Your weekly Indivisible Newsletter
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***Content Warning: Violence against Black people. If you need to avoid this topic, jump to the line break below. ***
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Indivisibles,
Two weeks ago, two Black lawmakers in Tennessee, Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, were expelled from their elected offices for advocating for gun safety. They have both since been reappointed to their roles on an interim basis.
Last week, in an unprecedented use of his power, Gov. Greg Abbott said he supports pardoning Daniel Perry, only a day after Perry was convicted of murdering a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020.
Last Thursday, a 16-year-old Black child, Ralph Yarl, was shot twice as he mistakenly rang the wrong doorbell while attempting to pick up his siblings from a playdate.
Gun violence is an epidemic in this country.
Racism is an epidemic in this country.
These epidemics are intertwined. America’s unique problem of mass gun violence is directly connected to our internalized ideas of white privilege and racial identity. Black Americans continue to be disproportionate victims of gun violence, including being the victims of police murder at least once every other day, while white Americans are the least likely to even consider gun violence a major problem.
We know who stands in the way of passing lifesaving gun violence prevention legislation: the Republican Party, driven by the extreme gun politics of the National Rifle Association. Ten years ago today, they used the filibuster to stop universal background check legislation in the Senate shortly after the tragedy at Sandy Hook. And this weekend, GOP leaders pledged their support for the NRA’s horrific agenda at their annual convention, with Gov. Ron DeSantis stating, “I’ve resisted calls to take up gun control even when such a stand is superficially unpopular…I understand that it is precisely at those moments when a right is unpopular that it needs true champions.”
Gov. DeSantis is right about one thing: We do have a fundamental right that needs championing. That right is the safety of our children, friends, neighbors, and ourselves from the terror of gun violence. Republican fears of culture wars are overriding the real danger Americans experience from the proliferation of guns under the guise of self-defense and safety.
It is incumbent upon us, as people who care about ourselves, eachother, and all of the children across the United States, to continue to support the work of organizations like March for Our Lives, Moms Demand Action, and Community Justice Action Fund. It means continuing to push our electeds in Congress and at the state and local levels to act through any pathway they can. And it means fighting back against any attempts to stoke fear and hatred in our communities that allow racism to metastasize.
We’ve spent a lot of time in this Newsletter over the last few months talking about the MAGA Default Crisis. Now’s the time to put all of that knowledge and planning into action. Join us for our MAGA Default Crisis Weekend of Action, May 19-26!
The biggest legislative fight this year is quietly playing out in back rooms in the halls of Congress, but hardly anyone nationally is talking about it. MAGA extremists are refusing to pay their debts unless they are allowed to force their cruel policy agenda through Congress. That agenda consists of stripping away crucial programs for American families like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and if they don’t achieve it, they are threatening to throw the country into another recession by defaulting on our debts for the first time in American history.
This is where we come in.
Indivisibles are going to hold events all across the country calling on their MoCs to protect American families. For Democratic MoCs, we’ll be reminding them to hold strong in the face of MAGA hostage-taking -- the only people who win from Dem concessions are lobbyists for the wealthy and well-connected and the politicians they donate to. For Republican MoCs, we’re holding them accountable for the outcomes of a default and making sure they answer for the extremism in their party.
That can look like pep rallies, “thank you” visits to congressional offices, light brigades, birddogging, and all of the other creative ways Indivisibles have thought of in the past (and will think of in the future) to draw more attention to this pending crisis. But to get you started:
Start planning your Week of Action events today and let’s end this MAGA Default Crisis before it becomes a national catastrophe.
With that, here are your weekly to-dos:
Your 5 weekly to-dos
- RSVP for our Press and Media Training Tomorrow, Tuesday April 18 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. One of the core principles of Indivisible activism is holding our representatives accountable. Whether that’s through birddogging them for bad votes at their events or celebrating their accomplishments, accountability is key to advancing our agenda. One of the best tools of accountability is earned media coverage. Join us on tomorrow, April 18 to learn more about how to establish relationships with local press, build events that get media coverage, and take advantage of high-visibility news moments with your groups.
- Read and share our MAGA Default Crisis page. This page is the new home for everything concerning the MAGA effort to throw our nation into chaos by forcing our government to default on our debts in order to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Our current focus is on getting Democratic members of the House of Representatives to sign on to the Boyle, Jayapal, Kuster letter opposing the MAGA Default Crisis and refusing to cut vital services. Check here to see if your representative has signed on.
- If your Democratic representative has not yet signed on, call and tell them to sign on to the letter being led by Reps. Boyle, Jayapal, and Kuster opposing any cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Republicans are threatening to hold the world economy hostage. Democrats need to stand strong and join President Biden in saying we’re not negotiating with hostage-takers. Every Democratic member who signs onto this letter makes it clearer to Republicans that Dems won’t cave, and clearer to all Americans that the Democratic Party can be counted on to protect Medicare and Social Security. Once you’ve called, write a letter to the editor (LTE) encouraging your MoC not to negotiate with MAGA hostage-takers and then tweet at your MoC demanding they sign on.
- If your Democratic representative has already signed on, call your representative and thank them for signing on to the letter. Our representatives need to know when we’re in support of their actions, there’s no better way to let them know than to call them directly. The stronger we show our support, the more likely they will work for the people in the future. When you’re finished calling, write an LTE thanking your representative for signing on. Don’t just support your MoC in private, submit an LTE thanking your representative so that your community, and other MoCs paying attention, know that your representative is doing the right thing and supported by their constituents. Public praise helps put the pressure on the remaining MoCs to sign on too.
- If you have a Republican representative, call and tell them you oppose the MAGA default scheme. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee have advanced a scheme to “prevent a default” that would essentially give congressional MAGA extremists the power to decide which bills get paid (and potentially put critical payments to hospitals, schools, and social safety net programs at the back of the line). Call your Republican representative and tell them you oppose the “debt prioritization” scheme.
P.S. We rely on your support to keep call pages up and running, fund ads to get the word out, and continue all the work we’re doing this year. If you’re able, click here to donate to help fund our work.
| ***In the 2023 Indivisible Guide, one of the most important things we wanted to see was our Members of Congress (MoCs) show up as fighters! We need a Congress that works for the people, not just their bank accounts and special interests! So, why not highlight those fighters? We Love To See It! will highlight the work being done by MoCs fighting for everyday people’s well being, advancing democracy, and/or protecting personal freedoms. Let’s stand up for our representatives when they stand up for us! We Love To See It!*** |
Rep Jamaal Bowman, NY-16
Gun violence continues to be an daily problem in this country with over 12,350 deaths due to gun violence already this year. Rep Bowman is calling out the hypocrisy of the "thoughts and prayers" contingent to their faces, attempting to convince them to finally act.
As his tweet so clearly lays out, “Republicans won’t do SHIT when it comes to gun violence, but try to tell me to calm down. NO. We can’t calm down. People are dying everyday while we wait.” Watch Rep Bowman call out Republicans more concerned with the gun lobby and his tone than the deaths of children.
| **Bonus Points: If you see your MoC showing up as a fighter and want to highlight them, reply to this email with a link to the story and we might feature it in our next Newsletter.** |
National Events
Register for the Indivisible POC Monthly Call on Tuesday, April 25 at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT. Join Indivisible National POC staff as we talk and connect around issues that directly affect POC, the work that we do, and the world in which we try to create lasting change. Please note that this is a space specifically for people of color/indigenous group leaders and members.
IndivisiWin of the Week
Barbara of Indivisible Hawaii advocating for election reform at the House Finance Committee hearings at the state capitol.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up on the latest information, and text “INDIVISIBLE” to 59798 to opt-in to our text messaging program where we send rapid response actions a few times a month.
Our work on the MAGA Default Crisis is growing increasingly more important. As a potential summer deadline nears, we must do everything in our power to prevent a default and protect vital programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Start planning your Weekend of Action event today.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team
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