NowThis Politics has a 40-minute video of last Wednesday’s #SwarmTheSenate civil-disobedience action in D.C., in which I participated. Look for me left of center (ha!) on the Capitol steps.
Viewing this made me feel like the easy job was getting arrested! I’m stressed out by the cop who was constantly bellowing at the non-arrestee protestors to get behind an ever-shifting police line. The folks who endured that — including movement organizers and speakers — are badasses.
Obviously, the GOP senators voted as expected: To hold an impeachment “trial” without witnesses or evidence. (To be honest, that happens outside of Congress too, but in other courtrooms, suppression of information benefits the prosecutor, not the defendant.) This makes the senate’s vote this Wednesday to remove or acquit Trump a foregone conclusion, but we’re still going to call out authoritarian behavior; shrugging off dictatorial power grabs only encourages tyrants. Here’s what you can do:
- Join one of the “Reject the Cover-Up” protests taking place Wednesday across the country. If one isn’t planned for your area, you can be the organizer!
- CALL YOUR SENATORS and tell them that the president is not above the law. That includes Democratic senators. I’m constantly reminding people that just because a politician is technically on your side doesn’t mean they are fighting as hard as you want, in the way that you want. Also ALL elected officials track constituent calls: what they’re about and how many are coming in. Just today, a staffer at Kirsten Gillibrand’s office — one of my Democratic senators — told a friend of mine that HIGH CALL VOLUME matters. So take two minutes out of your day to show that you care.
- Can’t find those 120 seconds to make a call during business hours? Lucky for you, Resistbot can help you send an email 24/7. Text the word RESIST to 50409 and the bot will walk you through the process. Resistbot is also available via Facebook Messenger, Twitter, and Telegram.
- Join Indivisible’s Payback Project, which is focused on removing the worst GOP senators from office.
- Those of you who live in New York can subscribe to my weekly newsletter, which gives you all kinds of activist options, from making calls to writing postcards to knocking on voters’ doors to, yes, being arrested. You can read the most recent one here. As of this week, I’ve written 148 action newsletters since 2017. When I tell you that you have a lot of opportunities to be a player, rather than a spectator, I mean it!
If your fighting spirit needs a boost, read my recent post on Auschwitz activist Róża Robota. Her problems make our current ones look small. Let’s make sure we don’t get on her level.
More recommended reading:
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