Quote of the Week: “More and more I have come to admire resilience. Not the simple resistance of a pillow, whose foam returns over and over to the same shape, but the sinuous tenacity of a tree: finding the light newly blocked on one side, it turns in another. A blind intelligence, true. But out of such persistence arose turtles, rivers, mitochondria, figs – all this resinous, unretractable earth.” – from the poem Optimism by Jane Hirshfield Note from the Olympia Indivisible Call to Action Team: There will be no Call to Action on December 1st. The Call to Action Team is taking a much-needed weekend off for the Thanksgiving Holiday. We’ll be back the following week, as always. We hope you will be spending time with people you cherish doing good things for others and for yourselves. Federal Actions:Thank Rep Strickland for Changing Her Vote Background: House passes bill that would allow Treasury to target nonprofits it deems to support terrorism In last week’s Call to Action, we asked you to contact Rep. Strickland to express our disapproval of her “yes” vote on H.R. 9495 - Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act. This act will enable Trump's hand-picked Secretary of State to persecute individuals and organizations that it deems "the enemy within," from humanitarian aid organizations like World Central Kitchen who feed children in Gaza, to pro-democracy organizations like Indivisible and the ACLU. Many of us called to ask her to change her vote when it came up for vote again this week. On November 21, 2024, Rep. Strickland voted NO. It’s equally important that we cheer on our elected representatives when they do the right thing. Action: Send a thank you to Rep. Strickland Script: Thank you for voting NO on H.R. 9495 - Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act. As a constituent, I appreciate your understanding that the President-elect is proposing cabinet appointees who are not only unfit for office but who are prepared to deliberately misapply legislation such as H.R. 9495 in ways which will harm our freedoms and civil rights. Please know that those of us who volunteered our time and resources for your re-election will always have your back when you take a stand for democracy. Dismantle the Deportation Machine Photo Source: Fibonacci Blue via Wikimedia Commons Background: Three steps to take now to fight back against Trump’s planned mass deportations It is imperative that the Biden administration dismantle the deportation machine before Trump takes office again. We know the Trump administration will rebuild the deportation machine — but rebuilding takes time, and that’s time we need to keep people protected. Action: Contact President Biden
Script: President Biden, It is imperative that the Biden administration dismantle the federal deportation machine before Trump takes office again. Please take these steps:
Cut Funding for DHS Immigration Enforcement Photo Source: Moveon Org via Kind PNG From the ACLU The incoming administration plans to target the millions of immigrant community members who live in our neighborhoods, attend our schools, and run small businesses in our communities. Congress can cut funding to DHS immigration enforcement and refuse to let our tax dollars fund these inhumane mass deportations. Action 1: Email your Members of Congress via the ACLU webpage Action 2: Call our Members of Congress:
Script: My name is [YOUR NAME] and I’m a constituent in [YOUR CITY]. Our nation has already seen the harmful effects of the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies, and a second administration will be far more aggressive. I’m calling on [Representative Strickland, Senator Murray, Senator Cantwell] to take action now to cut funding for DHS immigration enforcement and block Trump’s plans for mass deportations. Talking points:
WA State Actions: Support our Regional Immigrant and Refugee Communities  From our friends at Indivisible Eastside From NWIRP and WAISN There was a ton of anti-immigrant rhetoric during the final weeks of the campaign, and the potential cabinet appointments seem to indicate they are serious about targeting our immigrant community. This is nothing new; we fought it in the first Trump administration. We intend to support our immigrant community, and to do that we will be taking cues from two great local organizations. The Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network’s role as an organization founded in love and rooted in community has only become more important in the face of anti-immigrant rhetoric and a for-profit detention agenda seeking to break up families. Last Thursday they held a “Looking Forward” event to plan for resistance. Immigration attorneys at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project gave a post-election update about what they expect to see and what folks' rights are, regardless of their immigration status. View with English or Spanish Closed Captioning at https://vimeo.com/1027829846. Share with friends and neighbors. NWIRP's Know Your Rights page has resources from different organizations, including "Know Your Rights" pamphlets from ACLU in many more languages than English and Spanish. Help Set Indivisible Legislative Priorities for 2025 Want to make a difference in standing up for democracy, civil rights, and a just, sustainable path forward in Washington State in 2025? Great! Take this 10-minute survey, courtesy of WILA, the team of volunteers from Indivisible chapters across Washington state who track bills during the state legislative session. Indivisible bill trackers and action takers have been an important part of keeping our legislature working for the people of Washington. Despite a blue trifecta in Washington, Republicans continue to introduce legislation to censor education, restrict or ban gender affirming care, and suppress voting rights. We cannot take our system for granted; we must continue to work for a Washington that leads the way in progressive policy. After completing the brief survey, please consider joining the 2025 WILA team (you can do this on your survey). As a WILA member you will:
Action: Take the Washington Indivisible Legislative Action Survey. Have You Scheduled This Event?Come to the Action Cafe! Every Monday at noon the Action Cafe provides a virtual space where 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" with 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." Reflections from an OI Member Photo Credit: Moses Mahbida I have been spending some of these November days at McLane Creek, watching the Chum salmon come upstream to breed. Most of these fish are 4 years old which means they left the creek in Spring, 2020, during the first days of the Biden administration. They have spent four years growing large in the waters off the coast of Alaska. The eggs they lay this month will hatch in the first days of the Trump administration.
The small fry will swim out to Mud Bay, then up the Salish Sea migrating to the ocean waters off Alaska. In November of 2028 they will return to McLane Creek to spawn. They will do this regardless of the actions of President Trump. They will do this regardless of Supreme Court rulings, congressional actions, protest marches, and regardless of how many letters I write to my representatives. And these salmon in 2028 will lay thousands of eggs that will grow up during another Presidential term. Though my life will be impacted by Trump’s terms in office, though I may not agree with actions by Congress in the next few years, the salmon will keep their cycle of life. I find solace in the salmon. –Jeffrey Collins Comments are closed.
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