Quote of the Week: “TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.” ― Howard Zinn Help Our Candidates Win!  Now’s the time to support our candidates! Go to our OI Campaign Support Calendar. Pick. One. Thing. And do it! The next two weeks include:
You can party, you can make signs, you can write postcards! The important thing is that you DO SOMETHING! So let’s do it! Federal Actions: Demand Amazon and Walmart Stop Harmful Surveillance  Photo Source: Canva From our friends at Oxfam The two largest private employers in the U.S.—Amazon and Walmart—are using abusive and invasive surveillance tactics to get even richer at the expense of workers’ rights, safety, and dignity. Warehouse workers are being constantly monitored, creating environments where they have no choice but to keep up with inhuman, unsustainable productivity standards. These often result in health and safety risks, with workers reporting they don't have time to use the bathroom because of how fast they are pushed to work. This is unacceptable. Action: Add your name to demand Amazon and Walmart stop the hyper-surveillance of their warehouse workers that compromises their health, safety, and well-being. Help Us Breathe Easier  Photo Source: Pexels For too long, patients who require supplemental oxygen have not had access to oxygen appropriate for their medical and quality of life needs, especially individuals who require liquid oxygen. But there is hope, bi-partisan hope.
The SOAR Act would remove oxygen from Medicare competitive bidding and provide additional protections to the 1.5 million people in the US who need supplemental oxygen. The SOAR Act would, among other things, remove all oxygen and oxygen equipment from Medicare competitive bidding, establish a separate base payment rate for liquid oxygen with an add-on payment for liquid oxygen at 6 liters per minute and higher, and establish protections for Medicare beneficiaries who use supplemental oxygen. Action: Email your members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor the SOAR Act. From Oaths to Lies: The GOP’s Supreme Court Coup People protest outside the Supreme Court Monday, July 1, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Source: The Hartmann Report, July 18, 2024 Sworn to uphold the law, Republican SCOTUS justices have twisted legal precedents to serve a radical agenda. This betrayal threatens the very fabric of American democracy. Every one of the Republican justices on the Supreme Court, when questioned about the topic during their Senate confirmation hearings, promised to respect the text and meaning of the Constitution, previous Courts’ precedents or stare decisis, and legal history. Each of them lied about these things under oath. This term, the Republicans on the Court--- who legalized political bribery in 2010 with the 5-4 Citizens United decision--- took it a massive step further, saying that if a politician or judge/justice accepts the bribe after they’ve done a legislative or judicial favor, then that quid pro quo is no longer a bribe: it’s now merely a tip. They have also:
Action 1: Contact your members of Congress to tell them you support Democrats’ efforts to regulate the Court. Members of Congress (MOCs)
Script to MOCs: Hello, I’m contacting you because I’m concerned that the Supreme Court’s decisions this term threaten our very democracy. Among their most egregious rulings they have given draconian king-like powers to a president to break the law and have immunity from prosecution so long as he declares what he’s doing to be an “official act,” And they have gutted the 14th Amendment’s clear requirement that “no person” who “shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion” … “or given aid or comfort” to insurrectionists can hold public office of any sort. I urge you to take every action you can to regulate the Court (as the Constitution permits you to do in Article III, Section 2). Sincerely, Name/City Action 2: Contact Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin to tell him he should open hearings now into the Courts’ conflicts of interest, refusals to recuse, and bribe-taking. Chairman Dick Durbin
Script to Senator Dick Durbin: Hello, I’m contacting you because I’m concerned that the Supreme Court’s decisions this term threaten our very democracy. Among their most egregious rulings they have given draconian king-like powers to a president to break the law and have immunity from prosecution so long as he declares what he’s doing to be an “official act,” And they have gutted the 14th Amendment’s clear requirement that “no person” who “shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion” … “or given aid or comfort” to insurrectionists can hold public office of any sort. I urge you to open hearings now into their conflicts of interest, refusals to recuse, and bribe-taking. Sincerely, Name/City Have You Scheduled These Events? Drinks and Democracy is Back! All of us who are actively working to protect democracy deserve a glass of cheer! If that is you and you’re in town this coming Saturday (July 27th), come join Olympia Indivisible co-founder Lisa Ornstein on her cozy back patio in SE Olympia for a Drinks and Democracy Happy Hour! From 5:30 to 6:30pm, Lisa will be serving up a signature house drink with a pro-democracy theme. Wine and non-alcoholic mocktails and snacks will be on hand as well. You are also welcome to bring some to share! Come raise a glass and enjoy good company with your fellow Indivisiblers. Please RSVP here to confirm attendance and for directions. ---- Action Cafe 2024, Every Monday at Noon OI members meet, make new friends, and take actions together. Every Cafe comes with a side order of live music and a heapin’ helpin’ of good cheer! Cafe patrons receive an email on Sunday with a sneak-peek at what we'll do at the cafe the next day. On Monday morning, Chef Lisa will send you a pdf "Menu" which has links to the actions we'll take together at the Cafe. Action: Register HERE. We will send you a Zoom link and tomorrow morning, Chef Lisa will send your "menu." |
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