The GOP is reeling under relentless calls, emails, cards, and hostile Town Hall crowds. We can make them buckle and bend and perhaps slow Trump’s most hateful initiatives. Rattle the GOP Campaign begins today with compelling evidence that the Rattle can work. Also an update on our Town Hall, and national strike & tax resistance strategies.
Quick Report on the Town Hall. Almost 200 folks attended and heard from City Councilor Renee Villarreal, who spoke on many city issues but focused on Sanctuary. Breakouts included Rattling the GOP, Community Canvassing and Grassroots Policy Development; Diversifying our Base; Outreach to Youth & Millennials; and Artist Expression & Activism (event today on this, see below). One take away: There is interest in ramping up our resistance, with discussion of participating in a General Strike and/or some form of tax resistance. At the end of this post are two videos, one depicting just how rattled the GOP is getting and another short video on: What is Islam.
Today’s Act & Share: Rattle the GOP. New Mexicans and people throughout the nation who live in blue states and districts do not need to pressure their representative. But most people have friends and family in red states and districts. Congress goes into recess Feb. 17-20 and Congressional Reps traditionally return home to meet their constituents: individually, in small groups, and in Town Halls. As evidenced by articles and video below, GOP Congressional reps are not being welcomed with open arms. Their phones, emails and mail boxes are jammed with pushback.
Retake Our Democracy has launched Rattle the GOP, our campaign to make our voices heard. But this strategy depends entirely upon you taking the time to use email, social media, and your phones to activate your friends in other states, especially those with GOP Congressional Reps. Click here for a step-by-step guide to provide your friends the support and information they need to take action. So much depends upon your getting out of your comfort zone and doing this. Once you start getting emails from friends thanking you for goading them into action and providing the support they need, you will start to get more comfortable and devote more time to this critical activity. Building opposition now is what is needed to retake the House and Senate in 2018 and put the brakes on Trump. Let’s Do It. It is our best chance to make an impact.
Today’s Act: Put 20 friends’ names into the bcc of your email program and create a personal message telling them why you are doing what you are doing, telling them about the importance of the next week, telling them that you hope that the information in this link will help them devote a few minutes every day to:
- Getting other friends involved;
- Sending postcards, emails, and making calls to their GOP representatives;
- Attending a Town Hall if one is scheduled nearby.
Today’s Share: Post a comment about how you are going to devote a portion of your day to contacting friends to help organize resistance and add this link: https://retakeourdemocracy.org/rattle-the-gop-with-swingleft/.
Santa Fe Act: Advocate for Santa Fe to expand its Sanctuary policies. Email five friends and ask them to go to Santa Fe City Hall, 200 Lincoln Ave., and attend the Finance Committee meeting tomorrow (Mon. Feb. 13) at 5 pm and consider making a two-minute public comment. Click here for background on the resolution, speaking points, and email and phone numbers for your City Council members. We especially need people from District 4 to reach out to Michael Harris as he has introduced his own resolution and is one Councilor who has not voiced support for the resolution introduced Somos and sponsored by Councilors Villarreal and Maestas. Smith is also on the Finance Committee which meets Monday. Since Retake has very few supporters in District 4 we ask that if you know people who live in District 4, please email them and include this link. Ask them to do two things: 1) Write and call both of their Councilors, especially Harris, then show up with friends on Monday night; 2) Ask them to contact their District 4 neighbors to do the same. The full City Council vote is on Feb 22. We will keep you posted. But the Finance Committee hearing is crucial.
Santa Fe Share: Post a note on Facebook about calling your City Councilors, and if you plan to be at the Finance Committee, post that as well. Include this link in your post: https://retakeourdemocracy.org/somos-un-pueblo-unido-call-to-action/
Sharing your activism is important, as over time you will inspire other friends to get active too.
Open House Activism: Mon., Feb. 13, 4-7pm. Support the NM Health Security Act. Come together to write letters, email, and make phone calls to support the NM Health Security Act. Click here for details and to RSVP.
Resist with Art: TODAY, Sun., Feb. 12, 2-4 pm: Deborah Dennard will host a ‘paint your message’ event at the Center for Progress & Justice, 1420 Cerrillos Rd. The plan is to create artistic images and messages to be used at Retake Our Democracy’s ‘Die-In’ at our Moral Monday event on Feb 20 (not our) President’s Day. There was a room scheduling mix-up, so this may happen in a room upstairs, in the back, or even in the adjacent union office. Look for a sign on the door. Click here to RSVP. Materials will be provided.
The GOP Is Getting Seriously Rattled
I found countless articles with evidence that the GOP is under relentless pressure right now.
- A Virginia Congresswoman was a no-show at her Town Hall, leaving hundreds of constituents livid. Read the article here.
- In a pushback against Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), California GOP Rep. Tom McClintock was forced to request a police escort after his efforts to defend his party’s healthcare plans before a packed auditorium fell short and almost turned violent. Click here for details.
- Republicans are on the run from their own constituents across the country. Rep. Mike Coffman was seen bolting early, running out a side door from a town hall meeting when a large crowd of constituents showed up to support the Affordable Care Act and ask him not to vote for a repeal.”Republicans hiding from constituents can’t hide from having no plan,” the group’s email to reporters said Thursday.
GOP Rattled
Video depicts Utah Congressman Chaffetz getting serious heat from a packed room. He left 45 minutes early.
What is Islam?
In the interest of providing basic information on the religion being assaulted by Donald Trump and his cabinet, we provide this five-minute video on the basic tenets of Islam.
Categories: Actions, Immigrant Rights, Roundhouse Lobbying, Sanctuary, Trump
Thanks my dear. I have subscribed. I really enjoyed going with you yesterday. I feel like I am here again and will get involved. I slept the whole night and more! Yeah! Love, Barbara
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Welcome to Retake Our Democracy. That is precisely the way we build our base. One friend tells another about our work, invites them to an event or an action and then the person invited comes, gets excited and subscribes. Now to make this ripple really work, hopefully you can now reach out to 2-3 friends and maybe come to Monday’s City Council Finance meeting. Again, thanks for subscribing. Glad you slept.
Paul
How to Rattle a Republican.
What is it that everyone wants from personal interactions? Everyone.
I imagine you know, but to make sure, the answer is respect.
For a communication to influence the views of someone, including a politician, it must be made respectfully. Attacking their character is counterproductive. Urging them to change their position to agree with yours is ineffective.
To be effective, disagreement with a person’s view must focus on responsibility without demeaning their character.
That doesn’t mean one should ignore what is motivating the person, which, in the case of politicians, is most often their political career.
Changing a politician’s position on an issue can be done either by a show of opposition so large that they feel that not to change threatens their political future, or by pointing out to them that they have abandoned their patriotic values so egregiously that it threatens their political future by alienating their previous supporters.
Most Republican Party Congresspersons have obsequiously approved of the appointments by President Trump of persons who have abandoned traditional Republican Party values espoused by Presidents Lincoln and Eisenhower et al. based in Judeo-Christian ethics, the equal creation of all persons, pride of country, government by the people, government for the common good and democracy and who are rather supporting a virtual monarchy.
To be the most effective in opposing President Trumps’ policies, massive protest needs to be combined with deflating his support from Republican Congresspersons by embarrassing them for their abandonment of their Party’s principles.
Embarrass the Congressperson by asking whether their position on a particular issue is out of sync with Republican Party values. Ask them whether they are bringing the Party into disrepute and lessening its chances in the coming election.
Frame the Republicans who have abandoned their Party’s principles as:
Previous patriots?
Party perverts?
Renounced Republicans?
GOP Goners?
GOP Goofs?
How to Discomfit a Democrat
Similar to the above except with reference to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson et al. and adding the value of social justice
Deviant Democrats?
Degraded Democrats?
Disgusting Democrats?
Demented Democrats?
Departed Democrats?
Undone Demos?
John O has done a marvelous collection of principles for our connections. Above all, we dont need to stoop to the actions/words of other people to put valuable points on the table and to listen with heart-full ears to “the other” in the political discussions we have. How about a handout for posting, John? You are such a mentor and treasure for us.