PEG 12th Congressional District Newsletter 265
May 19, 2022
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Leading Social Justice Organizations Call for National Summit on Right-Wing Extremism | |
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After yet another horrific mass murder this past week fueled by white supremacist and antisemitic conspiracy theories, national organizations which represent racial and ethnic groups which are being targeted by violent extremists called for President Biden to convene a summit on hate and extremism. The National Urban League, the Anti-Defamation League, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Asian American Advancing Justice – AAJC and the National Action Network are calling for action. It is “long past time for a whole-of-society response…. We are not safe until we are all safe and that we cannot fight hatred, violence and white supremacy alone. Fighting this threat requires government, civil society, industry — the entire nation — to act.” They are calling for a summit to develop a plan to “combat hate crimes, white supremacy and violent extremism.” - ADL
Furthermore, according to The Hill, Rep Liz Cheney (R-Wyo) and Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill) have criticized the Republican leadership for not doing enough to combat bigotry. Cheney tweeted, “The House GOP leadership has enabled white nationalism, white supremacy and anti-Semitism. History has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse. @GOP leaders must renounce and reject these views and those who hold them.”
This week President Joe Biden labeled the deadly attack as “domestic terrorism” and vowed that the white supremacist ideology espoused by the gunman must not be allowed to prevail. (Politico) It is clear that the call for a summit to develop a strategy for dealing with extremism needs to be heard in Washington!
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Thursday, May 19. Our right to vote will be suppressed if we don't take action
Join us to hear an interview with Nancy Wang, executive director of Voters Not Politicians, about the very real possibility that it would become more difficult to vote and how the Promote the Vote ballot initiative can block the current effort to suppress the vote. Join us to hear Wang's story on the next Conversations! Click here to register for this event. 7 pm
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Saturday, May 21. ICPJ Annual Gathering: Connect & Act, Annual Meeting
Join ICPJ on May 21 from 1–5 pm for Connect & Act. Connect & Act is an opportunity for the community to learn, share, and act for justice.
Join conversations on topics like
- Improved Medicare for All
- Organizing for Sustainability and Solar Power
- Immigration Justice Issues & Driver's Licenses for All
- Sustainable Food, Farm Production, and Supply System
- People's Budget for Dignity & Justice
- and more.
Be sure to stick around for the ICPJ Annual Meeting. Gather and share food with the ICPJ member and network. Masks are required and social distancing. Masks and sanitizer will be available. Register for this event here. Sign up here to bring a dish or volunteer for logistics. 5:30–7 pm
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Thursday, May 24. School Expulsions with Senator Jeff Irwin and Peri Stone-Palmquist, Student Advocacy Center
This virtual panel discussion is hosted by Washtenaw Regional Organizing Coalition (WeROC). Washtenaw County decision makers will share information and respond to questions from local citizens with time for audience Q&As. Click here to register. For details on each session, click here. Download and share the event flyer here. 6:30 pm
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More locations to sign the Reproductive Freedom For All petition
The RFFA initiative needs help collecting 425,000 signatures by July 11 in order to be put on the November ballot. The following is a list of locations where you can find the petition in the upcoming dates. See all Michigan locations here.
Common Decency Drive-Thru Pop Up Petition Buffet, Bryant Park,1101 Peninsula Drive, Traverse City, MI 49686. RSVP Here.
- Saturday, May 21. Noon–4 pm
Ann Arbor Farmers Market. RSVP Here. 315 Detroit Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
- Saturday, May 21, 11 am - 4 pm and Sundays thru June 26, 11 am - 4 pm
Grand Blanc-McFarlen Public Library, 515 Perry Road, Grand Blanc, MI 48439
- Sunday, May 22. Noon–3 pm
Ypsilanti Farmers Market. RSVP Here.16 S Washington St, Ypsilanti, MI 48197
- Saturdays thru June 25, 9 am - 1 pm
Saline Farmers Market. RSVP Here.100 S Ann Arbor St (Lot #4) Saline, MI 48176
- Saturdays thru June 25, 8 am-noon
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| OK TO SIGN | DO NOT SIGN | | MICHIGAN UNITED
Commonly known as "Good Time Credit", this measure would establish credits that reduce sentences for those who earn degrees or work in prison, among other provisions. | LET MI KIDS LEARN
Educators within the coalition argued Wednesday the measure would drain money a public education system and offer tax breaks to wealthy donors. | | PROMOTE THE VOTE 2022
Offers flexibility for voters to cast their ballots, makes elections more accessible, saves early voting | SECURE MI VOTE
This measure proposed would add safeguards to the election process and to protect minority voters. This is aimed to suppress the votes of minorities. | | REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM FOR ALL
Makes reproductive freedom a right, repeals a 1931 law that makes abortion a felony. | UNLOCK MICHIGAN II
This would limit the length of emergency orders from state or local health officials to 28 days. This measure puts the power to limit emergency measures in the hands of the legislature rather than in the hands of the experts. | | RAISE THE WAGE MI
The measure would increase Michigan's $9.87 minimum wage to $15 per hour over five years, starting at $11 in 2023 | AUDIT MI
The petition would force a "forensic audit" of the 2020 election and change how Michigan conducts audits after elections. | | |
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Stay connected with your elected representatives
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Find your County Commissioner here.
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State Senator Jeff Irwin, District 18, has a regular Virtual Coffee Hour. To receive the Zoom access code and the next date, fill out this form: https://senatedems.com/irwin/coffee-hour-sign-up/
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State Rep. Yousef Rabhi, 53rd House district: yousefrabhi@house.mi.gov, Phone: (517) 373-2577. Currently virtual coffee hours with Rep. Rabhi are at 10 am on the 4th Saturday of the month. Register for Saturday coffee hours
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State Rep. Ronnie Peterson, 54th House district: ronniepeterson@house.mi.gov Phone: (517) 373-1771 | Toll-Free: (855) 347-8054, https://housedems.com/ronnie-peterson/
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State Rep. Donna Lasinski, 52nd House district: donnalasinski@house.mi.gov, Phone: (517) 373-0828 | Toll-Free: (855) 627-5052. Sign up for emails here.
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State Rep. Felicia Brabec, 55th House district: FeliciaBrabec@house.mi.gov, Phone: (517) 373-1792, https://housedems.com/felicia-brabec/.
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Things to read, watch, and listen to | |
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On the precipice of our democracy
“Rescuing Democracy 2022—Before It’s Too Late” is the title of a Zoom talk sponsored by both “Washtenaw Faces Race” and the Ypsilanti District Library. Speaker LaRon Williams outlined the ignominious history of racism in the New World. He traces racism from the time the first Africans were brought to this continent, to the institutionalism of slavery by the Founding Fathers, to the relatively open years immediately following the Civil War, through to the Jim Crow era, and then, to the new freedoms established in the 1960s and, finally to now—at the precipice of our democracy. To listen to this talk in full, follow this zoom link (also above) or check out the slides and resources here.
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Black women will bear the brunt of Mississippi’s abortion ban
The new 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi “was passed on the backs of black women.” So says Laurie Bertram Roberts of the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund, an organization which helps finance abortions and contraception for poor women.
Before the new abortion ban in one of the poorest of states, all Mississippi women have had very limited access to abortion; 91% of their women live in a county without an abortion clinic. Mississippi’s inordinately high maternal death rates is highest among black women, And, as measured in 2016, the black infant mortality rate in the state is disastrous--70 percent higher than the mortality rate of white infants.
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Biden’s commitment to diversity and semocracy
Biden’s cabinet, selection of judges, and now press secretary, consistently show he believes the highest levels of government look like the country.
Karine Jean-Pierre, our new press secretary, says, “I am obviously acutely aware that my presence at this podium represents a few firsts. I am a Black, gay, immigrant woman, the first of all three of those to hold this position.”
Jean-Pierre noted that President Joe Biden and the members of his administration believe that the press room belongs “to the American people. We work for them,” she said. “And, I will work every day to continue to ensure we are meeting the President’s high expectation of truth, honesty, and transparency.” Jean-Pierre told members of the press she had “tremendous respect for the work that you do. Read more
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A special thanks to our newsletter contributors: Ellen Halter, Leslie McGraw, Leslie Kamil, Lisa Kamil, Richard Gaeth, Susie Ayer, Bette Cotzin, Bernie Banet, and Chuck Newman for their contributions and help preparing our newsletters. PEG is a (somewhat) non-partisan volunteer organization whose mission is to assure that our government will treat all Americans with equality and acceptance. PEG's work is primarily done by recruiting, educating and nurturing supporters for worthy organizations, actions and events that reflect our beliefs. To subscribe to this free weekly newsletter, go to our sign up form by clicking here.
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