Social Activism in the Age of Trump: What To Do and What We Are Doing

This morning, ICE detained Ravi Ragbir, Executive Director of New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City, prominent immigrant rights activist and father, despite having pending legal challenges.

Call ICE:
NYC ICE Field Office Director: 212-238-4530
NYC ICE Field Office: 212-264-4213
ICE Office of Policy: 202-732-4292

Script: “Hello, my name is_____, and I am requesting that ICE release Ravi Ragbir, A Number: 044-248-862. Ravi was detained today in New York City. Ravi is a husband, father, and cherished community leader, and we need him here in the United States. I respectfully ask you to release him from detention and grant him a new stay of removal. Thank you.”

Sunrise is a group of good young people doing some of the most important work going this year. This speaking tour is intended to absorb new members that will be the footsoldiers first in bird-dogging efforts through the summer town halls, and then form part of the volunteer base for climate champion candidates across the country. Having a Sunrise leader speak in your community--at your church, your campus, your community center--is just the first step in their longer haul plan, and I'm really excited to be a part of it. You can sign up at the link below.

Sunrise is building an army of young people to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. We unite to make climate change an urgent priority across this country, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people. In February, we’re sending teams of Sunrise Speakers on tour to host community events about climate change, why it’s happening, and what we can do together right now to make 2018 a watershed moment in the fight to stop climate change.

Our presentation covers the impacts of climate change today, why it’s happening, and share what young people across the United States are doing to stop climate change and strengthen our communities in the process. For high school audiences, our presentation meets Next Generation Science Standards and will leave students with tangible next steps to make climate change a visible and urgent issue in their community.

If you are interested in hosting an event, fill out the form below and we will be in touch!

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/host-a-sunrise-event-this-spring-2?link_id=1&can_id=c92e434a820194b0a5d86c4da21346cf&source=email-9-speakers-5-states-12000-young-people-2&email_referrer=email_288097&email_subject=9-speakers-5-states-12000-young-people

Women ‘s marches and events this weekend

The right hates politically active college students—especially those of color—above all b/c it’s the only time in many peoples lives they’re not 60k in debt and arent paranoid of their bosses and can ask deeper questions about society e.g. the ultimate sin in capitalism.

— Adam H. Johnson (@adamjohnsonNYC) February 20, 2018

DSA Refoundation makes their pitch for not endorsing Nixon and co.

https://medium.com/@NBKNoOnNixon/the-case-against-endorsing-cynthia-nixon-and-jumaane-williams-21a94bbb7b18

imo this is good

*reflexively tightens message board armor*

The Medium piece makes many extremely good arguments -- agree.

Even more in-depth stuff from Ackerman on electoral strategy and the peculiarities of US electoral politics

https://jacobinmag.com/2018/07/electoral-rules-third-party-ballot-line-ocasio-cortez-dsa

I really appreciate Ackerman contending with the realities of first past the post voting and the degree to which the two parties have a structurally enforced monopoly on power at the federal level--not enough people who think about the viability of "third parties" take these structural problems into account. I also think he's right that we need a party-like structure, but I'm with Refoundation in believing it's got to be a party in the "mass" sense of the term; what he describes here for his (uh) party-like sounds more like Corbyn's Momentum or even Bernie's Our Rev, a membership org with a line whose main political gesture is working to hold its ostensible elected champions to account. As my gf likes to say "that's what Our Rev is for."

Do you know of any existing models to base such a party on (or at least derive inspiration)?

The Labor Party in the US provides an interesting and relatively recent example:

https://socialistrevolution.org/the-fight-for-socialism-and-the-lessons-of-the-labor-party

Ultimately what I think is to be done is build an organization capable of doing what Ackerman describes _along with_ a primary capacity of mass action, study, agitation, and organizing--which is to say, something like a fusion of DSA and Our Rev, whether through a strategic popular front alliance or a literal fusion.

Also a good historical dive on the distinctions between the two here: https://rtuc.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/the-concept-of-a-mass-party/

oh duh also Syriza

they and others are favorably cited here: http://socialistnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Socialists-and-the-Mass-Organisations-Ver-2.pdf

cheers HOOS

Last pushes?

Really shocked to canvass for Max Rose yesterday in Bay Ridge and see literally zero Donovan canvassers in the area (and heard that it was similar in Staten Island), and equally as shocked to get so many enthusiastic responses while textbanking for Indiana today.

Have to say, textbanking has been really gratifying, esp. as someone who haaaaaaates phonebanking and generally talking on the phone to strangers. Folks have been really responsive, and have already had a few long texts helping random people figure out where they need to be or what they'll need.

The GOTV push will not end until Tuesday evening, so if you can contact a local campaign you support, they ought to be able to slot you in still.

This year has been too crazy at home to do any volunteering. We did increase our donations to nine different politically active organizations in 2017 and maintained that level again this year. We also gave $100 to the Blue Wave PAC founded by Sen. Merkeley and another $100 to the Oregon's Democratic governor's campaign. It's what we could do.

We went out (with kids!) to Tracy, CA (~1.5hrs from our home in SF) to support Josh Harder for the House yesterday. The volunteer office was buzzing, I saw a former co-worker. We went to a Democrat-friendly neighborhood in Tracy proper. Probably didn't help that much but good to do something.

In retrospect I wish we had driven further and gone to help out Jessica Morse, who we also like but who has less of a supply of volunteers to draw from.

VOTE HARDER

Contacting Iowa Dems this morning out of pure spite, very encouraging amount of responses. Less than a day left to vengefully GOTV!

I recommend this program to support people in ICE detention, if you're in California:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MOIfwwLrGcgJf15sv_eqW_38FCKfv4Pgdq4UOhA2Fnk/edit#

in light of recent Border Patrol/ICE coordination threat, worth bearing in mind:

Many ICE agents say their jobs have become increasingly difficult, three years into Trump’s presidency, because of robust campaigns by immigrant advocacy organizations seeking to safeguard immigrants living in the country illegally by educating them on the legal limitations that ICE officers face. As a result, in many communities where immigrants living in the country illegally reside, when ICE agents are spotted, people now turn immediately to their phones to alert neighbors that they should stay inside.

support/participate in these types of activities, people

Gee, ICE agents say their jobs are more "difficult" when immigrants know the "legal limitations ICE officers face". Fuck them. Fuck them royally, for being nostalgic for when they were more easily able to exceed their fucking legal limitations.

as far as I can tell a lot of those limitations are because they are enforcing *civil* infractions with these sweeps, which places significant restraints on what level of force/tactics they are allowed to use

did some canvassing for jessica cisneros again (progressive house candidate running against conservative dem henry cuellar) and her stafffer told me today that their polls show a tied race, so here's hoping she pulls off the upset

So - admitting I'm far too much of a coward to throw myself in front of bullets - what can be done to fight the inherent dead-ender shitstorm that's coming this week?