Mon. 10/28: Message from Sierra Club’s Jim Hines – Protect the Grand Canyon from uranium mining.

(Extra credit: If you want to help change what’s happening in politics now, skip 20 minutes of trading Facebook posts and do this instead. Resistance from your couch is a actually a thing! Update from Indivisible: “As of today, more than 500 Indivisible volunteers have officially made 250,000 Hubdialer calls to friendly voters in key states and connected them with their Republican senators on impeachment. We’re setting up to make more than 1 million calls.” (You can also write letters and postcards for elections in Virginia and Kentucky!)

Action #1: Ask your legislators to vote yes on HR 1373 – Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act

Embed from Getty Images

(Letter from Jim Hines – Sierra Club, Los Padres Chapter)
Good Morning Friends:

It is a warm beautiful Autumn day on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, trees are turning Autumn colors, birds chirp , a deer herd browses and all is serene and quiet, but serene and quiet not for long.

An application has been filed with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to allow for a number of uranium mines to go into production on the north rim of the Grand Canyon this coming Spring, violating one of America’s most sacred natural shrines, the Grand Canyon. The stage is set and the saga to save the Grand Canyon from uranium mining started four years ago when President Obama signed an executive order banning any type of mining in and around the Grand Canyon, last year President Trump signed a order lifting that ban. And now we are before congress.

We have countered the mine application request with our own application to congress which has been turned into a congressional bill (HR 1373, introduced by our good friend congressman Raul Grijalva D-Arizona) to give permanent protection to the Grand Canyon and not allow the mines. HR 1373 will be voted on by the full House Committee on Natural Resources on October 30th.

Continue reading “Mon. 10/28: Message from Sierra Club’s Jim Hines – Protect the Grand Canyon from uranium mining.” →

Sat 10/26 – Sun 10/27: So much to do! 4 local actions!

While our ethically-challenged president is mired in a mess of his own making, we are pushing forward. Here are four actions that will connect you more deeply with this great community.
(See 3 actions you can do from home to help in election and impeachment efforts in other states here)

Action #1: Saturday – 10/26: Join “Ventura Critical Mass” in their first “Solidarity Bide Ride” in Oxnard.

Critical Mass is an unorganized coincidence, a movement of bicycles in the streets, a monthly gathering to celebrate cycling and affirm the rights of cyclists in the streets. It is an idea and an event. It’s free. It is not a race. It’s just for fun. It happens when many cyclists meet in the same place, at the same time and decide to pedal the same route together for a while. The idea is for people to group together, making it safer for each other to ride bicycles through their streets. Saturday, October 26th. Meet at 1pm. The ride starts at 2pm. The route begins near Oxnard’s Downtown Main Library. More information on their Facebook page here.

Action #2: Saturday – 10/26: Volunteer Orientation – Diversity Collective Ventura County.

Continue reading “Sat 10/26 – Sun 10/27: So much to do! 4 local actions!” →

Sat 10/26: So much to do! 3 state actions – there’s something for everyone. Find your favorite way to connect with fellow voters and reach out!

Just because there aren’t any elections happening around here, doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of need for your help a couple of states over. So take some time this weekend and assist in one of these campaigns!
(See this weekend’s LOCAL events here.)

Action #1: For the writers – Reach out to voters in Virginia to ask them to make that trip to the polls… You can help! – Deadline Oct. 29th.

Things are getting heated & nasty in Virginia—which can only mean that Republicans are scared of losing the November 5 elections.

Vote Forward has less than a week—until Tuesday, October 29—to assign, write, prep and send nearly 50,000 letters to Virginia voters who almost always vote for Democrats, but who have an inconsistent history of voting and need a last-minute reminder that they need to cast their ballots.

Sign up to send 5 letters here. It’s SO EASY, you guys!! And these letters have been proven in studies to increase turnout significantly!

If you’d rather be a caller: Phone banking – 20 Dial A Day Challenge between now and GOTV on Nov 5. Sign up here.

Action #2: For the callers – Reach out to other voters in IA,ME, CO NC, & TX to make this impeachment happen. You can help from your couch! Shifts available through Nov. 6th.

Continue reading “Sat 10/26: So much to do! 3 state actions – there’s something for everyone. Find your favorite way to connect with fellow voters and reach out!” →

Fri 10/25: The Swamp is full. Two actions to help clean it up.

Action #1: Our morality-challenged president wants to veto an “illicit offers” bill. Ask your senator to support SHIELD (HR 4617) to protect our political process from foreign influence.

The White House issued this statement: “While the Trump Administration seeks to limit foreign national interference in our elections by strengthening FECA and combatting illegal behavior, the SHIELD Act would produce harmful unintended consequences without achieving that goal.”…like making Trump sad. The House has already passed the Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy Act (SHIELD) (H.R. 4617) which would require:

reporting offers of campaign assistance,
requiring transparency of online political advertisements,
prevents foreign cash from entering our election process through corporation, PACS, Super PACs, and other entities
stop sharing of polling data with foreign governments,
prohibit deceptive messaging on voting procedures.

We need a veto-proof majority to get this done, so everyone – to your phone!

Minimal script to senators: I’m calling from [___] and I would like Sen. [__] to support the SHIELD ACT – H.R. 4617 and all other bills related to foreign entanglements in our election process.

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: Rep. Matt Gaetz led his fellow feral GOP members to crash a secure facility armed with cellphones…not surprisingly, this is against the law.

Continue reading “Fri 10/25: The Swamp is full. Two actions to help clean it up.” →

Thurs 10/24: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and domestic violence is a gun violence issue.

Action: This is a good day to remind your legislators that we know exactly which group is holding up H.R.8. – Universal background checks.

H.R. 8 – “To require a background check for every firearm sale.” was passed by the House on Feb. 27, 2019, and was cosponsored by these legislators. (Brownley and Carbajal are both cosigners). Eight months later, it still hasn’t seen the inside of the Senate. Meanwhile, NRA friend, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has just launched his misdirected RESPONSE Act, which concentrates on mental health, despite minimal evidence that it’s tied to mass shootings, along with more shooter drills, increased surveillance of students and expedited executions of mass shooters. Nearly 1,700 children and teens die by gun homicide every year and that’s the best they can do. In comparison, vaping has killed a total of 33 people, yet our president is already planning to ban e-cigarette flavors that appeal to children.

The president is creating a myth that the House has done nothing but concentrate on impeaching him. Tell your senators that we are not fooled. Continue reading “Thurs 10/24: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and domestic violence is a gun violence issue.” →

Wed. 10/23: The Sierra Club and Food & Water Watch need our help to protect our environment and wildlife. Two quick actions!

P-30 and P-53 were found dead in September and August, respectively. Both had rat poison in their systems. (National Park Service)

Action #1: STOP MOUNTAIN LION DEATHS FROM RAT POISONS! – Join the Sierra Club in calling Governor Newsom.

(from Jim Hines, Sierra Club, Los Padres Chapter) Good Morning Friends:

We walked the halls of the CA state assembly this Spring and got our bill passed to ban anti-coagulant rodenticides (rat poisons) banned in the state of California, then the bill went to the state senate and we just did not have the votes this Fall for passage. The state senate is now in recess until 2020, so our next chance to get the state senate to ban rodenticides will be in February 2020.

But in the meantime, mountain lions (and other wildlife) are being killed by simply eating dead rats.

So along with our friends at Poison Free Malibu, we are urging people throughout California to contact CA Governor Gavin Newsom and ask him to impose a statewide ban on the use of wildlife-killing rodenticides.

The Governor has told us he will consider such a ban, but he is already getting a ear full from supporters of wildlife-killing rodenticides (retail store industry who sell rat posions, agri-business, golf courses and the like).

So we need to show the Governor that the people in California want mountain lions, raptors and other animals protected.

The Governor has toured mountain lion habitat areas and wildlife crossing areas with us and has always been on the side of protecting mountain lions, but now we need him to act to save mountain lion lives.

You may contact the Governor in any of the following ways:

* Use the Governor’s email link: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/
* On Twitter: @GavinNewsom
* Gov Newsom’s phone: 916-445-2841

for mountain lions wild and free,

Jim

Action #2: Tell the Senate to “skip” Aurelia Skipwith for head of an agency she might be happy to destroy.

Continue reading “Wed. 10/23: The Sierra Club and Food & Water Watch need our help to protect our environment and wildlife. Two quick actions!” →

Tues – 10/22: This Halloween: Dress as a “NOT QUALIFIED” extremist judicial nominee! Or as a free-range uterus! Then say “NO” to Sarah Pitlyk.

Action #1 – Call your senators and tell them to vote “NO” on “NOT QUALIFIED” forced-birther radical Sarah Pitlyk for U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Planned Parenthood alert: The bipartisan American Bar Association has unanimously rated Sarah Pitlyk, another extremist Federalist Society member, “not qualified” for this important position, due to her lack of trial experience. She opposes reproductive rights, the Affordable Care Act and the legal right to abortion. She fought to allow businesses and landlords the right to discriminate against women whose private health histories include abortion or birth control. Through her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, her writings, and legal actions she participated in at forced-birther advocacy firm Thomas Moore Society (TMS), she’s demonstrated that she will impose her own religious beliefs over the lives of women and their families if she gets into a position of power. While the concept of the the Handmaid’s Tale’s Aunt Lydia becoming an judge might make a great Hollywood script, in real life, true-believer Sarah Pitlyk cannot be trusted to apply the law and legal precedents fairly and impartially to everyone who might come before the court.

Continue reading “Tues – 10/22: This Halloween: Dress as a “NOT QUALIFIED” extremist judicial nominee! Or as a free-range uterus! Then say “NO” to Sarah Pitlyk.” →

Mon 10/21: “Your presence is requested…” Pick your resistance activity for this week.

People tell us that they sometimes feel overwhelmed by the news they hear every day, but that doing something, even a small action, helps. Writing postcards. Registering new voters. Learning about an issue. Supporting speakers at meetings. Being a part of a community that’s trying to make change. So, come join in. There’s a lot to do.

Monday, Oct. 21: Trip to Adelanto Detention Center led by Rev. Betty

Does the work of the resistance have any effect? Yes, CA just passed a law to ban all private prisons when their contacts expire in 2020. However, in the meantime, immigrant detainees need to know they are not alone. Visits are meaningful to both detainees and visitors. To join the carpool, contact Rev. Betty at bstaple4d@gmail.com.

Mondays – Volunteering with Al Otro Lado.

Continue reading “Mon 10/21: “Your presence is requested…” Pick your resistance activity for this week.” →

Mark your calendars! We’re not waiting for justice and unity to roll down from on high. It’s do-it-ourselves democracy week in Ventura County!

We live in an amazingly active community, so it’s very possible we’ve missed an important event. If so, please email us at indivisibleventura@gmail.com. Come join in…in both the events that protect our families, our neighbors and our environment, and the celebrations that refresh the spirit and remind us how lucky we are to be living here.

Sat., Oct. 19: Va Por La Avenida – In preparation for Día de los Muertos – Ofrenda.

Starting at 12:00-2:00pm: Come celebrate the residents, artists and businesses of Ventura Avenue. Festivities begin at the Kellogg Park with free art classes and music and dance performances by Danza Mexícayotl de Ventura and Ballet Floklórico. Local artists Trio Yolipan will begin a performance in the park, then will continue to perform as they walk down the Avenue. Businesses in the area will have a number of creative events. The Bell Arts Factory will host lessons in making masks, flowers, paper dolls and silk screening and local artists will display their wares. The celebration will continue along Ventura Avenue until late evening. For more information, see this event page and their Facebook event here.

Saturday, Oct. 19: Ventura County Youth Leaders Without Borders Conference

By invitation. For information on how you can support young immigrants in your community, contact our Safe Zones for Dreamers work group at clue@cluevc.org.

Saturday, Oct. 19: RIP Platform Holly: A Wake to end Offshore Drilling.

Continue reading “Mark your calendars! We’re not waiting for justice and unity to roll down from on high. It’s do-it-ourselves democracy week in Ventura County!” →

Fri – 10/18: “Not qualified”… That should be enough in normal times. Note: We are no longer in normal times. Say “NO” to Justin Walker.

Quote from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)

Action #1 – Call your senators and tell them to vote “NO” on Justin Walker.

While we’ve been transfixed in horror by the clown car of Ukraine corruption, and now the bloody results of using Syria as a deliberate distraction from the impeachment inquiry, Mitch McConnell has been laser-focused on the prize. Instead of dealing with the huge stack of legislation piling up from the House, he has been locking in hard-right ideologues for the judicial bench who will pervert American justice far into the future, no matter who becomes president. Since Trump has come to power, McConnell has managed to ram through a least four LIFETIME federal judges who were rated “not qualified by the non-partisan American Bar Association (ABA) Continue reading “Fri – 10/18: “Not qualified”… That should be enough in normal times. Note: We are no longer in normal times. Say “NO” to Justin Walker.” →