Tuesday, November 22, 2016

WTF--Welcome To the Fight

23Nov16 update: MAKE THIS CALL NOW!!!!!
I just did, and I got through!

Call the Department of Justice and demand they investigate and charge the Morton County Sheriff's Department for civil rights abuses against Standing Rock water protectors.

Sunday night the Morton County Sheriff's office put Standing Rock water protectors in grave danger. Hundreds were injured, including an elder who went into cardiac arrest and several people treated for rubber bullet injuries to the face. One person faces amputation after a "less-than-lethal" projectile ripped through her arm.

Police fired water cannons at the protectors for at least six hours in below freezing temperatures, exposing them all to hypothermia. Medical professionals at the camp called for a cessation of this tactic because of the real threat that people could die. And Morton County law enforcement just kept drenching water protectors in water, tear gassing them, firing concussion grenades and using sonic weapons against them.

This is inhumane! They are willing to directly threaten people's lives in order to protect profits for the oil industry. Enough is enough.

Call the Department of Justice and demand they investigate and charge the Morton County Sheriff's Department for these life-threatening attacks on peaceful unarmed protectors immediately! Here is the number and a sample script:


Department of Justice phone numbers:
Main: 202-514-2000, press 0. (This one has been hard to get through.)
Department Comment Line: 202-353-1555


Hello, my name is ___________. I am horrified by the violence used by Morton County officers against the Standing Rock water protectors Sunday night. It is torture to douse people in water, in below freezing temperatures, for hours. People could die from this inhumane escalation. These officers willingly risked killing peacefully assembled protectors. The DOJ needs to investigate these actions as violations of human rights and civil rights, including the First Amendment.

After your call, fill out this form to tell us how the call went. Tell us how the DOJ responds to your calls.

Morton County law enforcement is already claiming that they were putting out fires started by the protectors, but several livestream feeds, including the one we followed all Sunday night, show that the fires were started by Morton County officers and their tear gas and concussion grenades. Do not let them get away with telling this lie!

Call the Department of Justice and demand they investigate and charge the Morton County Sheriff's Department for these life-threatening attacks on peaceful unarmed protectors immediately!

Law enforcement cannot be allowed to torture people who are fighting to maintain clean drinking water and preserve their sacred sites. We cannot sit idly by while people are brutalized like this.

Keep fighting,
Irna Landrum, Daily Kos

P.S. If you are hearing impaired and can't make calls, click here to send an email to the Department of Justice.

     
While you're at it, make this call, too!

Sophia Wilansky is fighting to save her arm after being attacked so brutally by Morton County officers at Standing Rock on Sunday night that she faces a possible amputation. She asked us to remember this is not about her, but about the indigenous people of our country.

Hundreds of tribal nations stand with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to fiercely protect the Missouri River from contamination by the Dakota Access pipeline. They have been attacked by dogs, shot by rubber bullets, blasted with water in freezing temperatures, tear gassed and more. Law enforcement is willfully endangering their lives to protect oil profits while people suffer.

Call the Army Corps of Engineers and tell them pull the permits for DAPL and stop this project before someone is killed. Here are the numbers and a sample script:


Army Corps of Engineers phone numbers:
Main: 202-761-0011, press 9
Regulatory (permits) office: 202-761-5903


Hello, my name is ________. I'm calling from {city, state, county}. It is your duty to pull the permits for the Dakota Access pipeline immediately. Police are violently attacking peaceful water protectors, putting their lives in danger by blasting them with water cannons in freezing cold weather. You must stop this pipeline now. It is dangerous in the long term, but right now, this very second it is a threat to the lives at Standing Rock.
After your call, fill out this form to tell us how the call went. Tell us how the Army Corps responds to your calls.

As you prepare to observe (or not observe) the Thanksgiving holiday, please don't forget about the original people of this land. Indigenous people are putting their lives on the line to protect the land stolen from them, the water they drink, and their sacred sites.

The least we can do is stand with them, and call on the Army Corps of Engineers.

Keep fighting,
Irna Landrum, Daily Kos

P.S. If you are hearing impaired and can't make calls, click here to send an email to the Army Corps of Engineers.

*****

THIS IS NOT NORMAL
NEVER LET IT BECOME NORMAL
EVER!     

DON'T GIVE UP
DON'T GIVE IN
STAY ANGRY
trump voters stayed angry for eight years,
which is why we are having this conversation.

Until further notice, the purpose of this blog is to provide tools to help protect and preserve our rights, our liberties, and our country from the wrinkled fat orange clusterfuck that is Donald "acorn dick LOSER" trump. As I track down more information, I will continue to refine these tools.

If you value my work, please support me on Patreon: just point your browser to https://www.patreon.com/ and type "Dot Calm's shadow" into the search box at the top--thank you!

*****

Greetings, fellow Dot Calm Readers, Freedom Fighters, and Truth Crusaders!

If you follow the blawg, youse guyz 'n' galz gno that I'm still scrabbling around trying to find a format that works for youse and meese without taking all my time outside work every day. So please and thank you for pardoning our mess as we remodel the jernt.

If you follow the blawg, you'll also gno that, like Dot Calm, I lurves me some Randi Rhodes.

Well, I listened to one of Randi's segments the other night, and she came up with an even better name (IMHO) than OUR revolution: WTF, or Welcome To the Fight.

Keep following the blawg and the Patreon page, and I'll update you on what's going on and what to do to fight trump and save the country--maybe even the world (I wish that were an exaggeration, but it-snot).

Here's the updated to-do list:

PROTECT yourself financially and reproductively.

If you need a loan, get it NOW--rates have already gone up; they went up at least three times between the election and the end of last week. MOVE your retirement out of the stock market and into a stable fund that is guaranteed NOT to lose your principal. Don't wait til teh dumbald tanks the economy. Too many of us got burned when chimpie tanked the economy. Please--learn from our experience. Then move your money back into stocks when we get a Democrat back in. You'll be happy you sold high and bought low.

If you're a woman of reproductive age and don't already have an IUD or contraceptive implant, get yours NOW. There have been some issues with IUDs: the ones with hormones (like Mirena, but don't worry--it's progestin, not estrogen) can reduce your period, but they can have some side effects; the copper ones without hormones (like Paragard) can cause cramping and heavy bleeding that doesn't go away until the device is removed (think having the second day of your period for a year at a clip). Of these two IUDs, women seem to prefer Mirena, but the device can still fall out. Cosmopolitan has a great discussion on these and other IUDs, what's involved with getting one (not a big deal, but you'll bleed for at least a week afterward), what's involved with having one removed (also not a big deal, but you'll bleed for at least a week after). "Managing Contraception" has an article on Mirena (not scary). If I were you, I'd skip the Skyla--it only lasts 3 years, so you wouldn't even be done with the orange fuckwad's first term if you get one. Planned Parenthood has a video about contraceptive implants--some work for 4 years, so at least you'll get through the first and hopefully only term. Their page has articles and videos on all forms of contraception, so go check it out and get your long-term contraception NOW before the trump administration mandates that you give birth like a not-so-prized breed cow. And if you think you might need a do-it-yourself abortion some time in the future, go talk to Planned Parenthood NOW and see if you can stock up on mifepristone now--the options for DIY abortions at home using substances like vitamin C seem promising to desperate women but don't have any scientific backing. You can also try womenonwaves.org and womenonweb.org.

Now, make your daily calls and do the rest...

DAILY CALLS!

CALL your U.S. Senators and Representatives DAILY at their LOCAL offices. SHOW UP in person if you can. Call each day with ONE issue--and KEEP CALLING. The staffers track your calls by issue, so don't give in to the temptation of giving them the whole laundry list all at once. Here is our list of demands:

0. Call your members of Congress now to ask them to denounce Stephen Bannon. And Jeff Sessions, and Mike Flynn, and Mike Pompeo, and Ebell, and the rest of them. Just call and tell them to denounce and block ALL of trump's appointments because they're all reality-denying bigots who hate so many actual Americans that they are unfit to serve all Americans.

1. DEMAND they support Barbara Boxer's bill to ABOLISH the Electoral College--popular vote only. DEMAND paper ballots only, and DEMAND audit trails be published in local papers. DEMAND they LET ALL Americans vote (undo voter roll purges and other Black voter suppression) and MAKE Election Day a national holiday for all. And STOP gerrymandering.

2. FIGHT trump's personnel appointments and FILIBUSTER ALL trump's SCOTUS appointments. Supporting Citizens United or opposing the rights of women, immigrants, and the poor are UNACCEPTABLE. This is NON-NEGOTIABLE.

3. DEMAND trump's impeachment--DEMAND he be investigated NOW for corruption and conflict of interest. DEMAND to see his taxes. trump has already committed impeachable offenses, so DEMAND that he be held accountable NOW.

4. REMIND them THEY'RE FIRED if they don't obstruct, obstruct, obstruct trump and the Republicans from Day 1. If they resist, REMIND them that Hillary WON the popular vote by over 1.5 million and climbing.

5. DEMAND restoration of the Fairness Doctrine--DEMAND fair, fact-based, accurate media free from the false equivalencies and unchecked free coverage that foisted trump on us.

CALL President Obama every day:
 
1. DEMAND a SPECIAL PROSECUTOR to investigate FBI director James Comey and Donald trump for interfering with the election.
 
2. DEMAND the Army Corps of Engineers go to Flint to dig up and replace all the poisoned pipes.
 
3. PARDON Edward Snowden and consider pardoning Hillary Clinton--even though she's innocent--to stop the Republican witch hunts, especially since one of trump's campaign promises was to jail her: Republicans hate her so much that, if she'd as so much as farted, Republicans would have had her in jail faster than Martha Stewart. The fact that Hillary isn't in jail is proof positive that she's innocent, which is proof positive that the Republicans will keep coming at her.

AND THE REST!!

SIGN UP for daily headlines from Daily Kos, AlterNet, and "Democracy Now!" SIGN petitions. ATTEND town halls and protests. Jeremy Scahill's publication "The Intercept" is another high-quality resource of investigative reporting you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere. GET INFORMED and GET INVOLVED!

If or when trump really does set up his Muslim registry, SIGN UP! Trevor Noah suggested this to be funny, but it's gone viral because the racist bigoted assholes can't deport us all, now can they? If I can do it as a proud anti-theist atheist, then so can you as whatever religion or lack thereof that you are. Keystone Progress has a page where you can pledge to sign up: Pledge to register as a Muslim if Trump creates a registry.

VOLUNTEER for and DONATE to all the organizations that D. LOSER trump is targeting. Get on their mailing lists and donate as much time and money as you can to Planned Parenthood, NRDC, American Civil Liberties Union, and causes that matter to you. Change your cell phone carrier from whatever it is to CREDO, which is a Sprint re-seller that supports blue causes. Planned Parenthood is especially important to support right now--women will die if we don't. You can also donate to WomenOnWeb, who help women get safe abortions online. I've already signed up to volunteer for ACLU, and I'm signed up for monthly donations to Public Citizen and Planned Parenthood. Since I'm already living paycheck to paycheck and am too busy to do everything I need to, allz I can say is "OUCH." But it has to be done, and I wouldn't ask you to do something I'm not willing to do. So we can all say "OUCH" together! Speaking of spending time and making sacrifices, I'm going to the Million Women March on 21 January 2017 in Washington, DC--will I see you there, I hope?

ORGANIZE to TAKE OVER the Democratic Party: FIGHT trump and the Republicans, CLEAN UP Democratic Party failures, WIN the midterms, and apologize to Bernie and America for failing.

PROTEST all media that inflicted trump on us--BOYCOTT their advertisers and TELL them why. This includes FUX Noise.

GRAB the pussy-in-thief by the wallet: BOYCOTT businesses that sell trump products and TELL them why. Mindy Fischer has published a list, which I've compressed for easy use on my Patreon page.

OK, friends--let's get busy!

Don't forget to read Dot Calm's shadow's favorite independent sources of news and information:

Daily Kos
AlterNet
 
Peas, friends. Take care of yourselves for me. Trust me--you're worth it!
  
- Dot Calm's shadow

Consider the preemptive Blogger phuqued-up phormatting disclaimer to be in effect. Grrr.
-- Dot Calm's shadow

********************************************

Petitions, petitions...petitions!

Did I mention about signing petitions? Oh look--here's one now!

CREDO action
Tell the Electoral College electors: Honor the majority vote and reject Donald Trump
The petition to electors to the Electoral College reads:
"Donald Trump is unfit to serve as president and did not win the support of the majority of the American people. Hillary Clinton is set to win the majority of the vote by more than 2 million votes despite widespread voter suppression and the FBI’s interference in the election. Honor the majority vote and elect Hillary Clinton on Dec. 19."
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►

Here's the rest of the petition's e-mail:

We are gearing up to fight the dangers of a Trump presidency with everything we’ve got. Today, we have one last, long shot at preventing the most dangerous and hateful administration in our nation’s history. We hope you’ll help us fight for it.
On Dec. 19, the electors to the Electoral College will cast their ballots to elect the next president. In many states, these electors are not bound by the state’s total vote and can choose to vote for whomever they want with little or no legal consequence.1
Hillary Clinton is likely to win the majority vote by 2 million votes or more.2 The electors have a civic duty to elect the candidate chosen by the people, and they have a moral obligation to elect the one who is most fit to serve.
Tell the Electoral College electors: Honor the popular vote, stop Trump and elect Hillary Clinton. Click here to sign the petition.
There are countless reasons why Trump is unfit to serve as our president and commander in chief: he’s a racist who has already installed a white supremacist in one of the top positions in his White House, a misogynist who has bragged about sexual assault, and a bigot who plans to deport, surveille, and harass millions of people because of their religion and skin color. His hate doesn’t technically disqualify him from serving, but it should be top of mind for electors as they consider their choice.
In addition, the electors should consider the following when casting their votes:
  • Clinton won the majority vote. With millions of absentee and mail-in ballots yet to be counted, it appears Clinton could win the majority by more than 2 million votes. The Electoral College, designed by the framers to protect southern slave states, is outdated, unnecessary, and wholly unfair.3 In just the last 16 years, two candidates who won the popular vote – Al Gore and Hillary Clinton – have not served as president. In fact, in the last six out of seven presidential elections, Democrats won the popular vote although Republicans have claimed Electoral College victory in three. The will of the people is being subverted by a broken and biased system that doesn’t count everyone’s vote equally.
  • Widespread and intentional voter suppression aimed at people of color. Since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, many Republican-controlled state legislatures have enacted measures like eliminating and reducing early voting as well as enacting discriminatory photo ID requirements and restrictions on voter registration to keep Democratic and minority voters from the polls.4 In Wisconsin, where Clinton lost by only 27,000 votes, 300,000 eligible voters lacked the strict forms of ID needed to vote, and the state saw its lowest turnout in 20 years, especially in Black communities.5 In North Carolina, there were 158 fewer early voting polling places in Black communities, and Black turnout was down 16 percent. And across the country, Black people were forced to wait in line twice as long on average as white people.6 It's entirely possible that without voter suppression, Clinton would have won the Electoral College along with the popular vote.
  • Russian interference. Throughout the campaign, it was clear the Russian government was actively working to influence the outcome in Trump’s favor. State-sponsored Russian hackers provided troves of damaging emails and documents to WikiLeaks and other websites.7 Paid Russian trolls disseminated fake news across US social media sites to spread misinformation favorable to Trump.8 And though Trump lied about it, his campaign was in direct contact with the Russian government throughout the election.9 Trump has well established connections to Russia through many business dealings, and he spent considerable time during the campaign praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now that Trump has access to classified intelligence and the nuclear codes, we can’t trust what he will do with them. His presidency is a clear threat to American democracy and our national security.
His supporters, the media and most in our government may have declared Trump the next president, but he did not win the majority support of the American people under ordinary circumstances. Given the extraordinary context, the Electoral College electors have one last chance to right this terrible wrong and cast their votes against Trump.
We want to be perfectly clear that persuading the electors to reject Donald Trump is a long shot. Despite the points raised above, the electors will come under tremendous pressure to put Trump in office. It’s a massive uphill battle, but we need to appeal to the morality of the electors to do what’s right and refuse to put the power of the presidency in the hands of a fascist demagogue like Donald Trump. People of conscience will stand on the right side of history and continue doing everything in their power to stop Trump.
Tell the Electoral College electors: Honor the popular vote, stop Trump and elect Hillary Clinton. Click the link below to sign the petition:
https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Trump_Electoral_College?t=6&akid=20545.1059363.p40OnT
Thanks for all you do.
Josh Nelson, Deputy Political Director
CREDO Action from Working Assets
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►
  1. About the Electors, National Archives and Records Administration.
  2. Daniel Marans, “Hillary Clinton’s Popular Vote Victory Will Likely Keep Growing,” Huffington Post, Nov. 12, 2016.
  3. Akhil Reed Amar, “The Troubling Reason the Electoral College Exists,” Time, Nov. 8, 2016.
  4. New Voting Restrictions in Place for 2016 Presidential Election, Brennan Center for Justice.
  5. Ari Berman, “ The GOP’s Attack on Voting Rights Was the Most Under-Covered Story of 2016,” The Nation, Nov. 9, 2016.
  6. Liz Kennedy, “Voter Suppression Laws Cost Americans Their Voices at the Polls,” Center for American Progress, Nov. 11, 2016.
  7. Caroline Baylon, “Did Russia Install Donald Trump As the Next U.S. President?,” Newsweek, Nov. 11, 2016.
  8. Yochi Dreazen, “Facebook is full of fake news stories. On Election Day, don’t fall for them.,” Vox, Nov. 8, 2016.
  9. Jim Sciutto and Ryan Browne, “Russia says it had contact with Trump team,” Nov. 11, 2016.
Donald LOSER trump has already done a lot of damage. He's shown his ilk that it's possible to take over our democracy and run it like a fascist dictatorship. He's instigated an unbelievable number of hate incidents since his election, according to Southern Poverty Law Center: "Update: Incidents of Hateful Harassment Since Election Day Now Number 701"...and that was published a few days ago! 

He's expressed interest in or selected the worst of the swampiest worst to help him govern us: Steve Bannon, John Bolton, Jeff Sessions, Mike Flynn, RUDEy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, Mike Pompeo....

His idea of protecting the environment is to let Ebell aggressively and proactively destroy it to protect it from letting us defend it.

He's a pathological liar, a reality-denying narcissist, a crook, a con man, an abuser, a bully, a coward, and a thief. He's dishonest to the core and corrupt through and through. He has already shown himself to be worse than a mafia boss using his position and power to reward loyalty and punish opposition.

Hey, Electors--now's your chance to have a conscience. LOOK at the damage trump has already done and is preparing to do. LOOK at his conflicts of interest--he wants his kids to have security clearances so they can better help trump's administration enrich his businesses. LOOK at how he thinks he can bully American businesses to do his bidding. LOOK at how trump and the Republicans want to gut our civil rights, our social safety net, and our economy--all to empower the bigots and bullies and to enrich the already rich. LOOK at how trump has ALREADY compromised classified information by having official discussions from trump tower on unsecured phone lines--LOOK how much sensitive information he's already spilled just by bragging. LOOK at the wars he will start--both trade wars with China and hot wars with Iran. And then PLEASE do the right thing--elect Hillary. You know you want to!
-- Dot Calm's shadow
        
*****

From ColorOfChange--trump's new Klan

In less than two weeks, Donald Trump has begun forming a cabinet- the likes of which we have only seen hidden behind white hoods. Yesterday, the leader of the New Klan picked a would-be Attorney General with an extensive track record of hate. Jeff Sessions has called a Black federal prosecutor “boy,” falsely prosecuted Black political activists,and made offhand jokes about his support of the Klu Klux Klan. The burnings, lynchings and terror of the KKK are not a joke. We cannot let our halls of justice be cloaked with white supremacy.

Here’s one way we can stop Trump’s New Klan from rising to power. Before Sessions can ascend to the highest legal position in the land and become the head of the Department of Justice, he must be confirmed by the Senate. They must block Sessions from being confirmed.

Tell the Senate to vote no to Sessions and no to racism

Sessions knows the confirmation process well. Thirty years ago, a Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee rejected Sessions for a federal judgeship. Their reason? Session’s racially charged comments and actions were too much.

Session joins the growing New Klan that includes “chief strategist” and crowned prince of white supremacist media Stephen Bannon,5 and “immigration advisor” and author of the book on Muslim registry Kris Kobach.6 The question before the Senate is simple: do they support racism, or do they not? They can and must stop Sessions’ nomination again.

Tell the Senate to once again reject Sessions' racism

Sessions has been unapologetic and brazen in his white supremacy and has strongly opposed and insulted the civil rights leaders and groups that have fought for the freedom of Black folks. In Alabama, he falsely prosecuted Black political activists7 and called the N.A.A.C.P., the ACLU, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference “un-American” and “Communist-inspired.”8

In the legacy of the Confederate general he was named after, Sessions has also fought to repeal the voting rights of Black Americans- going so far as to charge activists with up to 100 years in prison for mailing absentee ballots.9 We just witnessed the first election since the Supreme Court gutted protections previously afforded under the Voting Rights Act.10 We saw Black voters strategically disenfranchised using Voter ID laws, voter caging operations, laws denying people with a criminal conviction from voting, and illegal voter purges. We also saw police forces being deployed to intimidate Black voter registration operations and newly registered voters. We cannot continue to move backwards. And we cannot afford to have an Attorney General who called the Act a “piece of intrusive legislation.”12 Our voices must be heard and our rights must be protected.

Tell the Senate to reject Trump’s New Klan

If he is confirmed, Sessions will be in charge of “protecting” the same rights he staunchly opposed. As Attorney General, he would act as the lawyer for the United stated and represent cases before The Supreme Court- the same court that has afforded us the right to marry who we love, go to the schools of our choice, be appointed a lawyer, and has safeguarded our right to protest. These rights are in jeopardy. Without an advocate on our side, the rights that we now enjoy can quickly be rolled away.

In the week following the election, 437 incidents of hate crimes targeting Blacks folks, people of color, Muslims, immigrants, the L.G.B.T. community, and women have been reported.13 The violence of these emboldened cowards will only continue, particularly under the reigns of Trump’s New Klan. As Attorney General, Sessions would head the Department of Justice- the same agency tasked with investigating hate crimes and prosecuting killer cops. We cannot trust a racist who casually jokes about the KKK to protect us and our families from hate and violence.

Tell the Senate to block the nomination of Trump’s New Klan

Until justice is real,

--Rashad, Brandi, Arisha, Anika, Evan, Bernard, Jade, Corina and the rest of the Color Of Change team.
References:
1. "Jeff Sessions, as Attorney General, Could Overhaul Department He’s Skewered," New York Times, 11-18-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/7063?t=8&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
2. "Jeff Sessions, Trump’s Pick for Attorney General, Is a Fierce Opponent of Civil Rights," The Nation, 11-18-2016
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/7064?t=10&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
3."Trump picks Jeff Sessions for AG, Pompeo for CIA chief," USA Today, 11-18-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/7065?t=12&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
4."Jeff Sessions, as Attorney General, Could Overhaul Department He’s Skewered," New York Times, 11-18-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/7063?t=14&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
5. "Trump’s real endgame: A white nationalist media empire?," Washington Post, 08-22-2016
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/7061?t=16&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
6."Trump Immigration Adviser Kris Kobach Wrote the Book on Muslim Registry," NBC News, 11-17-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/7062?t=18&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
7. "Jeff Sessions, Trump’s Pick for Attorney General, Is a Fierce Opponent of Civil Rights," The Nation, 11-18-2016
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/7064?t=20&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
8. "Jeff Sessions, as Attorney General, Could Overhaul Department He’s Skewered," New York Times, 11-18-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/7063?t=22&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
 9. "Jeff Sessions, Trump’s Pick for Attorney General, Is a Fierce Opponent of Civil Rights," The Nation, 11-18-2016
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/7064?t=24&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
10. "The Supreme Court Gutted the Voting Rights Act. What Happened Next in These 8 States Will Not Shock You," MotherJones, 4-8-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/7066?t=26&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
11. "North Carolina's Deliberate Disenfranchisement of Black Voters," The Atlantic, 7-29-2016
ttp://act.colorofchange.org/go/7068?t=28&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
12. "Jeff Sessions, Trump’s Pick for Attorney General, Is a Fierce Opponent of Civil Rights," The Nation, 11-18-2016
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/7064?t=30&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_
13. "HATE ON THE RISE AFTER TRUMP’S ELECTION," The New Yorker, 11-17-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/7070?t=32&akid=6543.765771.w2XMk_

 
*****
      
CREDO action
Tell Democratic leaders: Block Trump’s crony cabinet
Petition to House and Senate Democratic leaders:
"Block and resist any Trump nominee who embraces racism, xenophobia, misogyny, bigotry, corporate cronyism or Wall Street greed."
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►
      
*****

Republicans are on a mission to destroy Planned Parenthood.

We can’t let them get away with it! Sign your name to PROTECT Planned Parenthood now:



While Planned Parenthood provides critical abortion services, millions of women (and men!) also depend on Planned Parenthood for their healthcare needs.

1 in 5 American women have used Planned Parenthood for STI tests and treatment, cancer screenings, pre-natal care, or family planning.[1] We CANNOT let Republicans to impose their backwards agenda on the entire country.

http://go.boldpac.com/Stand-With-Planned-Parenthood

BOLD Democrats
    
[1] Planned Parenthood | By The Numbers | 2016

*****

From TurnoutPAC.org--Protect American voting rights
Nate Silver was wrong about this election.

But his response to the shocking results was a rousing call-to-action:

Nate Silver: Working to defend and expand voting rights could be a good use of energy right now.



The premiere polling expert of U.S. politics thought this election was in the bag for Hillary. But it wasn’t -- and here’s why:

Millions of Democrats weren’t able to cast their votes on Election Day.

In 2013, the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. And since then, Republicans passed laws in 22 states that make voting more difficult for Democratic-leaning voters.

In this election, we saw just how effective these laws were at preventing Democrats from voting.

In Wisconsin, 300,000 registered voters lacked the specific forms of photo ID necessary to cast their ballots. Trump won Wisconsin by only 27,000 votes.

And in North Carolina, there were 158 fewer polling locations in 40 predominantly African American districts. As a direct result, African American turnout decreased by 16% in North Carolina.[1]

Now, Nate Silver is issuing an urgent cry to restore voting rights -- because until we stop these voter suppression laws, Republicans will continue to STEAL elections by keeping Democrats from voting on Election Day.

Enough is enough. Congress must take action to protect the right to vote.

We’re collecting 25,000 signatures to DEMAND Congress restore the Voting Rights Act immediately. Can we count on your support?


http://go.turnoutpac.org/Protect-the-Right-to-Vote

Thanks for standing up for democracy,

-The Progressive Turnout Project






[1]Mother Jones | Circuit Court: North Carolina Law Targeted African-Americans 'With Surgical Precision' | 7/30/16

*****

Donald Trump has said he will be the president for all Americans. We ask that he keeps that promise by loudly, forcefully, unequivocally and consistently denouncing acts of hate being carried out in his name and the ideology that drives them. Add your name:
After a bitter campaign, and an election in which Donald Trump won the electoral vote but Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, our nation remains deeply divided. And the division seems to be worsening: In the 10 days since the election, the hateful rhetoric of the campaign has spread and even turned violent.

In his victory speech and during his “60 Minutes” interview, Trump urged Americans to come together as one united people to take on the challenges before us. But his actions tell a different story. By appointing Steve Bannon, Jeff Sessions and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn—three men with long and disturbing records of bigotry and racism—Trump is only adding to the climate of fear.

It is our moral imperative to fight the normalization of hate, and while we will take actions in our schools, work sites and communities to protect our kids and fight bigotry and bullying, as so many of our members already have, Trump has a unique and moral responsibility to denounce these hateful and intimidating actions.

This morning, we sent Donald Trump a letter signed by the AFT and the Southern Poverty Law Center calling on him to speak clearly and loudly against the hate. More than 100 groups representing millions of people have also signed. Add your voice and name to our letter.
Stop the hate video
In the months leading up to the election, Trump’s campaign rhetoric found an audience with those who would use our differences to divide us. And in the days following the election, we have seen people—seemingly emboldened by his victory—committing harassment, vandalism, property destruction and even assault based on those differences.

We know that millions of his supporters would never participate in these actions, but the campaign rhetoric has created an environment that enables and encourages those who wish to harm others.

Personally, I am especially troubled by incidents taking place in schools and on college campuses—places where we do everything we can to ensure our children are safe and nurtured, and have the opportunity to grow and learn free of intimidation and hatred. But now we are hearing reports of disturbing behavior: children chanting “build the wall” at their Latino classmates, Muslim students and educators harassed for their clothing, male students intimidating their female classmates, LGBTQ kids threatened and harassed, and swastikas being painted on classroom doors.

There is no room for this in America. Donald Trump must step up and lead by denouncing the hateful rhetoric and violence following his election.

Many of these hateful acts have been carried out in his name. And while Trump may not condone this behavior, his silence gives tacit permission to those who carry out these acts.

As Americans, we are better than this. You can stand up against these attacks by adding your name to this petition.
Trump has said he will be the president for all Americans. We ask that he keeps that promise by loudly, forcefully, unequivocally and consistently denouncing these acts and the ideology that drives them.

We must all send a clear message that hate has no place in our public discourse, in our public policy or in our society, starting with our next president. Sign the petition now.

In unity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT president

P.S. The Southern Poverty Law Center is collecting data on the effects of this divisive climate, especially in schools. Complete its survey here.


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National Partnership--Protect Women's Defense Fund
 

The appalling news keeps coming.

From Donald Trump’s outrageous interview on 60 Minutes during which he reiterated his callous disregard for women’s health and women’s right to legal abortion care … to the deeply offensive appointment of “alt-right” leader Steve Bannon as chief strategist …

It’s clear that we have one hell of a fight on our hands.

That’s why I urge you to donate $5, $50 or even $500 to our Women’s Defense Fund to help fight back.

There isn’t a moment to lose!

In January, emboldened abortion opponents will take control of the White House, Congress and statehouses across the country.

And when that happens, women suffer.

Case in point: This sobering account that a physician from Texas shared with me. State law requires physicians to display an ultrasound image — and describe it — to every patient seeking abortion care.


“The hard part is turning the screen toward a woman who doesn’t want to look at it. Sometimes I find myself apologizing for what the state requires me to do. … This is unconscionable … I, as a physician, am being forced to shame my patient.”


In Texas and dozens of states across the country, women seeking abortion care are subjected to harmful laws designed to shame or demean their choices.

And Donald Trump, Mike Pence and many in Congress want to impose these same kinds of dangerous policies nationwide.

Their extreme, derogatory views about women and abortion care pose a dire threat to our dignity, our health and our lives.

We must fight back!

Please help by donating to the National Partnership’s Women’s Defense Fund today.

With your support, the National Partnership will continue fighting back to stop abortion opponents from eroding our rights and undermining our health.

Thank you,

Ali Headshot 2013 Ali Kincaid Bergthold signature
Ali Kincaid Bergthold
Vice President

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BOLD DEMOCRATS
Donald Trump just picked Sen. Jeff Sessions to be his Attorney General.

Sessions has an extensive history of explicit RACISM. He cannot be this country’s chief law enforcement officer.

Sign your name to call on the Senate to REJECT Jeff Sessions:
More than 30 years ago, Jeff Sessions was considered for a federal Judgeship under Ronald Reagan.

Sessions’ nomination was blocked by the Senate after his black former deputy testified that Sessions had called him “boy” and told him to be careful what he said around “white folks.”

As Alabama’s Attorney General, Sessions referred to the NAACP and ACLU “un-American.” He went out of his way to prosecute African American voting rights activists, and even spoke approvingly of the KKK.

And Donald Trump wants this man to be our nation’s Attorney General.
Stop Jeff Sessions. Sign the Petition >>
If the Senate approves Sessions, it would give him the authority to carry out Trump’s despicable immigration promises. It will enable him to make voting even more difficult for minorities.

And it will send the message that our Congress is complicit in Trump’s hateful agenda.

We cannot allow this appointment to be confirmed. Help us pressure the Senate to do the right thing by signing our petition today:

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From Keystone Progress--If trump sets up a Muslim registry, pledge to SIGN UP!

Pledge to register as a Muslim if Trump creates a registry

Donald Trump has said he intends to create a registry of Muslims living in the United States,and a registry of Muslims entering the United States.  



Here's a simple, but incredibly effective way to fight back.

If Trump implements a Muslim registry, all Americans should pledge to register as Muslims in solidarity.

We wish we could claim credit for this idea, but it actually comes from Trevor Noah on the Daily Show.

But while he was making a point using humor, we decided to actually create a pledge.  

You can sign the pledge at www.MuslimRegistryPledge.org

Please sign and then forward this email widely.  If we get enough people to sign the Pledge, perhaps we can stop it from ever being implemented.

In Solidarity,
Michael Morrill
Keystone Progress
     
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Headlines

Southern Poverty Law Center: Update: Incidents of Hateful Harassment Since Election Day Now Number 701
    
Washington Post Op-Ed by George Takei: They interned my family. Don't let them do it to Muslims.
...FDR's government realized that it could never tell the difference between Japanese who were patriots and Japanese who were colluding with the enemy. So they decided to lock them all up, thus pretending to protect the Constitution by violating the Constitution. Get it?

Vox: The “Women's March on Washington,” explained
    
Vox: We have 100 days to stop Donald Trump from systemically corrupting our institutions
...READ THIS ARTICLE!!!!!
    
Vox: If Trump actually rips up the Iran deal, Tehran wins
...And he's just st00pit enough to do it.
    
Vox: Michael Flynn, Trump's new national security adviser, loves Russia as much as his boss does
...And that's not even the strangest or worst thing about Flynn, who got fired because he was so suck-ass. Do you have any idea how hard it is to fire a goddamn general? I do, and I tellz ya, he REALLY had to fuck up bigly.
    
Vox: Donald Trump nominates Jeff Sessions to serve as attorney general
...Sessions is another true fuck-up. Reagan's other nominations went sailing through, but even the Republicans barfed at the notion of Jeff Sessions. Thing is, I doubt they're barfing now. They're all probably orgasmic at the thought of getting a true klansman in as AG.
    
Vox: How the fight against "normalizing" the Trump presidency could totally backfire
...Spoiler: don't let the fight against normalizing the abnormal orange fuckwad distract you from all of the apricot face anus's conflicts of interest, crimes, cons, and impeachable offenses. And he hasn't even been sworn in yet! Sworn at, yes...done so many times myself, and that-snot likely to change until he's impeached and thrown where he belongs--under the jail.
    
Vox: Don't let Donald Trump's antics distract you from what's really important
...The conflicts of interest are truly staggering. Foreign governments could tell their staff to stay at trump hotels to curry favor. Or they could buy other trump products or deals. Or they could tell their government-run banks to give trump's businesses favorable loan terms. Or a host of other frightening possibilities for our threatened democracy.
    
Vox: Bernie Sanders: "It is not good enough for someone to say, 'I'm a woman! Vote for me!'"
    
Vox: The lesson of Trump University: how little Trump's supporters mean to him
...Now now, Vox--I object! trump's supporters mean a LOT to him--as marks, rubes, sheep to be fleeced....
     
Vox: Trump's Hamilton outburst ignores the theater's history as a place for political protest
    
Vox: Democrats never stopped caring about the working class
...I so agree. Maybe Hillary should have done a better job getting the message across about all of her and O'Bama's many, many successes that provided substantive relief to us ordinary Americans through the years. FUX Noise's propaganda against her, all Democrats, and anything that helps us ordinary folks was just too powerful to overcome, I suppose. *sigh* ...And this is why we can't have nice things.
   
Vox: Why House Democrats can't quit Nancy Pelosi
...Friends, the party is in a catch-22: we desperately need new leadership, but the old leadership has served its friends so well that there hasn't been a chance for them to groom new leaders. Nancy Pelosi has presided, so to speak, over the worst drubbings Dems have had in recent decades. She, Steny Hoyer, and Chuck Schumer really need to step aside for the good of the party and the country. But-but-but...there are all sorts of delicate negotiations that only Nancy, Steny, and Chuck have the expertise and the bawls to pull off. So...I'm guessing we're skrooed come 2018...? Phuque and double phuque. FML.
    
Vox: If Trump delivers on his promises on China, he'll probably spark a trade war
...trump plans to smack 45% tariffs on Chinese imports under the excuse that China is manipulating its currency when, in fact, it is doing the opposite. This bozo maneuver will start a trade war with China that will cause wailing and gnashing of teeth among all affected. Blissfully unaffected by reality, trump is enough of a st00pit fuck to do it anyway.
    
Vox: The War on the Poor: Donald Trump's win opens the door to Paul Ryan's vision for America
...Reading this article made me physically ill. Think Sam Brownback's Kansas-style austerity measures only without the civility we as a nation had before FUX Noise and the Republicans took to vilifying helping people (social safety net) and people who help people in need (Democrats). Millions of Americans will die because of trump. Many millions of Americans more will suffer the pain of endless privation, starvation, hopelessness, and indignity. If those spoiled bitch MAGA-hat-wearing assholes think they're angry, wait til they see us after four years of this sadistic, inhumane cruelty. Fuck--I'm angry NOW!!!!!
    
Vox: Donald Trump tweeted Britain asking for a crony as ambassador. That's a problem.
...As usual, the Brits are laughing at us because of our Republicans. dumbald "I'm so gormless" trump really drew raucous laughter from Parliament. Conservative Member of Parliament Simon Burns likened trump's asking for Nigel Farage to Parliament's asking trump to appoint Hillary Clinton as their preferred U.S. ambassador to the U.K. I think the Brits were shocked at just how shocked they were at how clueless trump is about the position he stumbled, bumbled, and assholed his way into.
    
The New York Times: 'Hamilton' Had Some Unscripted Lines for Pence. Trump Wasn't Happy.
...My dear true conservative friend got his knickers in a twist that the cast chose to speak to pence off script, calling them "bullies." I so beg to differ! Bullies are the sore winners harassing and assaulting innocent women and minorities after the election, trying to intimidate, terrorize, and injure the powerless; pence is one of the bullies in power using his position of power to interfere with people's daily lives to suit his own extremist agenda, including causing very real harm to women and their families. The "Hamilton" cast, on the other hand, spoke respectful words bringing a positive message: an invitation to the trump administration to represent ALL Americans. pence was in the process of leaving the theater but stopped to listen to the performers' message, so he was in no way a captive audience. No one would have thought the worse of him for leaving, but he made good political hay by staying and speaking graciously. trump, on the other hand, demands an apology because he HATES the idea of representing all of us!!!
   
The Guardian: Barack Obama says reality will force Trump to adjust his approach
...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't O'Bama gno that trump don't truck with no reality? trump is immune to reality, so how can it have any effect on him AT ALL?!??
    
Here's some good news for a change, and it comes from SumOfUs.org:

Huge news! Yesterday, Bank DNB announced it is going to sell its assets in the Dakota Access Pipeline project!

It’s clear our message is having an impact. On Tuesday, we delivered hundreds of thousands of signatures right to the Bank’s offices in Norway, and thousands of us flooded its Facebook page with messages in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation. 

Two days later, we won. 

The Chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council sent us this note:

We are pleased that Bank DNB is weakening its ties to DAPL. It was a wise decision, especially given Energy Transfer Partners’ continuous disregard for our land, water, and sovereignty. Recent comments by Energy Transfer Partners CEO indicate the company seems intent on ramping up aggression, which is why it is of the utmost importance that other banks follow the example of DNB.

This major milestone could only happen because all around the world, people like you stood in support of the Standing Rock Sioux and the courageous water defenders on the ground right now in North Dakota. And they need our support more than ever with the incoming Trump administration. 

But our fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline is not over yet -- we have plans to force other banks to pull out of DAPL, and we promise we won’t stop until we win.

If you're on the mailing list, go check out the pictures. Very encouraging!
    
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M00bies

Think you're numb to trump? Let Randi Rhodes remind you why you should STAY ANGRY...in this case, trump's Muslim registry and his wackadoodle bigot cabinet picks.

Seth Meyers on trump's first moves as president-elect: when it comes to undoing the past nearly two years of trumps' hate speech against women and minorities, Seth laments the media normalizing trump's lunacy, saying, "They talk about giving him a fresh start as if he were on a diet and ate a cupcake." Do you think that trump supporters would have given Hillary a fresh start if she'd won the electoral college?!?? Does trump really think we should ignore those 700+ hate incidents since the election that HE instigated?!??




Here's Bernie's whole speech that Randi alludes to:





I love Randi's Friday shows!!



...And lest we forget:

'Til next time, check out these great channels:
...or, if you just want something mindless and fun, try Tested
  
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Memes & Funnies


    

       

  
Fucking crybaby hypocrite!!!!!