11/25: Today is the deadline to comment on the EPA rollback of protections against methane. The rich aren’t worried. They have bunkers.

Image: screen grab from UN video below.

Action #1: Write a comment to prevent the fossil fuel industry’s ploy to rollback methane standards. Deadline: Monday, 11/25, 11:59 pm EST.

Today is your last chance to comment on the administration’s proposed rollback of regulations on the fossil fuel industry’s handling of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Many of us have wondered why they keep undoing our environmental protections…don’t the human beings behind these actions – rollbacks that will continue to drive pollution and global warming, care about themselves and the world their children and grandchildren will inherit?

Are they so wealthy that concerns about clean air and water are beneath them? Yes, actually… for an estimated 5 years, if they can make it to their climate-change-proof bunker in time.

Despite orchestrating deceptive campaigns for decades to make average Americans doubt the existence of global warming, our billionaire class knows the truth and are making plans. We are cordially NOT invited to join them.

Write your comment here.
Read their rollback proposal and specious reasoning here.
Read other comments for inspiration here. As always, commenters, DO NOT COPY OTHER COMMENTS, use pre-written comments from websites or sign petitions. The government searches out and destroys identical comments and only counts petitions as (1) signature.
Deeper dive into the methane regulation rollback and other interesting information below.

Action #2: Call your legislators and get them to stand up against this abuse of our regulatory agencies and our environmental protections.

Continue reading “11/25: Today is the deadline to comment on the EPA rollback of protections against methane. The rich aren’t worried. They have bunkers.” →

Sun 11/24: Get into the family spirit of the holidays by helping your neighbors become citizens.

Action #1: THIS SUNDAY- 11/24: 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 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.

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. More details here!

Continue reading “Sun 11/24: Get into the family spirit of the holidays by helping your neighbors become citizens.” →

Thurs 11/21: Today is 3rd Thursday “Pizza, comradery, & postcard” event!”

Indivisible Ventura is still in mourning over Congressman Elijah Cummings’ passing. In his honor, we encourage everyone to do these actions for democracy listed on our 10/16 post.

Action – TODAY! 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 300 postcards to voters in Dallas, Texas in connection with the NAACP and the Center for Common Ground’s – Reclaim our Vote campaign!

Where: Santino’s Pizza. It’s at 4231 Telegraph Rd., Ventura, 9300
When: Thursday, Nov. 21st, 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 stationary for letter actions.
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

Deeper dive into the RECLAIM OUR VOTE campaign.
Why do we need this campaign? Community of color voters are being placed on “Inactive” or “Unregistered” lists at a 16% higher rate than whites. The ability to vote of people in minority communities was already being systematically undermined over the last decade, by the imposition of strict new voter ID laws, by the reduction in polling places and early voting, and through many other tactics.

Continue reading “Thurs 11/21: Today is 3rd Thursday “Pizza, comradery, & postcard” event!”” →

Wed. 11/20: Mark your calendar for tomorrow’s 3rd Thursday “Pizza, comradery, & postcard” event!”

Indivisible Ventura is still in mourning over Congressman Elijah Cummings’ passing. In his honor, we encourage everyone to do these actions for democracy listed on our 10/16 post.

Action – Tomorrow – Thursday 11/21 – Meet at Santino’s for pizza, good conversation, and social justice – every Third Thursday starting at 11:30 am

Where: Santino’s Pizza. It’s at 4231 Telegraph Rd., Ventura, 93003
When: Thursday, Nov. 21st, 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 stationary for letter actions.
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

Tomorrow’s Menu:

Postcards: We’re going to be writing 300 postcards to voters in Texas in connection with the NAACP and the Center for Common Ground‘s – Reclaim our Vote campaign!

Why do we need a RECLAIM OUR VOTE campaign? Community of color voters are being placed on “Inactive” or “Unregistered” lists at a 16% higher rate than whites. The ability to vote of people in minority communities was already being systematically undermined over the last decade, by the imposition of strict new voter ID laws, by the reduction in polling places and early voting, and through many other tactics. Continue reading “Wed. 11/20: Mark your calendar for tomorrow’s 3rd Thursday “Pizza, comradery, & postcard” event!”” →

Tues 11/19: There’s resistance afoot and your presence is requested. Three important events happening today!

Action #1: Join the Ventura County Chapter of Brady United Against Gun Violence today at the Fair Board. No more state profits from gunshows! – 9 am.

What: We are attending yet another Fair Board Meeting Tuesday, Nov 19, at 9 a.m. Join us! Help us convince the Board they MUST NOT schedule the FIVE GUN SHOWS in 2020 they are planning! State agencies should not promote and profit from the proliferation of guns and ammunition. They have it on the agenda to approve FIVE SHOWS in 2020! (Wear some orange!)
When: Today at 9 am
Facebook link: here.
Brady United website link: here.
Where: VC Fairgrounds- Derby Club 10 W. Harbor Blvd.

Action #2: “Civil Discourse Project with CSUCI students: Undocumented students on campus” – 12 pm

Continue reading “Tues 11/19: There’s resistance afoot and your presence is requested. Three important events happening today!” →

Due Monday 11/18: Stand indivisible with those in its path. Say ‘NO’ to the Keystone XL pipeline! Deadline tonight 11:59 pm EST.

Quote by Chase Iron Eyes, lead counsel for the Lakota People’s Law Project and public relations director for Oglala Sioux Tribe President Julian Bear Runne

Mon 11/18: Write a comment. “NO” to the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. “Yes” to the “No Action Alternative”.

In 2017, President Donald Trump, claiming job creation and increased national security, reversed yet another Obama-era action, and granted TC Energy, (the foreign energy company formerly known as TransCanada), a presidential permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline. It’s the latest phase of tar sands pipelines that have literally split America in half, from the strip-mined tar sand fields in Canada, all the way to Texas and the largest refinery in the US, now completely owned by the Saudis.

TC Energy is now trying to take land away from Americans by eminent domain, and run their lines through Native American lands without consent. Their pipeline speeding Canada’s toxic sludge to Texas will raise oil prices, befoul our air, water and land and continue to cause environmental disasters. Like earthquakes in California, it’s not a matter of “will they occur?”, but when and where.

Tell them you support the “No Action Alternative”, meaning the Keystone XL Project would not be constructed or operated. (2019 SEIS p.S-12)

Comments here.
Read federal proposal here.
Links to resources here:
- Permit applications,
- Record of Decision and National Interest Determination
- Presidential Permits for Keystone XL
- Draft Environmental Impact Assessments,
- Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)
Read other comments for inspiration here. Remember, the government will remove identical copies, so channel all your creative writing classes from middle school.

Continue reading “Due Monday 11/18: Stand indivisible with those in its path. Say ‘NO’ to the Keystone XL pipeline! Deadline tonight 11:59 pm EST.” →

Thurs 11/14: GOP, OBEY YOUR MASTERS! Stop playing chicken with our economy by putting Dreamers at risk.

Action – Call your senators! Push through the S.874 Dream Act to the president’s desk without another one of his poisonous deals.

We’re not going to talk about Judeo-Christian concepts of welcoming strangers. We’re not going to talk about the inherent cruelty of throwing people out of the only country they’ve ever known. Trump’s base remains immune to these arguments. Instead, we’re going to talk in language the GOP claims, against all evidence, to be proficient in, i.e.- the economy. While McConnell is distracted installing as many extremist judges in lifetime positions as he can, a factor of our future economy’s success is standing before a hostile SCOTUS.

The GOP’s donor class, major companies and conservative think tanks like the Cato Institute, are alarmed. Their pet legislators seems to have forgotten that rescinding DACA protections for almost 800,000 U.S.-educated, hardworking adults, will cause serious economic harm to America, including a loss of $460.3 billion from the nation GDP over the next decade. The 10 states that put DACA in court – Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, and West Virginia—stand to suffer a self-inflicted loss of more than $8 billion annually in state GDP. More immediate concerns for businesses are 1.1 million jobs already going begging, from high tech to unskilled labor. This number is going to get larger as boomers age out of the labor pool. A harsh retirement is in store if there are not enough workers to diagnose their illnesses, fix their cars or change out sheets in their future nursing homes. Continue reading “Thurs 11/14: GOP, OBEY YOUR MASTERS! Stop playing chicken with our economy by putting Dreamers at risk.” →

Wed 11/13: All three branches of our democracy are on fire. This is what you can do.

Action #1: JUDICIARY BRANCH – Steven Menashi’s up for a full Senate vote tomorrow! Ask your friends and family to call their GOP senators to stop the wholesale destruction of our justice system.

These extremist judges will harm women, children, people of color, LGBTQ people, labor, the environment, education, the poor, elderly, access to healthcare, housing, fair pay and the voting booth – rending the entire social fabric of a first world country with the exception of the interests of the very wealthy and corporations. (More information on each judge here.) Ask your GOP senator if you have one, or those you know who do, to stop these people from sitting in judgement of us for a generation.

Sarah Pitlyk: Not only has she been judged unqualified by the American Bar Association, but this religious ideologue has already proven that she can’t be an impartial judge.
Steven Menashi: His nomination is a threat to the civil rights of women, POC, students, the LGBTQ community, immigrants as well as to the environment.
Halil S. Ozerden: – we do not need another corporatist judge, who ignores the rights of consumers and workers, and who sides with police abuse.
Lawrence VanDyke: The ABA states he “is arrogant, lazy, and an ideologue.”
Federalist Society: Also, please stop voting for any judicial nominations who are members of the Federalist Society, an extremist far-right group. Their members, who are just 4% of the legal community but more than 80% of Trumps’ nominees, do not reflect those views of most Americans.

Minimal script for Democratic Senators: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Sen. [___] to vote “NO” on the following judicial nominees.

Minimal script for GOP senators: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Sen. [___] to vote “NO” to Sarah Pitlyk, Steven Menashi, Lawrence VanDyke and Halil S. Ozerden. That your party destroyed the “blue slip” system, and no longer seems to care if candidates are qualified or even marginally impartial, will result in rulings that will harm your own constituents. Your support for these candidates implicates you in a corrupt system that will need to be cleaned out at the ballot box. Do the right thing.

Contact:
Senator Feinstein: email, DC (202) 224-3841, LA (310) 914-7300, SF (415) 393-0707, SD (619) 231-9712, Fresno (559) 485-7430
and Senator Harris: email, DC (202) 224-3553, LA (213) 894-5000, SAC (916) 448-2787, Fresno (559) 497-5109, SF (415) 355-9041, SD (619) 239-3884
Who is my representative/senator?: hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com

Action #2: EXECUTIVE BRANCH – Indivisible members just like you are calling blue voters in red states. Join in.

Continue reading “Wed 11/13: All three branches of our democracy are on fire. This is what you can do.” →

Impeach This! – Nobody is Above the Law Rally on eve of impeachment vote (whenever that may be) with over 300 groups nationwide!

When: 5:30 pm on the eve of the impeachment vote
Where: Corner of Victoria and Telephone in front of the Ventura Country Government Center. 800 S. Victoria Ave, Ventura
Bring: A flashlight to light the night! Bring flags, signs, friends and your unbridled enthusiasm!
RSVP: On the Facebook event page (we will be updating there)
More info and stay up to date: Visit impeach.org or the Facebook event page

At 5:30 pm on the eve of Trump’s impeachment vote (whenever that may be), at least 300 groups including from around our nation, including Indivisible and MoveOn.org, will hold events asking our Members of Congress to Impeach & Remove our incompetent, corrupt, and criminal President.

Nobody Is Above the Law. That’s why we’re calling on Congress to Impeach & Remove Donald Trump.

We will get out the word that the rally is being held whenever the national organizers determine that the impeachment vote is imminent. Watch the Facebook event page and impeach.org.

By choosing to attend this event, you are committing to participate nonviolently and in accordance with the law, to work to de-escalate confrontations with others, and to obey the orders of authorized event marshals and of law enforcement. You also acknowledge that you are solely responsible for any injury or damage to your person or property resulting from or occurring during this event and that you release all event sponsors and organizers (and their officers, directors, employees, and agents) from any liability for that injury or damage. We disavow all who advocate violence as a solution to our Nation’s present crisis.

Want to learn more about dealing with difficult people at rallies? Take SURJ’s class on Tues, the 19th. More information here.

Tues – 11/12: Do it for immigrants. Do it for yourself. Write a comment against the enforced DNA sampling of immigrants. Deadline tonight, 11:59 pm EST.

Quote by Molly Ivens in 2003 Scripps College Commencement address.
Quote by German professor 7 years after WWII

Action – Write a comment against the further criminalization of immigrants as well as the degradation of the assumption of innocence for all Americans. – Due tonight, 11/12, 11:59 pm EST.

Tonight, comments are due on an insidious proposal from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to amend regulations to remove an exemption that prevented their agents from collecting DNA samples from individuals who are arrested, facing charges, or convicted, and from non-United States persons who are detained under the authority of the United States. Exemptions from the DNA mandate include children age 13 and younger, legal permanent residents, and people entering the country legally. This invasion of the essential privacy of non-violent people would be done in the name of “public safety”, a well of civil rights violations for which there is no bottom.

Comment here.
Read their summary here. Read their complete proposal here.
Inspiration here. If you’re having trouble getting started, cruise through other’s comments. DO NOT COPY. All identical comments will be culled, so channel your high school creative writing classes.

So what’s the big deal about swabbing immigrants for DNA and why should I care about it?

Let’s take a moment and talk about government data bases.

(ACLU) “Throughout history, the government has often tried to normalize new surveillance technologies by testing them on vulnerable communities and imposing initial restrictions on how any information collected will be used. The government inevitably expands those technologies beyond their original purposes. That’s why DOJ’s new rule could have wide repercussions for everyone in this country — not only those in immigrant detention sites.”

But more data equals more public safety, right? “…mass collection alters the purpose of DNA collection from one of criminal investigation basically to population surveillance, which is basically contrary to our basic notions of a free, trusting, autonomous society,” Vera Eidelman, a staff lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, told New York Times when news of the mandate first came out. Continue reading “Tues – 11/12: Do it for immigrants. Do it for yourself. Write a comment against the enforced DNA sampling of immigrants. Deadline tonight, 11:59 pm EST.” →