Updates and Action Alerts

The next action of the 10 actions (we are at #4) is "A Day Without A Woman."  The text from the link follows below:

On International Women's Day, March 8th, women and our allies will act together for equity, justice and the human rights of women, through a one-day demonstration of economic solidarity.

The Women's March supports the feminists of color and grassroots groups organizing the International Women’s Strike on International Women's Day, March 8th, 2017. In the same spirit of love and liberation that inspired the Women's March, together we will mark the day by recognizing the enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socio-economic system--while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment, and job insecurity.

Anyone, anywhere, can join by making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, in one or all of the following ways:

-Women take the day off, from paid and unpaid labor
-Avoid shopping for one day (with exceptions for small, women- and minority-owned businesses).
-Wear RED in solidarity with A Day Without A Woman

The Women's March celebrates the labor the International Women's Strike organizers and others in planning global actions. We are also inspired by recent courageous actions like the "Bodega strike" lead by Yemeni immigrant store owners in New York City and the Day Without Immigrants across the U.S. We applaud the efforts of #GrabYourWallet and others to bring public accountability to unethical corporate practices. As we mark A Day Without a Woman, we do so in support and solidarity of these and all efforts for equity, justice and human rights.

When millions of us stood together in January, we saw clearly that our army of love greatly outnumbers that of fear, greed and hatred. Let's raise our voices together again, to say that women’s rights are human rights, regardless of a woman’s race, ethnicity, religion, immigration status, sexual identity, gender expression, economic status, age or disability.

Recognizing the multiple, intersecting identities of women, we support and admire these efforts:
#DIVESTDAPL
#GRABYOURWALLET


There are updates on the blog about Environmental Justice and Immigration actions: https://buriennormandypark10actions.blogspot.com/2017/03/action-items-immigration-and.html

ACTION ALERT: STAND UP AGAINST HATE CRIMES

From 5calls.org:

Since Trump’s election in November, there has been an uptick in hate crimes against vulnerable communities across the United States. This includes overt gestures such as swastika graffiti and the toppling of headstones in Jewish cemeteries, to much more violent crimes such as the arson of mosques in Texas and Florida, and the horrific killings of an Indian-American engineer in Kansas. On February 27th alone, 23 Jewish community centers across the country, including many childcare centers, received bomb threats. This brings the number of bomb threats against Jewish centers to over 100 since January.

Now is not the time to pretend this isn’t happening. We cannot let white nationalism take seed in our country. Our shared American morals are inclusion and tolerance, and we will never tolerate hate against those of different ethnicities, races, and religions. We must demand an immediate investigation of these crimes, punish the perpetrators, and unite as Americans no matter where we originated or what religious beliefs we live by.

Department of Justice Civil Rights Division: 1-202-514-4609

Script:

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I'm a concerned citizen from [CITY, ZIP].

I am calling today to ask for a full and unified investigation into the multitude of recent hates crimes, such as the mosque burnings, Jewish Community Center bomb threats and the racially motivated shooting of an Indian engineer. These crimes are appalling and must be investigated immediately to ensure a safe America for everyone.

Thank you for your time and attention.

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

Upcoming Events:

Thursday March 2nd, 1-2pm Burien Press: Meet Your Neighbor series. Karen Little will be speaking about her experience as a Japanese American

Friday March 3rd: Get together with Rachel Berkson, Rep. Pramila Jayapal's staff person in Seattle.  Rachel, who recently was Exec Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, will meet with us at 4:30 in the new White Center Library, 1409 SW 107th St, Seattle, WA 98146.

Saturday, March 4th: Rep. Adam Smith's town hall had to move to a bigger location.  It's now at Kings Hall, 2727 29th Ave S., Seattle 98144, from 10:30 to noon.

Monday, March 6th: Rep. Pramila Jayapal's town hall will take place in the great hall of Seattle's Town Hall, 8th and Seneca downtown at 5:30.

Thursday, March 9th, 6:30 p.m at Burien Community Church: "Meet Your Muslim Neighbor." Theresa Crecelius and her family will be sharing about their experience.

Also on Thursday, March 9th, 6:30 p.m.: Indivisibles meeting at Highline United Methodist Church. This is a potluck gathering.

(we will work to avoid schedule conflicts like this in the future!)

Next Burien/Normandy Park 10 Actions Group Meeting: Tuesday, March 14th, 6:30 p.m. at Burien Community Church

(if you would like to donate, the cost for the facility is $25 for the entire group)

ACTION ITEMS: Immigration and Environmental Justice

Immigration 101 for Allies and Service Providers (in English)
Our office has partnered with the Seattle Public Library and Northwest Immigrant Rights Project to offer this workshop: Immigration 101 for Allies and Service Providers on Thursday, March 2, 6:00 pm-8:30 pm at the downtown Seattle Public Library (1000 Fourth Ave, 98104). The audience for this workshop includes service providers and anyone who works with immigrants and refugees. By the end of the training, you will be better able to communicate accurate information about various immigration issues to your immigrant and refugee friends and neighbors.
Please RSVP at the Facebook event here. There is no registration for the event, as it is first come, first served. So please RSVP at the Facebook event page and come early! The event will also be broadcast via Facebook Live.
Phinney Ridge Know Your Rights Training (in Spanish)
Also, the nonprofit organization Colectiva Legal del Pueblo is offering a free Know Your Rights training for immigrants and their families with the Phinney Neighborhood Association. The event will be held on Saturday, March 11 at 2:00 pm at the Phinney Center (6532 Phinney Ave N, 98103) and will be facilitated in Spanish, including a Q&A.
El Centro de la Raza Emergency Safety Planning Assistance for Families (in Spanish)
From now until March 4, El Centro de la Raza is offering free Family Safety Planning and Know Your Rights trainings for families with children who have parents facing potential detainment or deportation. No appointment is necessary. The drop-ins are at El Centro de la Raza (2524 16th Ave S, 98144).More information is at El Centro's Facebook page.

Additionally, we have heard that another executive order on border security is set to be released this week. If you or anyone you know is an immigrant and plans to travel any time soon, we recommend that you enter in your travel information at this site airportlawyer.org. By using this site, immigrants and families arriving into airports around the country will have access to free legal help when they need it. You must enter in your travel details before you travel.

Lastly, I wanted you to know that the city has taken legal action to fight the federal executive orders. Last week, Mayor Ed Murray announced his plans to issue FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests to federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to answer questions about the president's executive orders, as well as the administration's plans for DACA and sanctuary cities. More about that here.

Also, we have joined in the amicus brief in Darweesh v. Donald Trump, seeking an injunction against President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban. The brief challenges the President’s ban on the grounds it violates the due process of valid visa holders and imposes a de facto religious test on immigrants. More information here.

We believe that the rule of law is on our side.

Thank you,
Cuc

P.S. Our Facebook and Twitter pages have the most up-to-date information related to immigrant and refugee issues. Follow us for the latest developments.

P.P.S. If you are looking for Know Your Rights info online to disseminate to community members and friends, check out these resources in multiple languages from the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project:nwirp.org/resources/know-your-rights/
 

ACTION: Prevent the Dismantling of the EPA

On February 3rd, U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida introduced HR 861, a bill that proposes to terminate the Environmental Protection Agency. Since its inception in 1970, the EPA has written and enforced federal regulations that protect the health of America's people and lands. Through legislation such as the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA implements pollution control standards and prosecutes corporations that violate them. In addition, its Superfund program manages hazardous waste and cleans up chemical/oil spills.

The EPA also plays a major role in science. It conducts cutting-edge research on climate change, and it investigates ways to save our planet from the damage that humans have caused. Volatile environmental conditions, including rising sea levels and droughts, may soon become some of the most serious threats to our nation. The EPA protects not only the American people, but also American prosperity well into the future.

Call this office:

Pramila Jayapal D-WA

+1 202-225-3106

Your script:

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].

I'm calling to voice my opposition to HR 861, which would terminate the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA works to keep Americans safe from contagious diseases and toxic pollution, and I expect [Rep's Name] to stand up for this vital agency.

Thank you for working hard to answer the phones.

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

ACTION: Stop the Rollback of Oil and Gas Regulations

Using the obscure Congressional Review Act, the House has already passed a resolution to repeal the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane waste prevention rule put in place by the Obama Administration. The rule limits the amount of methane that can be vented, flared, or leaked onto public lands by oil and gas drilling companies. The amount of this methane waste not only affects the environment by filling the air with disease-causing pollutants and jeopardizing the purity of lands, but it also affects taxpayer revenue. The more methane that is wasted during the drilling process, the fewer natural gas royalties taxpayers can collect. Without regulating the amount of methane waste, an estimated $800 million could be lost in direct payments to the public over the next decade.

The House resolution to repeal the BLM methane waste rule, HJ Res 36, now heads to the Senate for a vote, expected soon.

Call this office:

Maria Cantwell D-WA

+1 202-224-3441

Your script:

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I'm a constituent from [CITY, ZIP]. I'm calling to urge [SENATOR'S NAME] to vote against HJ Res 36 and keep in place the BLM methane waste prevention rule. It is a necessary protection for both taxpayer revenue and the cleanliness of our air.

Thank you for your hard work answering the phones.

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

Upcoming Events: 

1. Burien/Normandy Park 10 Actions Group Tuesday, March 14th, at 6:30 p.m. at the same location--Burien Community Church, 16241 19th Ave. SW in Burien (this will also be our next subgroup meeting)

2. NEXT MONDAY, March 6, Rep. Pramila Jayapal Town Hall at Town Hall in Capitol Hill, http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/event/jayapal-town-hall/

3. TOMORROW Join Radical Public Health UW for an evening of discussion and consciousness-raising about the root causes and myriad dangers of the global climate change crisis. In the current political context, local and global, it is more important than ever before to have honest, unapologetic discussions about this growing emergency.

Doors open at 5, event begins at 5:30. 
5:30 - 6:30 Dr. Rob Wallace
6:30 - 7:30 Women of Color Speak Out

The event will be led off by Rob Wallace, an evolutionary biologist and public health phylogeographer based at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Wallace will give a lecture titled "Capitalocene Park: Lucrative Risks in Neoliberal Public Health", analyzing public health and climate change in the context of John Bellamy Foster and Jason Moore's debates over the effects of capitalism on nature (and more specifically on influenza and other pathogens). The discussion will continue with Women of Color Speak Out leading a panel on climate justice through an intersectional lens, connecting global warming to systems of oppression. Women of Color Speak Out has been a consistent and powerful force in climate justice activism in Seattle, and we are very excited they will be here with us to share their experiences, insights, and perspectives. This event is free of charge and open to the public. Spread the word and bring a friend!

4. Save Our Planet March in Seattle, April 21st (anti-nuclear weapons): https://popularresistance.org/calendar1/save-our-planet/

5. March for Science April 22nd (Earth Day): https://www.marchforscience.com/

Updates and Actions

Hi everyone,

It has been a doozy of a week. And more is coming down the pike.

Some of you like to make calls, some of you want to take to the streets. I'm trying to include a sample of a variety of actions one can take in this email.

I also want to acknowledge that not every issue strikes each of us in the same way. Some of us may have different beliefs/feelings on certain things. That's okay. You can choose to participate in what you want to. The goal of our group, at this point, is to inform and draw together to work with neighbors on the things that are important to us, and not everything will carry the same weight.

For those that like to make calls, 5calls.org is the best resource I have seen. I'm not including every call in this email, but you can look there for others to make. Here are two below to make to Pramila Jayapal, 202-225-3106. Mention the bill number below (it begins with H.R.) and express your concerns about eliminating the Election Assistance Commission and your desire to Ensure the Protection of Federal Lands.

Election Assistance Commission

While the Senate was voting to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, the House Committee on House Administration voted 6-3 (along party lines) in favor of H.R. 634, the Election Assistance Commission Termination Act, which would shut down the federal agency that helps states regulate voting systems and administer election standards. Created after the chaotic presidential election of 2000, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) secures our voting process and infrastructure, providing support that local election officials rely on. Now, the House Committee has decided that we no longer need it.

In 2014, President Obama’s Presidential Commission on Election Administration tasked the EAC with modernizing our severely outdated voting machines with more efficient, secure technology. Terminating the EAC would abruptly end its important work, putting our democratic process at a higher risk for voting irregularities, machine failures, and hacks. This is a stunning move by Congress, especially after Russia’s proven attempts to hack into state voter registration databases and destabilize our entire presidential election.

Ensure the Protection of Federal Lands

On January 24th, Republican representative Jason Chaffetz introduced two bills, H.R. 621 and H.R. 622, designed to shift control of federal lands (national forests and other lands preserved for recreation, hunting, fishing, conservation, etc) from federal government authorities (the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service) to individual states. If this legislation passes, state governments may privatize these lands for a variety of uses, including mining, logging, construction, and other destructive activities.

* H.R. 621 would have resulted in the sale of 3.3 million acres of federal lands to the states and was withdrawn on February 2nd after a large public backlash.

* H.R. 622 is still in play. It removes legal authority from the BLM and the Forest Service, transferring it to individual states and local law enforcement. The major loss of federal resources and oversight will burden local governments, which will likely decriminalize destructive private use or simply fail to enforce existing laws, thereby deprioritizing the protection of public lands.

For those that want to take to the streets:

Stand with Planned Parenthood in Kent this Saturday from 8:30-11. More information here: https://www.facebook.com/events/377253709302982/ 

Black Lives Matter/Tax Day March: Saturday, April 15th, 2pm-6pm at Westlake: https://www.facebook.com/events/1821071081482170/

Save Our Planet March in Seattle, April 21st (anti-nuclear weapons): https://popularresistance.org/calendar1/save-our-planet/

March For Science April 22nd (Earth Day): https://www.marchforscience.com/

I will be sending out some information on civil disobedience training soon.