are pushing wild conspiracy theories about the students who survived, claiming they are plants, actors, or being manipulated by politicians.2
By giving Gateway Pundit press credentials, the White House is validating the site and these attacks.
I have worked with these students. These courageous young people survived a horror beyond what any person should have to face, and now they stand with moral courage and strength to call us all to action.
Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.
Sources:
It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition here.
Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us? Donate monthly or make a one-time gift
Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
From: Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, Adam, Holly, Kathy, Susan, Anathea, Audine, Shannon, Emma, Pilar, Natalie, Melody, Lindsay, Pam, and Ryan, the UltraViolet Action team
Subject: RE: The NRA is in deep, deep trouble
Two weeks ago, 17 students and teachers were murdered by a gunman using an AR-15.
Since then, corporations have been scrambling to distance themselves from the NRA.
The First National Bank of Omaha just announced that it will no longer issue its NRA-branded credit card. Enterprise, Hertz, Alamo, and National rental cars announced they are canceling their discount program for NRA members.1
Now we're focusing on two companies--Visa and MasterCard--that have the power to stop processing payments for the sale of assault weapons, like the ones used in Parkland, Las Vegas, and Newtown.
PayPal and Apple Pay have banned these purchases, and UltraViolet Education Fund is launching a hard-hitting ad campaign focused in Foster City, California, and Purchase, New York--the corporate headquarters of Visa and MasterCard--to demand that they stop processing these sales as well.
Will you chip in $5 to UltraViolet Action to help fight back against the NRA?
After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, media pundits said that Congress wouldn't do anything.
But Congress isn't the only one with power. Corporations--especially the financial institutions that do business with the gun industry--have enormous power to slow or even stop the sale of guns.
There's no reason that Visa and MasterCard can't do this. In fact, they already don't allow their cards to be used to purchase marijuana in states where it's legal, and some of the biggest card issuers won't let them be used to buy Bitcoin either.2,3
But most people have no idea that Visa and MasterCard have the discretion to stop these purchases. That's why our ad campaign has the potential to be so effective--to alert the public that these credit card companies could be stopping the sales of guns like the one used in Parkland--but they are choosing not to.
UltraViolet Education Fund will start the ad campaign in the cities where these credit card companies are headquartered, and make them hard-hitting to generate media coverage as well. Judging by how quickly other corporations are running away from the gun industry, we think Visa, MasterCard, and the other credit card companies will fold as well.
Will you chip in $5 to UltraViolet Action to help fight back against the NRA?
CONTRIBUTE
Sources:
1. NRA fallout: See the list of companies that cut discounts for NRA members after Parkland, Florida school shooting, USA Today, February 26, 2018
2. Ten Things You Can't (Easily) Buy With Credit Cards, Fox Business News, January 25, 2016
3. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America & Citi bar people from buying bitcoin with a credit card, CNBC, February 2, 2018
Want to support our work? UltraViolet is funded by members like you, and our tiny staff ensures small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.
From: The Guns Down team
Subject: Demand that FedEx #DropTheNRA
FedEx is still standing by the gun lobby. We now know that they even made special behind-the-scenes deals with the NRA and gun manufacturers to cut shipping rates and make it easier for companies to ship guns from coast to coast. And they are doing all that just so that they can get a leg-up on their competitors and make extra money, no matter the cost.
That’s why, as activists around the country are boycotting FedEx and other boosters of the NRA and its deadly “guns everywhere” agenda, we’re launching the next stage of our campaign demanding that FedEx end their relationship with the NRA: DropTheNRA.org. The website is just the first step; we’ll be bringing our message, and our demands, straight to FedEx headquarters soon.
The gun lobby and their corporate allies won’t go down without a fight. They’re expecting the pressure to lessen, and for all of us to just forget about what they are doing. We aren’t going to forget or let-up on the pressure until FedEx cuts ties with the NRA. We stood firm in our fight against the NRA’s Carry Guard murder insurance, and Chubb and Lockton relented and cut ties. Advocates around the country demanded that companies end agreements with the gun lobby, and the companies agreed. FedEx is no different.
Corporate partnerships are a huge part of the NRA’s strategy; they give them an easy way to make money and gain undue credibility. Ending the relationships, and holding companies accountable for the choices they make and the deals they enter can make a real difference. When those partnerships collapse, the gun lobby loses power. And when the gun lobby loses power, America gets closer to a safer future with fewer guns which are harder to get.
Please join us in the next step of our bold campaign against FedEx’s work with the NRA, and please share DropTheNRA.org with your networks.
Thank you,
The Guns Down team
P.S. -- The kind of bold, aggressive campaign tactics we are planning for FedEx, and which were successful in getting Chubb and Lockton to end their Carry Guard murder insurance and their partnership with the NRA, aren’t easy to pull off. They aren’t inexpensive either. Contribute today and help us go as big, and as bold, as possible.
From: Rashad Robinson and the rest of the Color Of Change team
Subject: The NRA Is Tanking!
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We have more great news!
Chubb Limited and Lockton Inc. have both cut ties with the NRA's murder insurance!
As a result of a public campaign we launched in October with Guns Down, an advocacy group fighting against the dangerous NRA organization, the underwriting insurer Chubb silently backed out of the deal for the NRA's murder insurance. In the aftermath of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Chubb went public with their decision last Friday. And we just received news that Lockton is following their lead. Yesterday, 6 years to the day that Trayvon Martin was murdered, Lockton announced that they would no longer provide brokerage services for the NRA's Carry Guard. We have made a huge impact in crippling the operation of the NRA. But the fight has just begun.
We must continue to apply pressure on corporations who shamelessly do business with the NRA. By targeting corporate sponsors who enable the gun industry we get one step closer to weakening the NRA’s grip on society as a whole.
Will you donate $65 to support our work as we continue to defeat the NRA?
Your donation will go towards:
Taking down the NRA is not easy, but our collective efforts are making difference. Chubb and Lockton's decisions came as a result of over 100,000 members like you taking action with allies across this country demanding corporations and politicians put people over gun violence enablers like the NRA. This win is for Trayvon Martin, John Crawford II, Philando Castile, Marissa Alexander, Keegan Von Roberts and countless other Black folks who have fallen victim to the NRA's tactics to criminalize Black people while protecting white vigilantes.
There are still a number of other companies who are doing business with the NRA, like FedEx, Apple, AGIA Affinity, Vinesse Wines, the Regency and the Omni Hotel Chains, and we must stop them.
Donate $65 to stop the NRA from protecting killers and monetizing murder.
Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.
From: Unfit to Serve Team
Subject: Add your name >> End Gerrymandering Now
Republican politicians across the country have been choosing their constituents instead of constituents choosing their politicians.
To put it simply, Republican leaders in state legislatures are rigging the system.
And it's time for this to stop.
The majority of Americans want more balance in their legislatures and in Congress so more consensus can be built and more bad ideas stopped. Thankfully, people are standing up across the country -- to demand an end to this rigged system.
We are standing with a coalition of leaders and organizations across the country to restore our democracy and end gerrymandering. Will you join us?
Using diabolical gerrymandering, Republicans are re-drawing maps that try to give them supermajorities in state legislatures and in Congressional delegations nationwide.
Their partisan maps just don’t add up -- Republicans have created wildly contorted districts to gain victory for their party, regardless of what voters want.
If you're as fed up with gerrymandering as we are, add your name today
to the grassroots movement that's working to restore our democratic values.
PAID FOR BY UNFIT TO SERVE PAC
posted by lucas at 3:40 PM
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