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Week 34 Actions

Updated: May 30

Indivisible Houston Weekly Call to Action For the week of August 13, 2017 Hi all, As I sit down to write our weekly actions, I struggle to find the words to process what happened in Charlottesville this weekend. The attack on peaceful protestors was an attack on humanity and on our democracy. White supremacy, anti-semitism, fascism, bigotry have absolutely no place in our public discord. Our country was built on the backs of slaves, owned people, and today we are still working toward a country where everyone has a fair chance in life. The events in Charlottesville are the ugly reminder of all of the work that we have yet to do. So let's double down our commitment to make America a place where liberty and justice are truly available for all. Houston Chronicle: Houston Vigil Held to Support Charlottesville VictimsNational Actions 1. Talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about what happened in Charlottesville The last post on Heather Heyer's Facebook profile before she was murdered on Saturday said, "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention." There are too many of us who aren't paying attention and don't understand the dire situation our country is in. Ask the people in your life what their thoughts are on what happened in Charlottesville. If they don't know about it, help explain it to them. And, unlike the President, don't mince words: the attack in Charlottesville was a terrorist attack. Period. Violence, bigotry, and racism have no place in our society. Summary of Events: NY Times: A Guide to the Violence in CharlottesvilleRead: Slate: There is Only One Side to the Story of CharlottesvilleDonate: Southern Poverty Law Center 2. Call your elected officials (National, State, and Local) and demand that they treat alt-right groups as terrorist organizations Hate groups have no place in our country, our states, or our towns. Let's fight to stop it on every level. Call your elected officials and demand that Nazi, KKK, and other white supremacist organizations are treated like the terror groups they are. ISIS doesn't get to hold recruitment rallies in US cities, and neither should Nazis. For more: Indivisible Guide: Are your MoCs Doing Enough to Respond to the Charlottesville Terrorist Attack?Say: "Hi, I'm calling today as a constituent to urge _____ to condemn the attacks in Charlotteseville and to call them what they are: terrorist attacks. I urge ____ to condemn all hate groups, to bar them from meeting in our public spaces, and to maintain or increase funding to counter violent extremism. We hear so much rhetoric against ISIS, yet white extremists have killed many more Americans than ISIS has. We need to stand up against hate, racism, and bigotry in all forms before more of us are injured or killed by these hateful people." If your elected official has already condemned the Charlottesville attacks as terrorism: "Hi, I'm calling today as a constituent to thank _____ for their strong and direct condemnation of the attacks in Charlottesville. I also urge them to bar white supremacists from meeting in our public spaces, and to maintain or increase funding to counter violent extremism. We hear so much rhetoric against ISIS, yet white extremists have killed many more Americans than ISIS has. We need to stand up against hate, racism, and bigotry in all forms before more of us are injured or killed by these hateful people." 3. Show up on Tuesday, August 15 for the DACA Day of Action One way you can fight Nationalism in the US is to support a robust and strong immigration system, and United We Dream is leading the fight. The far-right, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, is working to repeal DACA despite the fact that a majority of Americans don't want to see young immigrants deported. On top of that, if DACA is repealed, Texas alone stands to lose $6.3 billion a year. Instead of letting anti-immigrant rhetoric and outright lies set the national conversation, we'll take to the streets on August 15th to tell real stories of immigrants living, working, and thriving here. Find an event near you: Defend DACAKeep calling your MoCs: "Hi, I'm a constituent of Senator _____ and I'm calling today to find out their stance on the DREAM Act." If they support: "That's fantastic. Please thank the Senator for supporting a bill that is both good for business and the individuals it will support." If they don't support: "Does the Senator realize that not passing this bill and revoking the DACA program is forecast to reduce our GDP by over $433 billion in the next decade? And that deporting these young, hard-working DREAMers would cost businesses $3.4 billion to replace them? The DREAMers that will be impacted have deep roots in this country and it's unwise and unconscionable that the Senator would support deporting them. And on top of that, pushing these immigrants out of our country will only further embolden the white supremacist terrorists who are attacking our nation's values and people. Please urge the Senator to reconsider their position on this important bill. If they don't, we will remember their shortsighted decision when they ask us for our vote. My zip code is _____."Texas Actions The special session is set to end on Friday, August 18th. We're in the home stretch, so let's keep up our resistance of Greg Abbott's hateful, hurtful agenda. 1. Stand up for Texans of color The state-sponsored racial profiling bill SB4 is set to take effect on September 1. Show up for Texans who will be subject to even higher levels of racial profiling than they already are as a direct result of SB4. No human is illegal, and no American should be treated unfairly based on the color of their skin. Show up: Rueda de Prensa Wednesday 11 am 9450 Harwin Dr Houston, TX 77036Some good news: TexasTribune: Judge Dismisses Paxton's SB4 Lawsuit 2. Keep calling Texas legislators to stop passing laws that will hurt Texas women Last week, the House and Senate passed HB 214 which will force women to pay extra for abortion coverage. Amendments to exclude ectopic pregnancies (where the fertilized egg implants in a woman's fallopian tube and has no chance of viability and will kill the mother if untreated) and victims of rape and incest were voted down. This bill will lead to Texas women dying or going into bankruptcy during a time of immense heartbreak and pain. It's another law in the long list of laws that our legislature has passed that will directly harm women's health. Read: Houston Chronicle: Texas Brings Hell on Women's HealthRoll call: See how your state senator and state representative voted on HB 214. If they voted no, call to thank them. If they voted yes, call to tell them their vote against women's access to health care is literally killing Texas women. Keep calling about HB 14 / SB 4 no longer allows medicaid payments to go toward any reproductive health center that also performs abortions. This legislation only applies to Planned Parenthood which is the largest provider of reproductive health in the state AND has completely separate, non-fungible finances for its abortion services. If this bill passes Texas women and men will suffer. Recommend a NO vote. Say: "Hi, I'm a constituent of Representative _____ and I'm calling because I'm concerned about the state of women's health in Texas. Bills like HB 14 / SB 4 will take away many women's way to pay for reproductive health care by no longer allowing medicaid payments to go to Planned Parenthood. I urge them to vote no on HB 14 / SB 4 or I fear more Texas moms will die. My zip code is ____." 3. Call out Texas State Representative Pat Fallon for his anti-protestor legislation Pat Fallon, a state representative from just North of Dallas, has filed HB 250, which would protect drivers who hit protestors in the street. He has publicly stated that this bill wouldn't apply in instances like the Charlottesville attack, but his bill and his rhetoric most definitely embolden terrorists and white supremacists in our state. Show Representative Fallon that NO Texan supports legislation that is a danger to Texan's safety and Texan's liberty. For more: Dallas News: Texas Lawmaker's Bill to Protect Drivers who Hit ProtestersCall: 512-463-0694 or 469-362-0500Say: "Hi, I'm a Texan calling to make sure Representative Fallon knows that hateful legislation like HB 250 has no place in the great state of Texas. NO protestor, whether they're liberal or conservative, deserve their lives to be put at risk by exercising their constitutional rights. Representative Fallon's bill does nothing but flame the already overly emboldened white supremacists and terrorists in our country. Shame on him and shame on you for associating yourself with such a hateful human." 4. Keep calling to oppose the transgender discrimination act, and other bills that would hurt Texans if they become law Our list of priorities for the remainder of the special session are (mostly) up to date. If you have any comments or suggestions, send them our way! Summaries and scripts That's it for this week. Hug your loved ones and keep standing up for what's right. Proud to be in this with you. Much love, Marieke Indivisible Houston

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