Fri 1/3: Did our president just start a war to win an election or to distract from his impeachment?

Action – That Americans will die because at least one of these is true is a tragedy. Call your legislators. Take away his power to start war.

Minimal script: I’m calling from [zip code]. I understand that although Gen. Soleimani was an enemy of the US, killing the second most powerful man in Iran is equal to Iran assassinating Generals Petraeus and Mattis, the head of Special Operations Command, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I have a question and a demand. Trump authorized this assassination without Congressional authorization, consultation with the “Gang of 8” or with our allies.

QUESTION: What was Trump’s legal justification for this action and its apparent violation of Executive Order 12,333? What is his justification for violating international law by basing the attack in Iraq without that government’s consent?

DEMAND: Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) has been fighting against presidents’ unlimited use military force since 2001. It is time for you to join her and stop to this lawlessness with legislation NOW by approving H.R.1274 – Repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force (which repeals Public Law 107-40. –‘Authorization for Use of Military Force’’). (For senators, demand that they introduce legislation matching Rep. Barbara Lee’s H.R.1274. For GOP senators, remind them that impeachment is becoming more urgent, not less.) (Read about Rep. Lee’s fight here. Her current statement is here.) Continue reading “Fri 1/3: Did our president just start a war to win an election or to distract from his impeachment?” →

Thurs 1/2: Adventures in Democracy – Adopt-a-poll for the March 3rd Election!

Join us as volunteers at our polling place!

“We the People”: What we now know is how essential the private citizen is in keeping the lights on in this democratic experiment we call America. Although state governments are in charge of elections…organizing, facilitating and sometimes suppressing them, the person handing you your ballot is usually a regular citizen, just like you.

In fact… why NOT you? Our county pioneered the “Adopt-a-Poll” program in 1996, with 23 organizations participating. Today there are more than 64 organizations participating in our county’s elections process. Indivisible Ventura will be running a polling place with three precincts and we need volunteers. Unlike regular poll workers, Adopt-a-poll volunteers don’t get paid. The payment becomes a fundraiser for Indivisible Ventura, which helps underwrite printing and stamps for our postcard/pizza parties and costs for our citizenship fairs. However, there are some great advantages:

An “Adopt-a-Poll” volunteer can sign up for short shifts, instead of the standard 6:00am-9:30pm shift required of a regular poll worker.
Become your social circle’s expert on voting in California. Volunteers participate in one 3-hour training course, offered at different times all over the County. (schedule)
Have a great experience helping people at the polls with our wonderful group of volunteers. Our impromptu potluck buffet is awesome! Registered CA voters, legal permanent residents, and high school students (who meet the student requirements listed below) are all welcome to be poll workers.
Note to past volunteers – the dreaded “Edge” is dead!!!

Here’s how to become a part of an amazing democratic tradition!

Send the following information to indivisibleventura@gmail.com by Wednesday, Jan. 15th:

Continue reading “Thurs 1/2: Adventures in Democracy – Adopt-a-poll for the March 3rd Election!” →

Wed. 1/1: Welcome to the starting line.

Your New Year’s Resolution: Join us in do-it-ourselves democracy!

We want 2020 to be the last we see of our openly corrupt and lawless president and his ethically-challenged GOP lapdogs. Whether Trump is banished permanently to his golf courses early through impeachment or through the 2020 elections, we now know that nothing happens without effort and pressure from our side. The resistance is ready.

America is a progressive country. The majority of our citizens, from both major parties, want fair and safe elections, more gun control, increased abortion access, universal health coverage, maternity leave, funding for childcare, higher minimum wages, tuition-free college, higher taxes on the wealthy, protection of public lands, regulations to keep our air and water clean and positive actions to stop climate change and gerrymandering. A majority also support DACA recipients and oppose the border wall and the administration’s heinous family separation policy.

However, more than 275 bipartisan bills that address our concerns have been blocked by one man, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is concentrating instead on pushing through unqualified and extremist judicial appointments to serve corporations, oligarchs and theocrats. Just as wealth disparities have grown to a level not seen since the 1920′s, so has the chasm widened between the legislative and social justice that most Americans want, and the interests of those currently in power. Continue reading “Wed. 1/1: Welcome to the starting line.” →

Mon -12/30: Write against the insane increase of immigration fees. Deadline tonight 11:59 pm EST!

Quote by Doug Rand, a founder of Boundless Immigration, a technology company in Seattle that helps immigrants obtain green cards and citizenship.

(ilrc.org) In its latest attack on immigrants, on November 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security published a proposed rule increasing the filing fees on many immigration applications, eliminating most fee waivers, and transferring over $207 million to ICE. This include:

forcing asylum seekers to pay application processing fees of $50 and $490 for work permits, making the U.S. one of only 4 countries to charge people for asylum. (Iran, Fiji, and Australia)
steep increases in fees for:
- work permits,
- citizenship applications ($725 to $1,170 = 65% increase),
- DACA – young undocumented immigrants hoping to renew protections from deportation ($495 to $765, every two years)
- crime victims who seek to stay in the country through their assistance to law enforcement
- green card status renewals.
elimination of fee waivers for financial hardships that has kept naturalization, green card renewals, and other benefits accessible.
although not related to current immigrant struggles, the proposed rule also proposes steep increases in fees for historical records of immigration between between the late-19th and mid-20th centuries, possibly up to 500%.

Continue reading “Mon -12/30: Write against the insane increase of immigration fees. Deadline tonight 11:59 pm EST!” →

Sun 12/29: Start your resolution to help our immigrant community a couple of days early this year! Join us!

Ventura’s resistance movement is strong and varied. Check out our entire list of events and keep track here. Send additions for the list to indivisibleventura@gmail.com

Action #1: THIS SUNDAY- 12/29: Volunteer, help spread the word and/or donate to our local free citizenship fair – Swap Meet Justice!

What are we doing? We help our neighbors turn their green cards (permanent residency cards) into citizenship. We also help renew green card and DACA applications and register new voters. Come help! No experience required.

If you’ve never watch Ronald Reagan’s astonishing last speech as president, reminding his listeners that immigration is “the great life force of each generation of new Americans…” watch it here. (Quick timeline of the history of immigration here.)

More details on this event and downloadable flyers here!
Where: Oxnard Community Marketplace – Oxnard College Campus.
When: We are open from 8am-3pm, last application starting at ±1:00 pm.
Note: First-time volunteers MUST take a 1-hour training course at 8:30 am. It’s actually really interesting. We do reserve the right to refuse the services of any volunteers.
Mark your calendar for next month and beyond!: 2020 dates are 1/26, 2/23, 3/29, 4/26, 5/31, 6/28, 7/26, 8/30, 9/27, 10/25, 11/29, and 12/27.

Thinking about being a volunteer? You don’t have to be a lawyer. You don’t need to speak a foreign language, but that extra skill is appreciated. You don’t have to be a citizen and you don’t have to be over 18. Teen volunteers are great! Basic requirement is that you care about helping our immigrant neighbors. We do reserve the right to respectfully refuse services from anyone. More details here!

Action #2: Donate in a powerful way for the needs in our own community. Share this information!

Continue reading “Sun 12/29: Start your resolution to help our immigrant community a couple of days early this year! Join us!” →

Sat 12/21: Swap Meet Justice goes to East Ventura County this Saturday!

Ventura’s resistance movement is strong and varied. Check out our entire list of events and keep track here. Send additions for the list to indivisibleventura@gmail.com

Action #1 – Saturday 12/21 – Hands-on opportunity to help our newest neighbors!

This month we are fortunate to have TWO Swap Meet Justice events! Saturday, 12/21, come join us in Moorpark at the Holy Cross Church and at our regular event on the last Sunday of the month at Oxnard College (Mark these dates:

Continue reading “Sat 12/21: Swap Meet Justice goes to East Ventura County this Saturday!” →

Thurs 12/19: We are not a theocracy. Write a comment to stop religious groups from behaving badly with our money.

Action – Write a comment to use of our tax dollars to support religious discrimination. DEADLINE TONIGHT – 11:59 pm EST.

The administration, in the run-up to the holidays when they think we’re distracted, has proposed an offensive and un-American rule change. It would allow any program receiving Health and Human Services (HHS) funding to discriminate against LGBTQ people, religious minorities (including Catholics and Mormons), and women in programs related to foster care, adoption, HIV and STI prevention, refugee resettlement, elder care programs and more… AND STILL RECEIVE TAXPAYER FUNDING! Not on our watch.

Write a comment here.
Read this proposal here
Read other comments here solely for inspiration. DO NOT COPY. Identical copies will be culled. At this time, none of the reported 97,417 comments are on display. Hmmm…

Deeper Dive

The religious right has long been engaged in efforts to remove tax dollars from supporting the reproductive rights and health of women.

Continue reading “Thurs 12/19: We are not a theocracy. Write a comment to stop religious groups from behaving badly with our money.” →

Thur 12/19: Come to our 3rd Thursday “Pizza, comradery, & postcard” event and mark your calendars for more!

Today, we’re featuring 6 great events to put on your calendar, including one happening today! Ventura’s resistance movement is strong and varied. Check out the entire list and keep track here. Send additions for the list to indivisibleventura@gmail.com

Action #1 – TODAY – Thursday, 12/19: Meet at Santino’s for pizza, good conversation, and social justice – every Third Thursday starting at 11:30 am

Today: We’re going to be writing our last set of 300 postcards to voters in Dallas County, Texas in connection with the Reclaim our Vote campaign, a coalition with NAACP, Black Lives Matter and the Center for Common Ground. With the help of postcard writers from all over the US, 80,000 people of color in Dallas County have been alerted that their rights to vote might be in danger.

Next month, the campaign will send us addresses for the next area of deliberate voter disenfranchisement. Community of color voters are being placed on “Inactive” or “Unregistered” lists at a 16% higher rate than whites. Learn more about this campaign here.

Where: Santino’s Pizza. It’s at 4231 Telegraph Rd., Ventura, 9300
When: Thursday, Dec. 19th, 11:30am – 1:30pm.
RSVP for our supporters: Nope. Just come. Invite your friends!
We do, however, reserve the right to refuse any volunteers and their services.
What to bring: We provide the pizza, postcards, stationary. If you prefer, you may bring your own pre-stamped postcards, or stationary for letter actions. You are also welcome to bring stickers and different colored pens.
Donations gratefully accepted: A postcard stamp is $0.35! We’re trying to achieve 300 finished postcards, which equals $105. Donations of money for stamps and pizza or rolls of postcard stamps are gratefully accepted.
Questions? Email indivisibleventura@gmail.org

Action #2 – Help our newest neighbors – TWO (2) Swap Meet Justice Citizenship Fairs this December – 12/21 & 12/29!

Continue reading “Thur 12/19: Come to our 3rd Thursday “Pizza, comradery, & postcard” event and mark your calendars for more!” →

Wed.12/18: America stood in the cold to affirm that we still believe in the rule of law, not corrupt would-be kings!

Thank-you post to all who came out on a cold and windy Tuesday night!

HUGE crowd at #Ventura #California #ImpeachmentEve Rally! #DemCast #DemCastCA #Indivisible pic.twitter.com/avNraTLM1N

— Indivisible Ventura (@IndivisibleVent) December 18, 2019

Thanks to the 400-500 people who joined us last night in front of the Ventura County Government Center, from both our county and from further afield, who chose the sidewalk over their couch and the cold over comfort.
Thanks to those who joined over 600 other events across the country to remind our legislators that no one is above the law in America.
Thanks to those who wrangled big flags in strong winds and those who patiently held flashlights to illuminate them.
Thanks to those who brought cookies and sugary joy.
Thanks to that amazing woman who set up the hot cider station!
Thanks to those who made signs – artistic signs, simple signs, funny, sad, angry and heartfelt signs, and to those who held light – candles and flashlights.
Thanks to those who manned our voter registration table and to all who were already registered and ready to vote.
Thanks to the volunteers who held our big “IMPEACH” letters and who transformed themselves into an impromptu, yet impressive drill team.

Continue reading “Wed.12/18: America stood in the cold to affirm that we still believe in the rule of law, not corrupt would-be kings!” →

Tues 12/17: Literally stand on the right side of history tonight. Join a rally near you!

Action #1 – It’s ON TONIGHT! Join in with over 617 618 rallies happening everywhere. Dress warmly.

Where are they? Can I still get involved? YES! Click here.

Last night, Indivisible made the Rachel Maddow show regarding TONIGHT’s rallies! This is a great 3-minute explanation of how political power works and how we, the public, play an important role.