Hey Indivisibles,

Ezra here. I wanted to send a quick note just to explain why I was
arrested in front of the U.S. Senate office buildings in D.C. this week,
along with around 300 fellow democracy advocates from across the country.
It’s only the second time I’ve been arrested -- the first was in front of
Trump’s White House soon after he rescinded DACA. I didn’t expect to be
driven to nonviolent civil disobedience during a Democratic trifecta, but
here we all are.

[1]Leah being arrested by Capitol Police outside of the Supreme Court in
Washington, DC, hodling a "Which Side Are You On?" sign

“Which side are you on?” That was the question clearly printed on the sign
Leah was holding when she was arrested for protesting in D.C. for the For
the People Act a couple of weeks ago. And that’s the question I had to ask
myself.

We know what the other side is for. They’re pushing the Big Lie. They’re
suppressing Black and brown voters. They’re preparing to voter-suppress
and gerrymander their way into power next year and totally disregard the
election result in 2024. 

So if Rev. Barber with the Poor People’s Campaign, LaTosha Brown with
Black Voters Matter, and Barbara Arnwine with Transformative Justice
Coalition are risking arrest to fight for our democracy, how can I sit on
the sidelines? If the Texas Democrats are fleeing their homes to fight for
our democracy, how can I stand by and let others fight this fight for me?
Which side am I on? 

I want to be on the side of a real, representative democracy in this
country. So, yeah, I showed up. And, yeah, I got arrested. And, yeah, now
I’ll pay a $50 fine and keep fighting. Proud to do it.

[2]Ezra getting arrested at Moral Monday March with a sign that says "End
the Filibuster"

Nonviolent civil disobedience like this isn’t the only tactic in the fight
to save our democracy, but it is an effective tactic used by every
successful fight for democracy in recent American history -- from the
fight for women’s suffrage at the turn of the century to civil rights in
the 1960s to immigrant rights in the 2010s. If you’re interested in
learning more, I highly recommend you check out the Poor People’s
Campaign, which has launched a season of nonviolent moral direct action to
end the filibuster and save our democracy [ [link removed] ]here.

Get your state legislators on our side: If you’re looking for ways to
support the Texas Democrats who are currently in D.C. pleading with the
Senate to pass the For the People Act, there’s work you can do in your own
state. This week these Texas heroes were joined by more than 100 of their
fellow state legislators from around the country. More than 500 signed
[ [link removed] ]this letter of support. Here’s what to do for your own state
representative and state senator:

 1. If they’re in D.C. fighting this fight -- thank them!
 2. If they’re not in D.C. and not on the letter, ask them why the hell
they’re on the sidelines.

Whether it’s option #1 or #2, let me know on Twitter [ [link removed] ]@ezralevin, and
I’ll help elevate your work. If you want to see what this looks like in
action and grab a quick email template you can send to your state
legislators, check out Indivisible Ventura’s effort on this [ [link removed] ]here. Every
single Democratic state representative and senator in this country ought
to be on the letter -- you can help build the chorus calling for urgent
action to save this democracy.

Build momentum at a Democracy Can’t Wait event on Tuesday, August 10: And
if you want to get out into the world and make your voice heard in public,
you’ve got options. In addition to actions all this week, on August 10
there are [ [link removed] ]“Democracy Can’t Wait” rallies in D.C. and across the
country. We’ll be out there, and I hope to see some of you in the streets
too.

We need a diversity of voices and a diversity of tactics in this campaign
to win. Luckily, that’s what we’ve got in this movement. We’ve all got
something to bring to this fight. Some of us can make calls. Some of us
will march. Some of us will organize others. Some of us will engage in
escalating actions on the ground. Everything we need to win is in this
movement already -- we just have to use it. And we will win.

In solidarity,
Ezra
Co-Executive Director, Indivisible

PS: Hey, it’s my email, so how can I not include a picture of Zeke?? He’s
9.5 months old and a total daredevil already. Here he is in a new surfing
dinosaur shirt, looking briefly penitent.

[8]Baby Zeke wearing a new surfing dinosaur shirt, looking briefly
penitent.

 

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