Action #1: Program your phone. Help your friends and relatives in RED states program theirs. Commit to calling your legislators. Every damn day.
Why in the world would I do that?Indivisible has, since its inception, adopted the tactics of the Tea Party – the group of hyper-conservative voters who worked together to call their legislators every day. Like a form of water torture – short calls from constituents, over and over, can even wear down a legislator like Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Loomis. She may be the recipient of a “lifetime A plus rating” from the National Rifle Association, but like all politicians, she just wants to be reelected.
People may have forgotten the cruel and repressive legislation that was the hallmark of the GOP-controlled House and Senate under Trump. This post is just a reminder – their bills are already on the rolls, waiting to reappear, if we don’t do our job and keep them out of office. Vote, Vote, Vote!
Democratic legislators are trying to pass legislation to limit the damage caused by gun use. We have two posts (here) and (here) on actions to you can take to encourage your legislators and to remind them that their reelection depends on their votes. Make sure your relatives in red states call theirs as well.
The Guns-Over-People party has trained us to see gun violence as only a societal, mental or a criminal issue.
“It’s time to flip the narrative. These mass shootings, and the 1000s of daily tragedies behind them, are not inevitable. We can reduce gun deaths, just like we did for cars, by acknowledging that firearm injury is, at its root, a health problem—and that solutions are within reach.” – Megan Ranney MD MPH, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Associate Dean of the School of Public Health, Brown University.
This deal hasn’t passed either the House or the Senate yet. Currently, nine Senate Republicans back this compromise, though lawmakers will need one more for the bill to pass. Democrats say they’ll continue looking for a 10th Republican senator to support the deal, which won’t be able to pass the upper chamber until they find one.
Call your senators and be sure your friends and family in RED states call theirs. All those threatened by gun violence by stalkers and violent partners of any kind, and the law enforcement officers often placed between them, should have equal access to the protection afforded to those covered by the original Lautenberg Amendment.
Minimal Script for DEM senators: I’m calling from [zip code] to ask Sen. [___] to strongly support H.R. 1620 – The “Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act” with its language closing the “Boyfriend Loophole”! Why would the senator deny women facing violent boyfriends and predatory stalkers equal access to the protections of the federal law against domestic violence. Why would you ignore the please of law enforcement officials whose officers have died protecting them? Do better for us!
INDIVISIBLE VENTURA 