PEG 12th Congressional District
Newsletter #117, Thursday, July 4, 2019
138 weeks down, 70 weeks to go until Election Day!
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“
Few will have the greatness to bend history; but each of us can work to change a small portion of the events, and in the total of all these acts will be written the history of this generation.
Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, they send forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.
”
~
Robert F. Kennedy, Day of Affirmation speech
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Take a class on climate change!
Are you concerned about climate change? Would you like to learn how to address and respond to this challenge? If so, this course is for you.
Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action is intended to help learners understand, address and respond to climate change as individuals and in partnership with their communities and political leaders. The course focuses on how to translate learning into action on climate change in the areas of food, energy, transportation and the built environment (cities). 100% online, learn on your own schedule. The level is Beginner. Approximately 18 hours to complete. Suggested: 7 weeks of study, 2–4 hours per week. Learn more and/or enroll
here
.
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Washtenaw County Fourth of July Celebrations
There are Fourth of July parades and celebrations throughout Washtenaw County this week! Check out the numerous times and locations
here.
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March with ROAD in the Ann Arbor 4th of July Parade
They will have a truck with banners, and marchers dressed as politicians, on leashes by the big money fat cats, ROAD folks with homemade signs and phony $$$ to pass out. A few more people to participate. For more information and to sign up, contact Conrad Zumhagen at
zumhagenc@gmail.com.
Downtown Ann Arbor. 10 am–noon.
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July Workshops and clinics on how to apply for citizenship
If you are ready to apply for citizenship, or have questions about the application process, the Detroit New Americans Campaign has 5 great ways to get started, keep going, and get to the finish line!
Click here
to learn more. One of the ways is to attend these free Citizenship Clinics. International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit,
111 E Kirby St, Detroit.
(313) 600-7618. 10 am–5 pm
- Thursday, July 4. Free Citizenship Clinic
- Thursday, July 11. Free Citizenship Clinic
- Thursday, July 18. Free Citizenship Clinic
- Thursday, July 25. Free Citizenship Clinic
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Monday, July 8. Yousef and You–Community Forum with Yousef Rabhi
Anyone in his district can come to get an update on legislative issues, ask questions, and participate in open discussion. (21 and over.) Dominick’s Pizza,
812 Monroe Street, Ann Arbor.
6 pm
Monday, July 8. Dearborn Heights Dems Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, July 10. Wyandotte Dems Monthly Meeting
Thursday, July 11. Progressive Women’s Caucus Listening Tour
Donna Lasinski will be hosting a stop on statewide Listening Tour, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Michigan’s ratification of the 19th amendment and “100 years of making our voices heard.” This town hall will provide an opportunity for women in the community to discuss the issues most important to them. Scio Town Hall,
827 N Zeeb Rd, Ann Arbor
. 6:30– 7:30 pm
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Friday, July 12. Lights for Liberty: Vigil to shed light on ending human detention camps - Ann Arbor
Protest the inhumane conditions faced by refugees. You are requested to bring signs, a long lasting candle, and guitars and help build collective, impactful energy from sea to shining sea to light the path to change in 2020. Federal Building,
200 E Liberty St, Ann Arbor
. Assemble at 8:30 pm
Friday July 12. Lights for Liberty: Vigil to shed light on ending human detention camps - Ypsilanti
Friday July 12.
Rally to stop separating families
Hosted by Planned Parenthood of Michigan, Voces De La Comunidad and No Detention Centers in Michigan. State Capitol in Lansing,
110 N Capitol Ave, Lansing
. 6–8 pm
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Saturday, July 13. Ann Arbor Democratic Club Monthly Meeting
Monday, July 15. Allen Park Dems Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, July 17. Brownstown Dems Monthly Meeting
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Thursday, July 18. Great Women of The Great Lakes and MI List’s 15th Anniversary
Honoring Governor Gretchen Whitmer, State Representative Christine Greig, House Democratic Leader, and Lavora Barnes, Chair Michigan Democratic Party. For more information contact barb@provide.net, (734) 646-5100. Details and “Tickets” information is at
www.milist.org.
Polo Fields Golf & Country Club,
200 Polo Fields Dr, Ann Arbor
.
4:30–6:30 pm
July 18-21. Ann Arbor Art Fair tabling
Planned Parenthood needs people to table from 10 am–8 pm in downtown Ann Arbor. You can
sign up
here
for Art Fair.
Reclaim our American Democracy from Big Money (ROAD) will have a booth on Liberty Street and need folks to do four-hour shifts. contact Conrad Zumhagen at
zumhagenc@gmail.com
for more information and to volunteer.
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Demand a Fix for Social Security NOW!! No time to waste!
Social security must draw down its assets beginning in 2020, with benefit cuts beginning in 2035. Alan Simpson, former Republican senator from Wyoming, is quoted as saying that “nobody in politics, I mean nobody, really wants to deal with Social Security a second before they have to. People have to stand up and make their voices heard or nothing will happen until it’s too late.” In this election season, he urges voters to demand solutions from all those running for office. The future of Social Security depends on it! -
NYTimes
Advocate for your LGBTQ+ neighbors’ health
.
- Up to 1.4 million transgender adults and 150,000 transgender teens ages 13 to 17 in the U.S. would be affected by the rule change, according to research by UCLA.
- Studies have shown that 56% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual patients and 70% of transgender patients have experienced discrimination from a healthcare provider, including refusal of care, harsh language, and physical roughness.
- Denial or delay of treatment can have long-term health impacts and even result in death.
- Introduce yourself,
- State why you oppose the proposal based on your values, and, if applicable,
- Share a personal story about about how you or a loved one are impacted by gender-based discrimination in health care. Review this article to personalize the points below. To be counted, comments must be unique and individual, not scripted.
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Things to listen to, read, and watch
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“Tanks, Flyovers And Heightened Security: Trump's Fourth Of July Ups Taxpayer Cost”
“For this Fourth of July, President Trump has added an address from the Lincoln Memorial, tanks stationed in the area, an extended fireworks display and military aircraft flyovers.”
“NPR's multiple requests for costs related to the plans, as well as more extensive details on the additional military personnel, equipment and security for the day from the Interior Department, National Park Service, U.S. Secret Service, the Pentagon and the five military services went unanswered. A military official said the White House was not approving Pentagon requests to share such details.” Read more
here from NPR-
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“Alabamians Defend Arrest of Woman Whose Fetus Died in Shooting”
“Activists have also cited it as a demonstration of the dangers of the “personhood” movement, which pushes for the rights of fetuses to be recognized as equal to — or even more important than — the rights of the mothers who carry them. And many are now watching as the movement gains momentum in Alabama, which already has some of the most restrictive reproductive rights laws in the country.” Read more
here from NY Times-
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More accessible voting options for college students!
Due to a recent legal settlement, college students in Michigan can vote using their campus address and by mail.
To encourage young voters, the Secretary of State's office plans to create a website, revise election materials, and do outreach to university students. To learn more,
click here
.
-
Michigan Radio
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Hundreds of families are still being separated at the border
New government statistics show 250 parents have been separated from children since a June court order. Separations of siblings and other relatives could account for hundreds more. M
any of the children may already have family inside of the United States but are still technically considered unaccompanied.
See
Office of Refugee Resettlement definition for more info.
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‘Children were dirty, they were scared, and they were hungry’
An immigration attorney describes what she witnessed at the border. “This is not how we should be treating people—and especially children—in America.” -
The Atlantic
Immigrant children returned to West Texas facility despite reports of squalid conditions
The Border Patrol facility in Clint has been under intense scrutiny after reports surfaced last week alleging children were held without adequate water, food and proper sanitation. -
The Texas Tribune
Border Patrol agents joke about migrant deaths and post sexist memes
In their three-year-old Facebook group, which has roughly 9,500 members, they shared derogatory comments about Latina lawmakers who plan to visit a controversial Texas detention facility, calling them “scum buckets” and “hoes.” -
ProPublica
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Supreme Court says federal courts don’t have a role in deciding partisan gerrymandering claims
The Supreme Court ruled that federal judges have no power to stop politicians from drawing electoral districts to preserve or expand their party’s power.
The Court concluded that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts. Justice Roberts stated, “Federal judges have no license to reallocate political power between the two major political parties, with no plausible grant of authority in the Constitution, and no legal standards to limit and direct their decisions.”
This decision capped decades of debate about whether federal courts have a role in policing partisan efforts to draw electoral districts in the same way the judiciary protects against racial discrimination. Read more in
The Washington
Post
.
The Supreme Court ruling on gerrymandering does not change Michigan’s redistricting commission plan.
A panel of U.S. District Court judges determined Michigan’s 2011 redistricting process was a calculated attempt to elect Republicans to the U.S. House for the next decade. Judges ruled the maps were drawn to “maximize Republican advantage" and disadvantage Democratic voters and candidates.
Michigan will use political maps federal judges said are biased against Democrats in 2020 elections after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled partisan gerrymandering isn’t the court’s job to prevent. Read
MLive
for additional
explanation.
Supreme Court puts census citizenship question on hold
Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the Trump administration’s stated reason for adding a question on citizenship to the census. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the majority, said the explanation offered for adding the question “appears to have been contrived.” But he left open the possibility that it could provide an adequate answer. Read more in
New York
Times.
On Tuesday, July 2, the Trump administration, in a dramatic about-face, abandoned its quest to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.
Read more in New York Times.
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9th US Circuit Court of Appeals Court upholds abortion ruling
The 9th Circuit cleared the way for the Trump administration to enforce a controversial rule barring clinics that receive federal funds for family planning services from referring patients to abortion providers.
Clinics receiving Title X funds, also known as the federal family planning law, can discuss abortion with patients, but blocks providers from advising patients where to go for the procedure. This ruling also requires that clinics set up separate facilities if they provide abortions.
The lifting of the ban supports the administration’s policy that taxpayer’s dollars are not funding or subsidizing abortions. Read more
here
.
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PEG is a non-partisan volunteer organization whose mission is to assure that our government will treat all Americans with equality and acceptance. We do our work by recruiting, educating and nurturing supporters for worthy organizations, actions and events that reflect our beliefs.
This newsletter contains suggestions to contact your congresspeople. Find their contact info
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Thanks to Newsletter contributors:
Richard Gaeth, Bernie Banet, Susan Ayer, Leslie Kamil, Lisa Kamil, Ellen Halter, Bette Cotzin,
Leslie McGraw,
and Chuck Newman
for their help preparing this newsletter. Write us at
info@equalityingov.org
if you would like help create our weekly newsletter. It’s fun and no ongoing commitment is required.
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