After protests erupted across the Nation yesterday, most of the travelers who were detained were released to their families. THESE PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RELEASED WITHOUT OUR ACTION. A summary of the day’s protest, other local actions and my reaction to the day.
Click here for a Chicago Tribune report that shows the personal side to the ban on travelers from seven Muslim nations as well as evidence of the erosion of Congressional support, even among key GOP legislators. While most detainees were released, hundreds of refugees were denied entry to the US from airports around the world. Two excerpts from the Tribune report:
“At Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, a 70-year-old Iranian woman who recently received her green card was released after being detained overnight. In New York City, a graduate student contemplated whether he would quit his doctoral program to rejoin his wife in Iran after she was blocked from returning to the United States. And in Iraq, a man who had risked his life working on behalf of the U.S. government bleakly wondered about his future and that of his wife and three children. Visas in hand, the family was due to fly Monday to the United States. “It’s like someone’s stabbed me in the heart with a dagger,” he said.
The Tribune also reported signs of Congressional rebellion, even among the GOP: “You have an extreme vetting proposal that didn’t get the vetting it should have,” Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” even as he stopped short of opposing the order outright. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Lindsey O. Graham, R-S.C., also spoke out against the action, saying in a joint statement that the government has a responsibility to defend its borders but must uphold “all that is decent and exceptional about our nation.” “It is clear from the confusion at our airports across the nation that President Trump’s executive order was not properly vetted,” they said, adding, “Such a hasty process risks harmful results.”
Yesterday, I fielded one email after another, with each reporting still more airport protests being launched across the country. The entire mushrooming resistance demonstrated how powerful the actions of just a handful of people can be. The handful who showed up with signs at JFK airport in NYC spawned a national action. This action combined with the Women’s March and the development of thousands of organizations like Retake Our Democracy here in Santa Fe, represent an emerging moral outrage, a developing moral movement and a community of individuals and groups united for the first time in a very long time. It is our charge to continue to find common ground with an ever wider circle of organizations and individuals and to nourish this growing movement with our time, skills and energy. There is much to be done.
Upcoming Opportunities for Learning and Action
Tuesday, 1/31, 1:30pm (arrive by 12:30 to get in) Senate Hearing Room 321, Roundhouse, Santa Fe. Gun Background Checks Bills Senate Bill 48, and House Bill 50 will be heard by the Senate Public Affairs Committee. The bills would close loopholes in NM law which currently enable folks who may have criminal records or be involved in domestic violence to purchase guns from unlicensed dealers at gun shows throughout NM or online, no questions asked. If you can’t make it, call Governor Martinez 505/476-2200 and tell her (or her staffer) to please support SB 48 & HB 50, Background Checks on Gun Transfers.
Tues., Jan 31, 5:30-7pm,Social Media Training for Volunteers.1420 Cerrillos Rd.,Santa Fe. Ken Baumann will provide training in the effective use of social media, focusing first on Facebook and Twitter, and then Instagram. To particip
ate, YOU MUST RSVP as space is limited. Click here to RSVP. We ask that you bring your laptop and/or smart phone as this will help you learn by doing. If you do not have FB and Twitter accounts, please create them and take a look at the platforms before coming. This training is almost full, so if you plan to attend, sign up today. If you’re not on the RSVP list, you won’t get in!
Weds, Feb. 1, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Chavez Community Center, 3221 Rodeo Rd. — District 4 Town Hall with City Councilmen Ron Trujillo and Mike Harris to discuss with their constituents city issues including the proposed Sanctuary City Resolution and the expanded Early Childhood initiative. Attend and let your voice be heard.
Thurs., Feb. 2, 10 a.m. — Legalize New Mexico Rally at the Roundhouse: Come to support HB 89, a bill to bring legalization of marijuana to our state. Get more info and RSVP at this link.
Tues. Feb 7, 5:30-7pm, Outreach Action Team Planning, 1420 Cerrillos Rd, Santa Fe. Join us to plan the launch of our Community Conversations Canvassing campaign and to discuss organizing panels and trainings, expanding alliances with other organizations, developing an outreach and organizing strategy in other NM communities, finalizing a plan for our Moral Monday event on Feb 20, and organizing a range of other events and outreach activities.
Thurs., Feb 9, 6pm-7:30pm. Showing Up Racial Justice (SURJ) Call-in Training in Creating Powerful Advocacy Research. This call will dig into concrete tools to research targets for actions and organizing campaigns. Join the Public Accountability Initiative to learn how you can deepen your chapters research capacity to develop powerful campaigns, and learn more about the launch of SURJ’s research working group. This call will build on the research call in January, but it’s not required that you participated in the first call to join this one. This is a tremendous national organization. Retake Our Democracy is forming an alliance with the Northern NM Chapter. I recommend this call-in to all members of our Research Action Team and to others who want to better understand how to use information to move people. Click here to RSVP and for more details. To request closed captioning, email meredith@showup4rj.org.
Sat. Feb 11, 3:30-5:30pm, Retake Our Democracy Town Hall Meeting,1420 Cerrillos Rd, Santa Fe. Join us for presentations, breakout discussions, and action planning. Details coming soon.
Categories: Actions, Civil Disobedience, Civil Rights, Immigrant Rights, Justice
Thank you for all info/work/organizing/et al. Only one thing – a small thing – to remember: some (maybe many?) people cannot (physically, mentally, emotionally – think PTSD and/ homebound) get out to protest, attend meetings, etc. — many many reasons…..Please do remember and remind others: every single individual who steps up and out, who can manage the crowds, do the intense, creative work of planning, etc.
every one of you is the voice for SO MANY OTHERS who desperately wish to help, but CANNOT do so. Remember and remind all: YOU are the voice and actions for many whose voices are not heard. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Pat, I wonder if virtual lobbying could be an avenue for some of the homebound? And those too far out of town.
I will try to remember to periodically state this, but the more important action would be for those who can’t attend actions to be active from home. Indeed, these are more important than participating in a march or other direct action. The personal action kit has a number of suggestions as to actions one can take. Here is a link. Look especially at the first strategy of using the Swingleft app and reaching out to friends everywhere.
Been thinking that remake our democracy is a fitting title.
The opposition to bannon is super important today.
a truly inspiring day of protest at airports! Looking forward to BILLIION WOMEN Rising to Show LARGE resistance to VIOLENCE against Women and work together to get the word out! and get it on This calendar as well
It is inspiring to me/us but not to the 1% sitting now in the WH. They do not care about it because they are driving the bus. Now, a few million protesting, something like 10 million or so would be truly inspiring. We will have to do more, like on the courts and during next election cycle, to undo the damage they are doing. We need to work for ‘fundational’ changes.