Americans of Conscience Checklist, Week of January 20, 2018
By Jen Hofmann
-Submitted by Judy Sullivan, USH Social Justice Chair
If you believe
diversity is our greatest
strength,
respect, truth, and
compassion matter,
and we are called to love our neighbor,
You are an American of conscience.
Americans of Conscience Checklist: Week of
January 27, 2019
115 weeks down, 92 weeks to the presidential election.
The
AoC Checklist features clear, well-researched actions for Americans who value
democracy, equality, voting, and respect. To stay engaged through challenging
times, we practice gratitude, self-care, and celebration.
When communicating
with your senators and representative, here is the preferred order for best results:
1. An
in-person visit.
2. A phone call or voicemail.
3. A letter to a local office (DC mail takes 2 weeks to process).
4. An email or
fax.
5. Tweets and Facebook comments.
Yes. Call your blue
Members of Congress (MoCs).
Most
blue senators and House Representatives are in office because big donors got
them there. Don’t let them forget who they really work for (you).
Make these four kinds
of calls to progressive MoCs:
1. Praise: Gratitude
calls tell them you like the job they’re doing for you. Compliments often go on
the top of the daily pile.
2. Stories: Your
personal stories help support and give clout to your MoCs’ stance on
legislation.
3. Tallies: Every
time you call, your view is recorded by a staffer. Those daily and weekly
totals influence your MoCs’ priorities. Remember: you’re among many who are
calling.
4. Ask for more: Just
because they’re blue, doesn’t mean they’re doing everything they can to further
our causes.
- Ask
them to write new legislation.
- Ask
them to co-sponsor other MoCs’ legislation.
- Ask
them to make public statements for/against issues that matter to you.
- Ask
to meet them in person to discuss an issue important to you.
- Indivisible often suggests
tactical ways blue MoCs can increase leverage in a Republican-majority
Congress.
Call. Tell your
red Members of Congress (MoCs) things like:
- They
need to uphold traditional (not extreme) conservative values.
- They
must return to regular order in Congress.
- You
want them to prioritize bipartisanship and cooperation.
- You
expect them to protect the dignity and equal rights of every American.
Whether
you’re a blueberry in a red district or a conservative ally, our democracy is
relying on your participation. With a Republican majority in both houses,
moderate Republican swing votes matter. Americans in blue districts are
counting on you.
It might feel like
you’re shouting into the void, but you’re not. When enough people call, this
can—and does—change how even red MoCs vote, negotiate, and legislate. But
nothing will change without clear, consistent communication from you.
The AoC does not publish new lists the last week
of the month. Here is some encouraging good news about the values we share.
Good news
Decent people
everywhere are speaking up and working together. Just look. #GoodNew
Corporate/business
- LEGO
Foundation awards Sesame Workshop $100 million grant for children affected by
the Rohingya and Syrian crises.
- Facebook will commit $300 million to support local journalism.
- Netflix will not film teen drama “OBX” in NC to protest the
state’s discriminatory “bathroom bill.”
- Mutual
of Omaha agrees to end its discriminatory practice of denying long-term
care coverage to residents taking HIV-prevention medication.
Groups and
organizations
- Little
League International issues a new
rule banning
racially derogatory, insensitive, and discriminatory team names.
- The
Killers release a powerful film and song, Land of the Free, to highlight injustice our shores.
- The
Vera Institute and Georgetown University on
- demonstrate the benefit of providing
education to people in prison and harmful impact of withholding access to
federal Pell grants.
News with heart