September Calendar

Want to be more active? Friday 9/5 stop by the patio at Black Oak at 4 PM for one of our informal drop-ins!

Our monthly meeting will be Tuesday 9/9.

On 9/23 members are invited to a workshop “What IS Direct Action? Growing the Resistance.”

For details, join us by signing up HERE.

Are Your Papers In Order?

This common phrase in old movies, barked in a German accent, had a clear meaning: only in places like Nazi Germany could an armed person demand proof of citizenship and arrest anyone without the right documents. Equally clear was the unspoken message that this was distinctly unAmerican and wouldn’t be tolerated in a free country.

Well, what about now? Are YOUR papers in order? Yes, right now: with what you have in your wallet, purse, pocket, or even in a safe deposit box, could you prove that you’re an American citizen and entitled to vote?

The SAVE act is a threat to our voting rights. Our drivers licenses will not be acceptable. Our military or tribal identification cards will not be acceptable. Here’s an article Indivisible Ukiah’s Janet Rosen had published in the UDJ. To avoid their paywall you can read it on MSN here.

WHAT CAN I DO?

• Contact your elected representatives to let them know you expect them to oppose the SAVE act.

• Share this information with friends and family in other states so they can contact their representatives.

• Protect your own right to vote by making sure your IDs match up and by obtaining any needed documents.

Get Out the Word: Support The Election Rigging Response Act

“California will not sit idle as Trump and his Republican lapdogs shred our country’s democracy before our very eyes. In just six months, Trump’s unchecked power has cost Americans billions and taken an ax to the greatest democracy we’ve ever known. This moment calls for urgency and action – that is what we are putting before voters this November, a chance to fight back against his anti-American ways.”

— Governor Gavin Newsom

This temporary measure will be on the ballot. It will create more blue Congressional districts in California, countering Texas’ recently passed law gerrrymandering five new red districts by diluting the recognized districts in areas like Houston and Austin. MORE INFO HERE.

Write A Letter To The Editor

Writing a letter to the editor can be a quick and pretty easy way to reach both your neighbors and your elected representatives.

Keep it local, and send it to in-print and on-line news outlets.

Focus on one topic. Introduce it, give a fact or two, and personalize it.

Respect their word limit and give your contact information (they won’t share it)

Copy and paste it into the body of your email,

Indivisible has a really good guide to writing an effective letter to the editor, with lots of examples of how to say things. It’s here.

Direct Actions Against Hunger

Between rising housing and grocery prices and job loss, more people are experiencing “food insecurity” -a nice way of saying Americans everywhere are quietly going hungry, visiting food banks, or searching for free food. Yet the Trump regime’s cruel budget cuts have reduced both the money and the food that our food banks rely on. Here’s some ideas…

• Check in with friends and neighbors. Don’t be shy about inviting someone over for a meal (sharing food is traditional hospitality for a good reason!).

• Find out if a local non-profit has set up a small free-standing “Free Pantry” and buy some non-perishable single serving foods to bring them every week.

• Garden! Do you already grow fruit and veggies? Can you plant a little extra to give your neighbors in need, or to donate to a food bank or free community meal program?

• Glean! Many communities have gleaning groups that find food - usually fruit - that isn’t being harvested. they donate it to local agencies like food banks or those that cook free community meals.

• Ask your area food bank what they need.