 |
|
Every single person can make a choice that causes a ripple effect that leads to change.
Sixty-five years ago this week, Rosa Parks's choice of where to sit on a Montgomery bus became a defining moment in American history. That action sparked a Civil Rights moment that eventually brought an end to segregation.
Several watershed moments which felt like our country was leaving its ugly past behind followed Rosa's defiant move. One was the Voting Rights Act of 1964 that lifted legal barriers preventing Black Americans from voting. Another was the election of Barack Obama as our first Black president.
But as time would show, these moments were anomalies.
In 2013, the Supreme Court gutted key protections of the Voting Rights Act, allowing states with a history of overt white supremacy and voter suppression to once again disenfranchise Black voters.
With the election of Donald Trump, white supremacy felt legitimized and grew by 55 percent. Throughout his presidency, Trump used antisemitic tropes to stoke the fires of bigotry. Antisemitism has now reached an all-time high. Hate crimes have also risen to the highest level in a decade.
Soon Trump's presidency will be behind us. Then, the healing can begin. An important step on this journey will be in Georgia where we are working to elect Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the U.S. Senate. Their opponents have allowed these races to be laced with racism and antisemitism.
Ossoff was portrayed with a long nose by his opponent in an ad. Warnock's virtual town hall event was disrupted by online hackers chanting racial slurs. He is being demonized by his opponent for being a "dangerous" person.
Their historic victories could also start a ripple effect of change similar to Rosa Parks's. Ossoff would be the first Jewish Senator and Warnock the first Black Senator to serve Georgia.
Get involved to help their campaigns. Below are ways you can do your part. The battle for the soul of our nation continues. Elections matter.
|
|
|
Conversation with Deborah Lipstadt
A Special Discussion on Antisemitism
Tuesday December 8
6:00 pm ET | 5:00 pm CT | 3:00 pm PT
______________________________________________
Discussion with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
A Special Conversation on what to expect from the Senate in 2021.
Tuesday, December 15
4:00 pm ET | 3:00 pm CT | 1:00 pm PT
|
|
GET OUT THE VOTE FOR THE 2020 GEORGIA SPECIAL ELECTION
|
|
Help send Jon Ossoff (D) and Raphael Warnock (D) to the Senate on January 5th, 2021.
|
|
POSTCARDS ARE BACK
(FOR MEMBERS ONLY)
|
Minimum of 50 and maximum of 200 postcards per request.
If you would like JAC to send out your postcards, please return them to the JAC office at
484 Central Ave Unit 301,
Highland Park IL 60035
by
DECEMBER 14, 2020
or
You can mail them directly to GA on December 21, 2020
|
|
MORE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
|
Iran Scientist's Murder and U.S. Troop Drawdowns Could Leave Biden With an Even Thornier Mideast
Following President Trump's decision last year to open the door for an incursion by Turkish troops into Syria, some locals said they can't trust the U.S. That won't make things any easier for President-elect Biden when he takes office in January and inherits a plethora of problems in what was already an unstable, war-torn part of the world.
|
Fighting Antisemitism Online Requires a Global Effort
The hate that we see online isn't just harmless chatter relegated to dark corners of the internet -- it often spills onto the streets, and dangerous propaganda can quickly transcend the geographic borders of any of our countries. Combating this global hatred, therefore, requires a global solution. The Inter-Parliamentary Task Force has been launched to Combat Online Antisemitism in order to hold social media companies accountable for what takes place on their platforms and help create transparent policies to tackle hate speech.
|
Abortion Clinics Are Rapidly Closing. Many Won't Come Back
Keeping clinic doors open during COVID-19 has required spending much more money-on on cleaning and personal protective equipment, and on hiring more staff to facilitate social distancing rules that also reduced the number of patients who could be seen. At at the same time, 11 states temporarily suspended abortion services this spring, amid the growing pandemic. While all of those orders were blocked by courts or expired, the temporary closures and legal battles were financially devastating for independent abortion clinics. Meanwhile, as layoffs have spiked and businesses have gone under, patients have been less able to pay for their care, putting clinics even more in the red.
|
In a 5-4 Ruling, Supreme Court Sides With Religious Groups in a Dispute Over COVID-19 Restrictions in New York
In a 5-4 ruling, the US Supreme Court sided with religious organizations in a dispute over Covid-19 restrictions put in place by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo limiting the number of people attending religious services. The case is the latest pitting religious groups against city and state officials seeking to stop the spread of Covid-19, and it highlights the impact of Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the court. The decision comes as coronavirus cases surge across the country.
|
GOP Control to Linger Over Agency Key to Biden Climate Goals
The Biden administration will take over the executive branch on Jan. 20, but the new president won't have a Democratic majority on an independent commission that holds significant sway over one of his top priorities, a cleaner electric grid, until after June 30. That's because the Senate this week approved by voice vote a bipartisan pair of Trump administration nominees to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission - which oversees energy markets, the electric grid, natural gas pipelines and large power projects like wind farms - leaving it with a 3-2 Republican majority until June 30, when the term of Neil Chatterjee, a GOP commissioner, expires.
|
Activists Begin Registering Young Voters in Preparation For Georgia's Runoff Election
Young voters helped turn Georgia blue this year, and they made up 21% of the turnout earlier this month, the highest youth voter participation of any state in the country. And with those two Senate races still in play, there's another push to get more young people out to vote, specifically aimed at those who turned 18 after Election Day, just in time for the two Senate runoffs on January 5.
|
A Cat Is Said to Be Joining the Bidens in the White House
When he was running for president, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. said it was time for a pet to be put back in the White House. First it was announced that Champ and Major, the German shepherds belonging to the president-elect and future first lady Jill Biden, would roam the White House. And now, after an absence of more than a decade, a cat is set to also join the ranks of presidential pets. Dr. Biden hinted that if her husband won the presidency, she would not mind getting a cat.
|
"To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election"
- Attorney General William Barr
|
|
|
|
Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) is a pro-Israel PAC with a domestic agenda. We support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and advocate for reproductive health and the separation of religion and state and incorporate other issues of importance to the Jewish community, including gun violence prevention and climate change. In addition to providing financial support for U.S. Senate and House campaigns, JACPAC educates our membership with outreach events designed to inform and activate their participation in the political process.
|
|
Paid for by Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs. Contributions or gifts are not tax deductible. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle. Corporate contributions and contributions from non-US citizens who are not lawfully admitted for permanent residence are prohibited. All contributions by individuals must be made from personal funds and may not be reimbursed or paid by another person.
|
|
|
|
|
|
