Which Side Are You On when it comes to voting rights and democracy reform?

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 It’s only the second time I’ve been arrested -- the first was in front of Trump’s White House soon after he rescinded DACA.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.


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.

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 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 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 @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 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 “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.

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

 

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