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Friday, November 25, 2016

JOIN US For The WOMEN'S MARCH, JANUARY 21

     Over a hundred thousand people are coming to Washington to say "NO!" to the new President and the policies he represents.  It is the
 
    


   The protest is being organized by people who condemn his views on women's issues including workplace discrimination, abortion, and sexual assault. But  the gathering will address much more than that.
    The "Women's March on Washington" will take place on January 21, the day after the President-elect's inauguration.
  

  Francesca and I are going. Maybe you should too. 
It's a good place to be if you don't like having your country led by someone who,

-has said that climate change is a hoax,
-brags about assaulting women,
-plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act,
-has empowered hate groups. Hundreds of white supremacists gathered in Washington this week (in the Ronald Reagan Building!) to celebrate the Republican victory and to give Trump the Hitler salute. Really.

-despite his child-like, irrational behavior, will now control our country's nuclear weapons.  
-has advocated torturing terrorist suspects and killing their families.
-Spent years questioning the President's birth certificate.
-threatens to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency.
-supports the unhindered sale of guns.
-plans to change libel laws and restrict freedom of the press.

-has made Steve Bannon his chief White House strategist. Bannon spent years putting hate mongers on the national stage.
-is considering ending Medicare,
-will create a deportation force to arrest 11 million undocumented immigrants. 
-will restrict a woman's right to abortion services, 
-is now forming a cabinet that supports all of the above, and,
-is supported by the Ku Klux Klan.
    
You get the idea. My list could be five times as long.
     Most voters did not choose the Trumpster to be the next President. If you're one of them, consider this opportunity to protest his views on a multitude of issues that affect the future of our country.  
 
     We've got a lot of work to do. The march will draw attention to the important tasks that lie ahead.


DETAILS:

     The event's Facebook page says it will begin at 10 a.m. at the Lincoln Memorial and conclude at 5 p.m.  The Memorial was the site of Martin Luther King Jr’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech before a crowd of  300,000 civil rights supporter.
     One of the Women's March organizers, Fontaine Pearson, said in an interview that, "The march is not a protest against Trump or the legitimacy of the election, but is to shed light on women's issues, including sexual assault and workplace discrimination".  
    I don't believe it. A racist, ill-tempered, misogynist is moving into the White House. We're protesting against Trump and all of the evil things he represents.

    I hope you can join us. There is a local group  forming to rent buses and to help find accommodations. They will also raise funds to help those who can't afford the trip. I will have more information on that later.  
     The Coral Gables Congregational Church has already acquired a bus to take folks to Washington. Call them for more information.
    Activists are making plans for local marches that will take place on the same day. One of them will be in Miami. Perhaps you can attend that,
but if you can,
     Come to Washington. Help take our country back.
                    _____________________
                        ________________

   More things you can do:
(This is something I saw last week on the internet.  Unfortunately, I lost the name of the source)

    On Sunday evening's  “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver offered a list of organizations that defend the causes and peoples that will be most threatened by Trump's administration and suggested you volunteer your time and money. 
   I think that’s a great idea, so I pass his list on to you:
Planned Parenthood (plannedparenthood.org); The Center For Reproductive Rights (reproductiverights.org); the Natural Resources Defense Council (nrdc.org); the International Refugee Assistance Project (refugeerights.org), the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (naacpldf.org); the Trevor Project for LGBTQ youth (thetrevorproject.org) and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (maldef.org). I’d also add The Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org) and the American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org).



  It’s time the majority that believes in a progressive, inclusive and compassionate America did more than just tweet about it. 
 Nothing's wrong with tweeting but forces of exclusion, hatred and rage have overtaken the highest office in the land, so it’s also time for some old school activism. Time to march. Time to assail lawmakers. Time to boycott. Time to stand and be counted. Enough is enough. 
     Hate trumped Hilary but more important, love trumps hate. Let’s stand up for our country's highest ideals.
                    __________________________________ 

 MAKE THOSE CALLS

  My neighbor, Lou, suggests that we get on the phone.
 He wrote,

Insist on a Vote Audit
    -Vote count inconsistencies are turning up and Hillary (for what its worth) is two million votes ahead. 
 Call the Department of Justice and ask that the election's votes be audited.   
  You can also call your U.S. representatives and protest Trump appointees, the White House regarding Standing Rock, and Paul Ryan's office to support Obamacare. 

 A couple of tips-   
  • It helps to prepare a little script since most of the the numbers automatically transfer to a voice mail comment line.  
  • When you call the White House situation Room number a live operator answers. Ask to be transferred to the Comment Line -- The operator told me that recorded messages the ones that are tallied.   It takes awhile-- apparently the comment line is jammed up but keep trying.   The message there is that POTUS should step in to condemn local authorities using violent tactics to contain demonstrators, and have the feds stand down.
  • The DOJ number goes straight to a comment line where  you can let it be known that you're calling to support an audit of the 2016 votes, a way to resolve evidence of hacking and mechanical vulnerability of voting machines.

  • house and senate staff members are recommending that when you get in touch with your reps that you call both the  local and DC offices-- the feeling seems to be that the local offices may be the most effective- but the DC offices have voice mail.  My messages there was that I fully support  their objections to Trumps appointees and to urge them to become more vocal and maintain their resistance.  
  • Paul Ryan's comment line focuses on reintroducing legislation to rescind The Affordable Care Act.  There is an option to indicate support of Obamacare.   I stayed on the line to leave a voice message but the mailbox was full -- I'll call back.
From the wait times on some of these calls I assume that there is a surge in public reaction.  Spread the word.

 I know this blog entry is long but so is the road that will lead us past Trump. If you hesitate to make phone calls to express your opinion, please try to make the effort.  Phone calls are much more effective in swaying opinion than e-mail (which are easily ignored).  That's what the experts tell us. Written letters are good too.

 (More tips from Lou)
Call Your Senators and House Representatives:
     There’s literally a reason to call every day, like in the ’90s when you had a crush. When you do you can,
–Ask them to firmly oppose the appointment of Steve Bannon as senior advisor to Donald Trump due to his racist, anti-Semitic views and mean face.
–Ask them to pressure Trump to remove climate-change skeptic and overall non-credentialed idiot Myron Ebell as the transitional head of the EPA.
–Ask them to condemn the addition of anti-Muslim extremist Frank Gaffney Jr. to Trump’s transition team.
–Per ACLU, ask them to ask Trump to “take a stand on the outbreak of hateful violence, and release a plan to combat this trend.” And resign.
The NSA Chief Says Russia Hacked the 2016 Election. Ask Congress what they’re doing to investigate and require a re-count.
–Demand that Senators oppose ultra-racist Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.
**Call the Department of Justice: (202) 514-2000; they’re tallying phone calls of those who want the 2016 vote audited. Bring back the art of the voicemail by leaving a message about how you want the votes audited and the nightmare to be over. Then call the DOJ again at (202) 353-1555 and repeat yourself. If it’s busy, be a mom and keep calling.**

How to make your congressperson listen: use the “telephone” feature on your phone, as calls are more effective than emailing. 

Confront your phone phobia today!
Call local offices first, and then the DC office.
Here’s Paul Ryan’s number: (202) 225-3031. He’s conducting a phone poll on the ACA (Obamacare), hoping to hear opposition to it. Not if we can help it. Press 2 to weigh in on the issue. There’s a brief recording about HR-3762, Paul Ryan’s heroic proposal to gut the ACA (Stay on the line during every awkward silence.) Press 1 if you support Obamacare.
Call the White House Situation Room: (202) 456-9431 to insist on immediately stopping the assault on the water protectors at Standing Rock. Call the North Dakota Office of the Governor: (701) 328-2200; the Morton County Sheriff’s Dept: (701) 328-8118; the North Dakota National Guard: (701) 333-2000. My friend Angela Markle’s script:
“I’m calling to demand an immediate stand down by local law enforcement on Highway 1806. There is no justification for the firing of hoses, tear gas, and rubber bullets on unarmed, peaceful water protectors. Please cease this activity immediately.”
   As the venerable Beth Montgomery, my high school European History teacher, posted on Facebook: “Tell Trump 'No'. Use your voices to say white supremacy in the the executive branch is not normal, is not good, is not acceptable.”



-Thanks, Lou-
                       _______________________________
                            __________________________


 


Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/leonard-pitts-jr/article114982043.html#storylink=cpy

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