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Anthony Kennedy is resigning. He is the last moderate Republican on the Supreme Court. He's been the swing vote protecting Roe vs. Wade, though he's allowed the erosion of access. All the other Republicans on the Court want to overturn it. 45 has vowed to only appoint justices to overturn it. Mitch MCConnell stole Merrick Garland's supreme Court seat to over turn it. If 45 is allowed to appoint another justice to the Supreme Court, the right to choose is gone. Likely the Right to Vote for the poor and People of colour is gone. Republican Gerrymandering will likely make permanent one party rule irreversible or close to it. As it is we generally need 60% of the vote or more to win elections and in some states they've arranged nearly permanent control of Congressional, state, and local governments so well it takes a massive blue turn out to win. If Garland's seat hadn't been stolen there wouldn't be a Muslim ban in place. They are already unraveling the public accommodations laws that protect queer folk and people of colour from being denied services.
If Roe vs. Wade is overturned, Abortion will soon after be illegal in 33 states. (Either laws still on the book, trigger laws already in place, or State Governments wanting to ban abortion and keep voting to try to do so). Birth control will also be in danger. Seriously, this is a the house is on fire moment.
They owe us a Supreme Court seat. Under the new role they made up in 2016, they claimed that no president is any longer allowed to appoint a Supreme Court justice. This looks like an election year to me. They have no shame, but if we can get the Democrats to exhibit spine just this once instead of letting the Republicans walk all over them again. If we can delay. If we can convince possibly one or better yet two pro choice moderates in the senate, there is a slim but non-zero chance of Saving our Country. It is a huge fucking odds are against us fight. It requires us all to pull the stops out on protests, on contacting our senators (Tell your Democrats to stand firm against them taking another Supreme court seat. This is geometrically more important if you r senator is Heidi Heitkamp, Joe Manchin, or Joe Donnelly. They voted for Gorsuch and we need to corral them into strong opposition. Beg your Republicans to do the right thing; to hold to the new standard they imposed; and if they are moderate to save the Right of women to make their own medical decisions. If your senator is Lisa Murkowski or Susan Collins, it is geometrically more important as they are our best bets.), on registering to vote and turning up for the primaries (if you have any left) and the election in November. WE NEED THE SENATE BACK and WE NEED KENNEDY"S SEAT VACANT OR FILLED WITH MERRICK GARLAND OR HIS EQUIVALENT. To do this will take maximum effort. This is the last break on the Republican goal of turning us into a religious fundamentalist oligarchy. We are steps away from Russia and the Handmaid's tale. It will likely take a generation or more to recover from the damaged 45 has already done in a year and a half. If they do this... I am terrified because there will be no brakes left.
I know we are all exhausted and discouraged. There have been a series of particularly bad defeats in the last months. We have internment camps on American soil and they are building concentration camps on military bases that don't have things like enough water in the desert where they are hoping refugee families will outright die. They are placing them on purpose where there can be no over sight from civilian authority and the media, where the law can't be applied to protect them. Our only hope is a strong judiciary and if the Republicans replace Kennedy with another Gorsuch then it will get so much worse so much faster for all of us.
Please. Help save the Country. We need to fight harder than we ever have before, even though we are all tired and grieving. Maximum effort from here through November. We are nearly out of runway folks and either we fly or we crash.
If you can go in person to see your senators? Do it. If you can go in person to protest? Do it. If like me, you can't, here are some other options.
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/
* My response to a person too young to vote asking how they can help this Summer: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/175333456112/i-saw-your-post-about-the-elections-and-the
Short version: If you are still in Middle or high School and/or can't travel/do demonstrations, now is an excellent time to spend the Summer volunteering for your local Democratic party, voter registration drives, or for local candidates. Now is the time of voter registration drives, campaigning, etc., and pretty much all campaigns need social media savy folk to help out. Gen Z pretty much specializes in stuff your local party desperately needs. Just because you can't vote doesn't mean you can't Help!
NOTE: If you are thinking there is even a slim chance you might one day run for office, volunteering for your local party or local campaigns is a good way to get useful experience if you do end up running. It also helps you build up a list of contacts you might need later.
If Roe vs. Wade is overturned, Abortion will soon after be illegal in 33 states. (Either laws still on the book, trigger laws already in place, or State Governments wanting to ban abortion and keep voting to try to do so). Birth control will also be in danger. Seriously, this is a the house is on fire moment.
They owe us a Supreme Court seat. Under the new role they made up in 2016, they claimed that no president is any longer allowed to appoint a Supreme Court justice. This looks like an election year to me. They have no shame, but if we can get the Democrats to exhibit spine just this once instead of letting the Republicans walk all over them again. If we can delay. If we can convince possibly one or better yet two pro choice moderates in the senate, there is a slim but non-zero chance of Saving our Country. It is a huge fucking odds are against us fight. It requires us all to pull the stops out on protests, on contacting our senators (Tell your Democrats to stand firm against them taking another Supreme court seat. This is geometrically more important if you r senator is Heidi Heitkamp, Joe Manchin, or Joe Donnelly. They voted for Gorsuch and we need to corral them into strong opposition. Beg your Republicans to do the right thing; to hold to the new standard they imposed; and if they are moderate to save the Right of women to make their own medical decisions. If your senator is Lisa Murkowski or Susan Collins, it is geometrically more important as they are our best bets.), on registering to vote and turning up for the primaries (if you have any left) and the election in November. WE NEED THE SENATE BACK and WE NEED KENNEDY"S SEAT VACANT OR FILLED WITH MERRICK GARLAND OR HIS EQUIVALENT. To do this will take maximum effort. This is the last break on the Republican goal of turning us into a religious fundamentalist oligarchy. We are steps away from Russia and the Handmaid's tale. It will likely take a generation or more to recover from the damaged 45 has already done in a year and a half. If they do this... I am terrified because there will be no brakes left.
I know we are all exhausted and discouraged. There have been a series of particularly bad defeats in the last months. We have internment camps on American soil and they are building concentration camps on military bases that don't have things like enough water in the desert where they are hoping refugee families will outright die. They are placing them on purpose where there can be no over sight from civilian authority and the media, where the law can't be applied to protect them. Our only hope is a strong judiciary and if the Republicans replace Kennedy with another Gorsuch then it will get so much worse so much faster for all of us.
Please. Help save the Country. We need to fight harder than we ever have before, even though we are all tired and grieving. Maximum effort from here through November. We are nearly out of runway folks and either we fly or we crash.
If you can go in person to see your senators? Do it. If you can go in person to protest? Do it. If like me, you can't, here are some other options.
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/
* My response to a person too young to vote asking how they can help this Summer: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/175333456112/i-saw-your-post-about-the-elections-and-the
Short version: If you are still in Middle or high School and/or can't travel/do demonstrations, now is an excellent time to spend the Summer volunteering for your local Democratic party, voter registration drives, or for local candidates. Now is the time of voter registration drives, campaigning, etc., and pretty much all campaigns need social media savy folk to help out. Gen Z pretty much specializes in stuff your local party desperately needs. Just because you can't vote doesn't mean you can't Help!
NOTE: If you are thinking there is even a slim chance you might one day run for office, volunteering for your local party or local campaigns is a good way to get useful experience if you do end up running. It also helps you build up a list of contacts you might need later.