January 2, 2022 / Newsletter 257 |
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HELP US FIGHT JIM CROW 2.0!
Your donations help us in the fight for all eligible voters to be able to cast their votes & have them counted.
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Next meeting of the Hall County Dems:
When: Monday, January 10, 2022
Doors open at 6 pm,
meeting called to order at 6:30
Where: Gainesville Civic Center,
830 Green Street NE
Guest Speaker:
Senator Lester Jackson, Democratic candidate for Georgia Labor Commissioner.
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Save the Date!
Martin Luther King Day activities in Gainesville will be taking place over the weekend of January 15th - 17th. Watch this space for details coming soon.
Hall County Dems will be serving hot chocolate during the event, from a booth at Fair Street School.
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Newtown Florist Club Sharing Community News
2022 King Holiday Observance Activity Schedule
The following is a message from Newtown Florist Club Executive Director, Rose Johnson. See the information under Blue To Dos if you want to volunteer with Hall Country Dems on Kind Day.
December 31, 2021
Dear Friends,
The Newtown Florist Club is delighted to share with you details about our 52nd Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. schedule of activities in two parts. The theme this year is REBUILDING the VILLAGE One BRICK at a TIME!
Pre-King Week
Pre-King Week Teachable Moment Activities will begin Monday, January 10th, 2022, 6:30pm with a Facebook conversation (NFC Facebook page) about Faith and Spirituality in the African American Experience. See the detailed listing of weeklong teachable moment activities.
About King Day
On Monday, January 17th, 2022, 10am-the King Day Observance Program will be VIRTUAL (NFC Facebook page) including the Drum Major for Justice Awards, Youth Program and King Day March.
The Keynote Speaker this year is Oscar Fortson, Jr., a young, talented home-grown civil engineer who has an incredible story to share about living and growing up in Gainesville and the impact this village had on his life.
Our aim is to focus attention on emerging and next generation young leaders who are already making a difference in community life.
Rev. Rose Johnson
Executive Director
Newtown Florist Club Inc
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Interested in a career in politics? Georgia Dems have you covered!
Arena Academy is a program that trains current and aspiring political professionals in all things campaigns. If you've ever thought about pursuing a career in Democratic politics, this is an excellent way to get started.
The training will take place online February 3-7, 2022. If accepted, graduates from Arena Academy will work with their careers team to match with jobs on campaigns or progressive organizations around the country.
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Make Calls for GA Dems · Democratic Party of Georgia
2022 is a big year in Georgia and we need all the help we can to make sure Democrats have what they need in advance to turn out to the polls! Now is better than ever to get a head start on turning out as many voters as possible!
Read more
www.mobilize.us
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Get involved!
If you want to help protect our right to vote and to have those votes counted, why not attend the next meeting of the Hall County Board of Elections?
The next BOE meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at 3:30 p.m. in the fourth-floor meeting room of the county administration building at the corner of McEver and Brown's Bridge Roads in Gainesville.
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Weekly Thoughts from the Chair:
It’s time to take the gloves off
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We, the Democrats, reject the garbage that Republicans claim about us. Anyone claiming to be a Republican, at this time, has made his or her bed with the amoral liars and does not deserve to be elected to any office. Facts are facts, period.
It’s Democrats that uphold our family values. Democratic values are the real values of philosopher John Locke (1632-1704). Locke repudiated the lie of “the divine right of kings” and all would-be authoritarians. Locke demonstrated that everyone is endowed with the natural rights of life, liberty, and property.
We adopted John Locke’s values and we proclaimed hem in our Declaration of Independence: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Our Constitution incorporated “to secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” These are the Democratic family values. Democrats bring these foundational values to our national family.
J. M. Purvis has written Democrats 101 - a primer for us. It’s not perfect, but it does provide a road map for action and understanding. George Lakoff has written Your Brain’s Politics - How the Science of Mind Explains the Political Divide. George explains why otherwise intelligent folks vote against their own self interest. Read them!
Do not muddle our message. We value and stand for freedom. We value and stand for equality. We value and stand for liberty. We value and stand for justice. We value and stand for the natural right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people. We stand for these family values.
Government exists to protect these values for the benefit of the people. The business of America is not business. The business of America is to protect the individual rights and freedoms of all people. Democrats get elected to make the lives of all Americans better. Republicans offer nothing. They have no morality, no platform and no purpose other than to obtain power at all costs. Republicans offer fear and division in their quest for power. Understand the enemy.
We Democrats are the true patriots – not the Republicans. When we wrap ourselves in the flag, when we wear the flag, we intend for Old Glory to stand for morality, our family values and our cherished national values. Republicans want and need real and constant political warfare – because they have nothing else to offer. Republicans want to return to 1946. Republicans want white supremacy. Republicans want rich white men in charge. Republicans want women barefoot and pregnant, subservient to whatever controls the government may choose to place on her body.
We, the Democrats, stand for the family values declared in our Declaration of Independence. We, the Democrats, are the family values party. Explain these facts to everyone that will listen. Drum our message over and over until it cannot be denied and is loud and clear to all.
Mike
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2022: May accountability and democracy win out
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This week is the 1-year anniversary of the insurrection staged, with planning and deliberation, to subvert the free and fair election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Trump and a significant number of enablers plotted, planned, threatened, cajoled, and manipulated, but were thwarted by Capitol and DC police, the Acting Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Mike Pence.
The peaceful transfer of power had been a longstanding symbol of US democracy, a tradition that we were proud of. Even in the event of the assassination of a President, the next lawful president was sworn in based on the Constitution and the laws of succession. Make no mistake: The insurrection of January 6, 2021, was not a riot, not a demonstration that got out of hand, and certainly not a tourist visit. It was a traitorous plot to keep Trump in power unlawfully.
If you read only one more thing about the January 6 insurrection and other efforts to subvert the 2020 election, read the AJC article below that clearly lays out the many ways that Trump attempted to undermine the 2020 election results in Georgia.
Let 2022 be the year that those responsible for this heinous event be held accountable under the law.
Let 2022 be the year that the people of Georgia, in spite of the obstacles thrown in our path, elect a Democrat to be our next governor.
Let 2022 be the year we ALL do our part to get democracy back on track.
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Inside the campaign to undermine Georgia's election
At a hearing the day of the Buckhead rally, Chatham election officials said the ballots in question had been flagged for further review, but they were found to be valid and then counted. There was nothing improper about them. Judge James F. Bass...
Read more
www.ajc.com
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What if media covered the war on democracy like an...
Fight disinformation. Get a daily recap of the facts that matter. Sign up for the free Mother Jones newsletter. We're heading into the slow news days of December-that blissful winter week when journalists break out the evergreen stories of...
Read more
www.motherjones.com
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Kemp signs into law Georgia district maps, 3 lawsuits...
ATLANTA (AP) - Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday signed new maps for Georgia's congressional delegation, state Senate and state House into law, resulting in three immediate lawsuits challenging the maps, even as candidates gear up to run under the new...
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apnews.com
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Legislative Assaults on State Courts - December 2021 Update
Courts play a unique role in our democracy - a role that requires them to be independent of the two political branches of government and to sometimes make politically unpopular decisions. However, among state courts - where 95 percent of all...
Read more
www.brennancenter.org
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State & Local News (Some links may require a subscription)
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PLEASE NOTE: Any articles we post about Georgia Democrats on the primary ballot in 2022 are intended to keep you informed. They are not an endorsement of any candidate. |
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Candidates fighting 2020 misinformation run to...
As a chemist and immigrant from Vietnam, Linh Nguyen never thought she could have a role in U.S. politics. But then Donald Trump was elected president in 2016 and he "unknowingly inspired minority leaders, women of color like me, to be more...
Read more
georgiarecorder.com
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10 governor's races to watch in 2022
In 2018, Democrats sliced deeply into Republicans' commanding hold on U.S. governorships. They flipped seven states, including Michigan and Wisconsin, foreshadowing changes in a Midwest region that helped send Joe Biden to the White House two...
Read more
www.nbcnews.com
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State lawmakers to take aim at racial history in public...
Teachers and administrators from across the state agree critical race theory is not discussed in Georgia grade school classrooms, but it likely will be a hot topic under the Gold Dome in January as lawmakers return for an election-year...
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www.gpb.org
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Opinion: Redistricting should take demographics into account
I am appalled at the comment below from The Times' article on redistricting in Hall County. "There were very minor changes to the map, so it really shouldn't affect anyone," said Craig Herrington, chairman of the school board and post 3 member....
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www.gainesvilletimes.com
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National News (Some links may require a subscription)
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Opinion | The truth in 2022 is our strongest weapon...
One year ago, on Jan. 1, 2021, I wrote: "Over a span of 14 days this month, our nation's capital will bear witness to three events that will tell us much about the state of American democracy: a joint session of Congress on Jan.
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www.washingtonpost.com
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Opinion | Biden's unsung accomplishments are a big deal
As of late December, the U.S. Senate has confirmed 40 federal judges nominated by President Joe Biden - 11 to the courts of appeals and 29 new district judges. There are 31 more nominees pending confirmation. They bring diversity to the bench,...
Read more
www.msnbc.com
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Analysis: The January 6 committee formed 6 months ago....
It's been a dramatic six months since the establishment of the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol Hill riot. While an interim report is not expected until the summer, here's a look at what the panel has produced so far.
Read more
www.cnn.com
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Retired general warns the U.S. military could lead a...
As the anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol approaches, three retired U.S. generals have warned that another insurrection could occur after the 2024 presidential election and that the military could instigate it. The generals -...
Read more
www.gpb.org
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