Heard on the Street and in the Forest | June 2021 Newsletter |
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EAN activities are only possible through the support of individuals just like you. Thank you for your generosity. |
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EDITORS' NOTE – BJ and Lynne
This month we are noting the unique role of grandparents joining together to protect Mother Earth as 1000 Grandmothers; hugging trees with their grandchildren; "Walking" to keep fossil fuels in the ground as grandfathers; writing inspiring songs, as Holly Near; and, as conservationists with this quote from Rachel Carson:
If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder,
he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it,
rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.
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From the Street – to Inform Us
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One Year Later: Did the murder of George Floyd have any impact?
YES! The words Black Lives Matter (BLM) were in people’s minds and on their lips, signs popped up in neighborhoods across the country and people marched who had never done so before.
Anti-Racism is being kept in sharp focus, with many institutions and businesses beginning to take action. Interest in anti-racism education has increased (EAN’s Me and White Supremacy webinar continues to be fully enrolled).
Policing is being re-imagined as more than 30 states and cities have new rules to curb excessive force by police. The House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to limit unnecessary force and permit prosecution of officers – but it sleeps in the Senate with no hint of passage. The Breathe Act was drafted as a counterproposal to the Justice in Policing Act. And, the rate of deaths by police has not changed since George Floyd’s murder.
There is reason to hope. Police officers can be trained to de-escalate “hot spots.” Peaceful protests and increased voting will give voice to the voiceless. Educating citizens about the intrinsic value of each person attacks the root of racism.
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What Can We Do?
Learn more about the Breathe Act, which:
- diverts federal funds from incarceration and policing;
- invests in community-led, non-punitive approaches to public safety;
- funds building healthy communities and especially schools to support young people;
- enhances self-determination of Black communities.
We are the people we’ve been waiting for!
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Civic Heroes Vignettes
showcases people who have been exemplary in advancing democracy and making it easier for citizens to vote. This is a new project of the Civic Values & Culture Group, within Elders for Sound Democracy.
Meet Chris Hollins, Our June 2021 Civic Hero
2020 Interim Elections Clerk, Harris County, TX
At the age of 34, Chris Hollins was appointed Interim County Clerk. He then used his position to work within restrictive Texas state requirements to expand voting access for residents of Houston and the surrounding county. Chris developed creative ways to make it easier for people to vote in the 2020 Harris County election. The result was that 1.4 million early ballots were cast, about 127,000 of those from drive-thru voting. Chris continues to speak out to combat voter suppression efforts in 2021, highlighting the values of Equal Rights and, Responsibility & Accountability in Civic Engagement. –Angie Boggs
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WHAT CAN YOU DO to make it easier for citizens to vote?
- Join a voter registration drive in your community.
- Promote state and county election officials who have expanded voting access In social/print media.
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Join Elders for Sound Democracy and connect with other elders!
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Grandmother to Grandmother
Molly Arthur, an EAN member, helped lead 1000 Grandmothers, a Bay Area group in solidarity with Indigenous efforts to Stop Line 3, and to protest BlackRock’s investments in fossil fuel extraction. The women elders gathered on May 25th, performed and sang, enacting the grief, repentance, amends, and healing they want to offer to our living relatives. Mike Abkin shared:
An enlightening show, with a sad, enraging, and yet hopeful message.
WHAT IS LINE 3? A proposed pipeline expansion from the Tar Sands in Alberta.
WHY STOP IT? Many reasons, including that it will contribute more to climate change than Minnesota’s entire economy.
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At 83 George Lakey is walking again...
...this time with his 11-year-old granddaughter. Last time it was a 200-mile walk across Pennsylvania, as part of a successful campaign to persuade PNC Bank to stop financing mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia.
George is a participant in the 2021 Walk for Our Grandchildren pressuring “Grandpa” President Biden to end fossil fuel extraction, and targeting the number one funder of fossil fuels, Chase Bank. Find out more HERE.
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Sustainability Team suggests:
Sustainable Clothes – This summer, try linen! Linen uses 5-20 times less water and energy than cotton or other synthetics. It is made from flax, which works well in crop rotation cycles, preventing soil depletion. Though not a perfect solution, linen clothing is made from one of the more ecologically friendly fibers.
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AntiRacism Team:
Anti-racism describes the attitudes and acts of those actively engaged in dismantling systemic and institutional racism; racism that we now recognize is embedded in laws within our culture and government.
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to their physical appearance; and, can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against other people of a different ethnicity. –Oxford Dictionary
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What's Happening Within EAN? |
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It's busy times at Elders Climate Action!
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Amplify Your Voice Through Twitter
Learn WHY and HOW to use Twitter in this hands-on workshop.
Tuesday, June 22 | 10:00 – 11:00 am PT / 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
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Elders for Sound Democracy (ESD)
ESD will present EAN's Action Agenda for Fair Elections at our Sound Democracy Town Hall on Wednesday, June 30th. We will address why we must act as elders to withstand threats to our American democracy. You will meet some of our most effective organizers and learn how you can act to counter voter suppression and big money corrupting our national and state governments while championing a return to positive civic values. LEARN MORE & REGISTER
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Elders for Regenerative Living (ERL)
ERL follows up on their successful plastics workshop last month, and is considering an EAN-wide “plastics action.” If you are interested in joining or finding out more, email Shirley Freriks at shirleyf@eldersaction.org.
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Elders for Social Justice (ESJ)
ESJ meets once in June on Thursday, June 17th. We will discuss the social justice significance of the past tumultuous year: issues like George Floyd's murder, the protests, the conviction of the police officer who killed him, the COVID-19 pandemic, the January 6th insurgency, and immigration. What can we contribute to promoting social justice?
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From the Arts – to Inspire Us
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Send in a thousand grandmothers
They will surely volunteer
With their ancient wisdom flowing
They will lend a loving ear
First they'll form a loving circle
Around the wounded wing
Then contain the brutal beasts of war
Sweet freedom songs they'll sing...
...And pray for a thousand grandmothers
Will you please come volunteer
No longer tucked deep out of sight
Will you bring your power here
Will you bring your power here
–Thank You to Holly Near for her beautiful music, wisdom, and words |
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From the Forest – to Awaken Us
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Hugging Trees Is Good For Our Health
The negative outcomes of separating from nature have been termed “nature-deficit disorder” leading to negative consequences in terms of our mental and physical health. It should therefore come as no surprise that studies show a wide range of positive effects on our health from the presence of trees and green spaces. We also know that being in the forest has a measurable physiological effect on the body’s immune system. (Wild Tree Adventures)
Does this mean that hugging a tree is good for us? Most likely, yes.
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Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well,
but the certainty that something is worth doing
no matter how it turns out. –Vaclav Havel
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It takes all of us. Become a supporter of EAN. |
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