INDIVISIBLE Lambertville NJ / New Hope PA

Category: Call to Action

  • Voting Rights Watch

    Contributed by Deb Kline.

    Four months after the 2020 election which saw the biggest voter turnout in history, 43 states have introduced 250 new laws aimed at restricting voting. With 14 bills before the state legislature, Pennsylvania is second only to Arizona in seeking to limit access, followed by Georgia and New Hampshire. A wide range of constraints include limits to mail-in balloting, early voting, voter ID and Election Day. For those who are pushing such measures, the claim is that the proposals will protect the integrity of elections. We know differently. 

    On the other hand, Democrats are pushing federal legislation to expand access across the country that could override state limitations. The For the People act, which passed in the House earlier this month, seeks to protect and expand voting rights, increase transparency and security in the electoral process, and get big money out of politics. Now in the Senate, the Skopos Labs prognosis gives the bill an 83% chance of passage. 

    The likelihood of voter restriction bills becoming law depends on the political make-up of each state, and those with a solid red three-way bloc have a better chance of success than those with mixed legislature and governors. Currently, Governor Wolf is likely to veto any bills that pass Pennsylvania’s GOP-heavy legislature, and the legislature is unlikely to be able to override his veto based on its current make-up. In Pennsylvania, an override requires ⅔ of those elected to vote against the veto and the Republicans do not hold that much of a majority. 

    While it’s easy to point to THE BIG LIE as the instigator of the growing number of anti-voting access proposals, the truth is that limiting voting has long been part of the conservative strategy. The belief that only certain people should participate in the electoral process and the running of the country goes back to the dawn of the country and has been a battle fought repeatedly. For every gain, there’s been a step or two or three backwards. 

    For those of us who believe in equality, the battle goes on and it’s incumbent on us to shine a light on those attempts to roll back voting access. Election lawyer Marc Elias expects to continue being busy as these proposals become law and subsequently end up in court. He urges citizens and media to be alert: 

     “I am begging America and the media to pay attention to this. Right now we are facing an avalanche of voter suppression that we have not seen before, at least not since Jim Crow. In state after state—it’s not just Iowa; it’s not just Georgia; it’s not just Arizona… It’s also Montana. It’s also Missouri. It’s also Florida. It’s also Texas. The list goes on and on. Donald Trump told a Big Lie that led to an assault on democracy in the Capitol on January 6. The assaults we’re seeing going on now in state capitols with the legislatures may be less deadly, and be less violent, but they are every bit as damaging to our democracy.” 

    ACTIONS: 

    • Contact your U.S. Senators and demand they support S1: The For The People Act of 2021
    • Contact your Pennsylvania legislators to reject changes to Act 77 that rollback voting access
    • Build power: Use your “Truth Sandwich” create awareness about the need to expand voting access and counter arguments that the proposals will support election integrity

    Sources:

    https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-february-2021

    https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/pennsylvania-republican-legislators-repeal-voting-by-mail-20210203.html

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/voting-restrictions-republicans-states/

    https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/hr1

    Know the Opposition: Read what the Conservatives are saying about HR1

  • Call for Climate Action, Awareness, and Communications

    Contributed by Alexis Berends.

    The year is 2050. My son is 34 years old and has his whole life ahead of him. But what does his world look like? Is the spring equinox throbbing with birdsong as flowers emerge from the depths of winter? Are the coral ecosystems still teeming with life and diversity? Are forests still abundant? Or did people choose to ignore the fire in the kitchen when he was just a child, robbing him of the grandeur and splendid beauty that generations before him experienced? 

    After the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020, we collectively said enough. Many white people, such as myself, started to take a deeper look into systemic white supremacy in order to create a better future for generations of BIPOC people the world over. As Layla F. Saad said, we decided to become better ancestors. We began to recognize the inherent risks of ignoring the systemic problem of white supremacy in order to create a more just world for the generations ahead. This work is far overdue and will take many, many years, but we are starting to understand as a global society that it is incredibly necessary to face the ugliness of racism and white supremacy, as challenging as it may be. 

    At the same time, the climate issue is burning right before us and we are hiding in the shadows of ignorance, much as we have hid in the shadows of ignorance towards our own systemic racism. Somehow we believe if we ignore these things long enough they will disappear, but that simply is not true. It’s time we emerge from the shadows and do the work to lay a more sustainable foundation for our children.

    If we continue down the path of “business as usual” in regards to climate future generations will inherit a world vastly different than our own. We have fished our global oceans to the brink of extinction, losing over half of our global fish populations since 1960. Freshwater fish populations, like those in our own Delaware River and its watershed, have declined by 76% since 1970, and 95% of fish sampled in the Delaware River contain microplastics.

    Within our own lifetimes we will face a global refugee crisis that is unprecedented in human history as people flee the disastrous impacts of Climate Change. BIPOC communities in our own nation face the most direct threats, much as we witnessed during Hurricane Katrina and the resulting horrific inaction of the government. 

    At present, only 20% of the global population knows that more than 90% of scientists agree we must meet carbon neutrality by the year 2050 to slow the rate of global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius. That means 80% of people remain in the shadows and lack the understanding that we need to radically transform society if we want to save humankind from imminent demise. 

    Sir David Attenborough said that Climate Change is a communications issue. People aren’t pressing for change because they simply do not understand. Humans aren’t hardwired for crises as existential as the Climate Crisis. But it’s time we start learning and teaching those around us the importance of protecting our environment on a radical level. We need to start having difficult conversations about animal consumption, the fishing industry, the use of pesticides and herbicides in our gardens, and our terminal addiction to plastics. 

    ACTIONS: 

    Do the work to investigate your personal footprint on this planet. Hold yourself accountable and challenge yourself to make the necessary changes. Switch to a plant based diet or drastically reduce your consumption of animal products. Vote with your dollar by buying local food and products with sustainable packaging (glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard – avoid plastics at all costs because we don’t authentically recycle them). And lastly, get involved in the conversation by becoming an environmental advocate. There are countless ways to volunteer – from picking up trash from the sides of the road to demanding Congress take action.

    We must also hold industry and elected officials accountable for instances of environmental injustice and inequity, demanding they build resiliency in BIPOC communities and close toxic industrial production in those communities. Investigate what sort of industry might be polluting BIPOC communities that you don’t see in your own neighborhood. Ironbound Community Corporation is a fantastic place to start. Push elected officials to pass substantial policies such as the Thrive Agenda, Environmental Justice for All Act, or the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act – all of which Representative Malinowski has yet to sponsor as of this writing. Familiarize yourself with Cory Booker’s introductions of the Justice for Black Farmers Act and the Climate Stewardship Act. If you live in Pennsylvania, urge your Senators to sponsor these bills. 

    We must end these toxic industries, clean our waterways, and reevaluate our diets, while increasing Green Jobs in order to guarantee well paying, sustainable jobs to BIPOC communities and beyond. In order to protect our children’s futures, we must spark the conversation and emerge from the darkness.

  • Stand Up for Truth, Justice and the American Way: Join The Indivisible Truth Brigade

    “Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.” In my early days in PR, this message guided any person or company that took issue with a particular news article or editorial (yes, showing my age here). The intent was to consider whether a public disagreement with a statement or position was worth the ensuing exposure. Sometimes the answer was yes, but those were the days when access to ‘ink by the barrel’ was limited to a much smaller media pool, and a pool that largely attempted to abide by the norms of journalistic integrity: truth, accuracy, objectivity, public accountability. 

    Today, social media and easy access to an audience means we are swamped with information – and disinformation – rife with implicit and explicit biases and agenda-setting, that make it challenging to determine what is truth. I could go on about the psychology of beliefs, but that’s another article, and yes, I’m acutely aware that our newsletter is an example of just what I’ve described. 

    It is incumbent on us – the defenders of Democracy, the progressive activists who fiercely believe that the goals of liberty, equality and justice for all require daily participation and effort – to use our channels to stand against propaganda, misleading messages and lies.  

    The Indivisible Truth Brigade is a growing army of people like us who work to defuse disinformation campaigns by using our channels to amplify effective counter messaging. There’s a ton of support through the Truth Brigade Slack channel, that identifies specific campaigns that need some truth-telling, creates messaging that can be personalized and enables brigade members to connect and share experiences with others in the ‘army.’ 

    Messaging typically takes the form of a ‘truth sandwich,’ which was recommended by George Lakoff for those who spent some time studying his work. The truth sandwich has three parts that go like this: 

    1. Layer one: Truth first! Name the common ground underlying the disinformation, and frame it with the truth.
    2. Layer two: Question the messenger’s motives, honestly
    3. Layer three: Truth reaffirmed! in a positive and proactive way

    Examples of truth sandwich messaging: 

    • When Trump lied about the number of people impacted by COVID-19, Truth Brigaders personalize and share their versions of this truthful message: “This pandemic is making all our lives harder. That’s why I’m frustrated Trump is sharing misleading data to downplay the deadliness of this virus. The fact is over 180,000 Americans have died, and we need leaders who will face this pandemic head-on.”
    • When Trumpsters falsely blamed the West Coast Wildfires on anything but climate change, Truth Brigaders personalized and shared their versions of  this message: “I’m sad to hear about those affected by the wildfires. With so many misleading stories about the cause, let’s remember that climate change is the real culprit. This shouldn’t be political – we need leaders who make the climate a priority.”

    Note that this method can extend well beyond social media into Letters to the Editor, testimony at public meetings and Town Halls – anywhere you know that certain factions are manipulating information and outright lying to run roughshod over democratic rights. 

    CALL TO ACTION

  • Making Our Voices Heard: Writing Letters to the Editor and Op-Ed

    Contributed by Deb Kline.

    Letters to the Editor and Op-Eds are additional ways to reach a broader audience. There is a difference between the two, however, and writers need to be aware of the difference and parameters set by each publication to increase the chances of having the letter picked up. Here are a few general guidelines, followed by specific media contacts and recommendations. Note that this is not an exhaustive list. 

    What’s the Difference?

    • Letter to the editor: Short, often in response to a recent article in the publication.
    • Op-ed or guest column: A little longer, expressing an opinion or viewpoint on a timely topic.

    General Tips: 

    • Brief: Stay within the word limit and follow all submission guidelines. Most letters are about 200 words, and op-eds are about 600 to 800 words.
    • Timely: Start by connecting the issue with current events.
    • Personal: Share a story about how the issue affects you and those around you.
    • Focused and clear: Choose one central idea and stick to it. Use simple language and sentences, avoid jargon.
    • Fact-based: Should go without saying, but referencing sources for facts and claims increases your credibility
    • Unifying: Think about the views of people who might disagree with you. Look for and highlight common ground.
    • Persuasive: Make it clear why the reader should care about the issue, and provide evidence. Consider potential counterarguments, and briefly acknowledge and refute them. Here’s a great place to use the Truth Sandwich mentioned in the previous article.
    • Actionable: End your letter with a call to action

    New Jersey

    Major NY Media

    • NY Times 
    • Letters to the Editor:  letters@nytimes.com
    • Op-Ed: To Editorial Page Editor editorial@nytimes.com

    Guidance:  We encourage a diversity of voices and views in our letters. Letters should preferably be 150 to 175 words, should refer to an article that has appeared within the last seven days, and must include the writer’s address and phone number. No attachments, please. Letters should be exclusive to The New York Times or The International New York Times. We do not publish open letters or third-party letters.Editors’ Note; The Letters Editor and the Reader: Our Compact, Updated

    Guidance: The letter must be exclusive to the WSJ, must be a response to an article in the Journal (or else it’s considered an op-ed), must feature a strong argument about an issue, lack jargon or industry-specific terms so everyone can understand the content and must be between 400 and 1,000 words long. https://www.wsj.com/articles/oped-guidelines-for-the-wall-street-journal-1384383173

    Pennsylvania

  • Civics 101: United States Postal Service

    Contributed by Maddy Berlin.

    How often have you worried or complained about the US Postal Service (USPS) over the past months, or year….or years?  How often have you heard others complain or negatively comment about service in recent times?  

    Probably a lot. 

    The USPS came starkly into view with the increase in anxiety over the impact to mail-in voting during the COVID pandemic, when the post office chose that particular time to curtail service, or to announce confusing messages about stamped vs. non-stamped ballots and delivery issues.  Rumors were flying, and trying to understand the facts seemed daunting. 

    We got through the November election, but then packages and letters were delayed or not arriving at all. Many of us have personal stories about holiday cards and packages going undelivered or arriving weeks late, or social security, disability and pension checks not arriving or mail order meds never showing up. 

    The USPS is so important to us, and as much as we may like to complain about it, the USPS is the service we love and want sustained. So what is going on?  

    At the top of the mess is the current Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, a Trump appointee with a mandate to cut costs and improve efficiency; he actually seems intent on crippling and disabling the agency – probably in support of a Republican plan to privatize the service. Within one month of his May 2020 appointment, he implemented rapid fire change by slashing overtime hours, prohibiting late and extra mail delivery trips, setting stricter delivery schedules and removing mailboxes and sorting machines. More than 7.5 percent of the first-class mail was late in the five weeks that followed, and experience tells us that it probably became even worse. 

    So, fire him, I said. Not so simple, I was told. I decided to do some research about how the USPS is structured, how it’s governed and to take a look at what ails it financially and what can be done.  Here, in a nutshell, is what I learned.

    In 1971, Congress replaced the Post Office Department, a Cabinet position, with the United States Postal Service, an independent entity within the Executive Branch. The USPS is normally operated by a 11 person Board of Governors – the Postmaster General, Deputy Postmaster General and nine governors. The President appoints the nine governors, with Senate approval for seven year terms, and the Board appoints the Postmaster General  who acts as the CEO. The Deputy Postmaster General is appointed by the Board and the Postmaster General. Currently there are six governors, all Trump appointed. There are four vacancies: three governors and the Deputy Postmaster position all need to be filled.

    Financially, the USPS receives no taxpayer money and relies solely on revenue from postage and other services.  While it’s worth noting that Covid-related revenue shortfalls have impacted the USPS’s financials, other factors have plagued the post office as well.  In 2006 Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act during a lame-duck session. Under this law, the USPS was required to pre-fund 75 years worth of retiree pension and health care benefits in the span of roughly 10 years! This is utterly absurd, no other entity has this requirement. The USPS generates enough revenue to cover its operating costs but those funding expenses mean the agency has been operating at a loss for years with little hope of digging themselves out without assistance.

    The USPS Fairness Act, passed in the House in 2019 and stalled in the Senate, has been re-introduced and is gaining momentum (interestingly, PA Rep Brian Fitzpatrick is a co-sponsor). The bill would forgive the debt the USPS accumulated while trying to comply with the imposed pre-funding obligation.

    Back to firing DeJoy: this is not a clean-cut process.  As noted, the President does not have the power to remove the Postmaster General. Only the Postal Service Board of Governors has the power to do so.  DeJoy continues to have the support of the Trump-appointed board and has stated he plans on staying in his position and moving ahead with his plans. Some lawmakers want Biden to take drastic action by firing the entire board. In fact, New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell (D) wrote a letter to President Biden asking for the entire Board of Governors to be fired. The Board can be fired for “cause,” but it’s possible that process could be difficult or tricky.  The President has not responded to that request to date.

    President Biden does have the power to nominate members of the board, however, and to send them to the Senate — now led by Democrats — for confirmation, so there’s another strategy.  As noted, there are three vacancies plus one member who is serving a hold-over term which means the President can replace him at any time so there are a total of FOUR seats Biden can fill with Democrats. There is an excellent chance his nominees would be approved in the current Senate. If Biden can fill four seats that would flip the Board to a 5-4 Democrat majority and they could remove DeJoy.  

    USPS Factoids.

    • The First US Postmaster General was Benjamin Franklin, appointed by the Second Continental Congress in 1775. 
    • The Pony Express was never part of the US Postal Service
    • 182 million pieces of first class mail are processed and delivered everyday 
    • There are more than 7.3 million postal service employees
    • The USPS has the largest robotic system in the world

    CALL TO ACTION:  Let our MOC’s know we support the USPS Fairness Act. Let the Office of the President and our MOC’s know that we are in favor of turning over the USPS Board of Governors either by firing them or by urging President Biden to fill vacancies ASAP.