"Why I Adore Joe Biden"

Before we get to our featured blog,  here are some photos from a recent motorcade protest.

 #FreeThemAll

Even in this day of "social distancing,"  it's still possible to make your voice heard. Non-violent inmates need to be released from jails where the coronavirus can spread quickly. Toledo-area protestors donned their masks, placed their posters and banners on their vehicles and circled the block, honking and chanting until the prisoners in the Lucas County Jail banged on their windows in response. 

Will the Sheriff release these prisoners to their families until their trial dates? We'll see. But time is of the essence, and compassion is every bit a part of justice and rehabilitation.  Human beings shouldn't be locked up simply because they cannot afford bail. There is no reason to let these non-violent detainees be exposed to and possibly die from COVID-19.  Keep shouting at the walls until they come crumbling down!

Read more about the protest: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/city/2020/04/18/motorcade-of-protestors-demand-release-of-non-violent-inmates-toledo-lucas-county/stories/20200418081 

And now our guest blogger shares why she can't wait to vote for the former vice president.

"Why I Adore Joe Biden"

By A. Riche-Persson

I’m excited! I can’t wait to cast my vote for President of the United States for Joe Biden. He’s the man who represents everything I know and love. Things will stay the same under good ol’ Uncle Joe, and that’s the way it should be. We can’t be changing everything to suit the whims of the public, can we? They didn’t go to Ivy League schools, and they can’t even manage an invite to my yachting club regatta. We need to keep things in the hands of those who know best, don’t you think?

And all this blah-blah-blah from the Bernie Bros about Medicare for All —who needs it? I have great private health insurance. It even covered my Botox injections and my tummy tuck last year with just a mere ten thou deductible. Couch change! All red-blooded Americans everywhere love their private health insurance according to Joe. Nobody worth anything would be caught dead walking into a hospital with a Medicare card. You wouldn't catch me doing something so lowbrow! It doesn’t go well with my designer purse and matching heels, either.

These hippie peaceniks who keep saying things about Joe voting for the Iraq War and that he never met a war he didn’t like and that he was a friend of segragationalists in the past? Well I say, “Pfft!” War is great for business and that’s what America is all about – business. My Raytheon stocks skyrocket every time dear Donald rattles his sword, and I’m certain Joe will do the same. He’s got an interest in seeing those stock prices go up and up, especially after all this unnecessary shut down of our economy with this coronavirus hoax. It’s just like the flu I hear. And nobody wants their kids to attend school with ghetto scum. Joe was dead right on that issue. Get over it, crybabies.

Where was Joe during all these coronavirus town halls that Bernie put on? Does it really make a difference that he was taking a nap? Who needs all these extra people crowding up the place anyway? I think we could stand to lose a few thousand hoboes sleeping on our park benches and who would miss a few thousand old people or grocery stockers or cashiers or daycare workers here or there? (I get my food delivered to my door, the back door, I think... I let my cook and housekeeper handle that sort of thing.)  

What I’m saying is that America has more than enough people, so let the virus get rid of a few of them. It’s back to work the rest of you lazy bums so my company can realize a good dividend by the quarter’s end. Joe will make sure America is up and working. What I mean by that is that you all will be back to work so I can continue to live off the money you make for me.

Oh, and you’re begging for free money because you lost your job, along with free health care from the government? Who told you to get sick? Nobody! What do you think government is for? Looking out after your health and safety? No, it’s for keeping business people like me afloat and bailing out our banks when they make a bad decision or two. We are the “job creators” after all. All those million of small businesses in small town America just get in the way of our big monopolies making a bigger profit. The government needs to protect us from these annoying little challengers to the free market system. Go big or go out of business is what I say!

Yes, I do like how Joe believes the oil, gas and coal companies deserve to be given massive tax breaks, and we should hinder solar and wind energy technologies from growing and expanding. We don’t want to use up all the sunlight and wind too quickly—what would we do at the beach if we didn’t have sun and wind? Our sailboats wouldn’t work, and I’d have to go to the salon for a fake tan. No way am I going to turn myself orange like you-know-who!

Speaking of colors, Green New Deal? What kind of deal is that? (I look better in black.) The Earth was put here for our plundering. And gasoline is cheap--I filled up my three Escalades for next to nothing this past week.  The Obama Administration was the leader in bringing fracking to the world. Joe will continue that legacy, no fear. So, frack away and let's enjoy the open road in big thirsty cars. Vroom-vroom!

We want Joe to be in office so he can put in a Supreme Court justice replacement for Ruth Ginsburg who will stand up for a woman’s right to… do something. I know Joe said something about how this old-fashioned Roe v. Wade decision could be let out to pasture. It’s not like women can’t easily jump on a plane or a yacht and go elsewhere for an abortion, right? We don’t want to be paying for  poor women’s mistakes or paying to feed and clothe all their baby mistakes. They need to get off their lazy welfare queen butts and get a job waiting tables. Pull themselves up by their own bootstraps! Government money should be put to better use for the good of all—like bailing out the banks again when they need it in the future.

I certainly want to commend Joe for doing a great job to putting conservative-business-minded men like Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court back in the day. Joe raked that Anita Hill over the coals for saying the same things about Justice Thomas that some are saying about Joe nowadays—that they sexually harassed women who worked under them. 

There’s the problem right there. These women work under them, and so they deserve to have their butts pinched and be kept in their place. We can’t have uppity-types telling wealthy, powerful men to keep their hands to themselves. They have the money after all. They pay your wages. They own you, you good-for-nothings!

At the end of the day, how can I resist that sexy way Joe comes right up behind me at a thousand dollar a plate fundraiser and breathes in my hair? Ooo! I get shivers down my spine just thinking about his presidential hands all over me. Just call me "Monica," haha! All these people who get bent out of shape because of a few gals who didn’t care for his pawing just haven’t enjoyed having sex with a rich and powerful person before, and they’re just plain jealous of those of us who have. LOL!

I hope you can see now why Joe Biden would make a super president for people like us. He’s older and wealthy and white—so he understands how it feels to have to put up with the rabble that Bernie guy and other Lefties roused up. Joe was a huge supporter of Bill Clinton's wonderful crime bill in 1994 that locked up all those naughty black and brown people who smoked too much marijuana (not sold by our new corporate cannabis operations). He’ll continue to militarize the police so they’ll keep things the way they should be and deal with those troublemakers. We’ll all prosper and not have to worry about our share prices dropping precipitously under a Biden administration.

That’s all we really need in a president anyway, right? More of the same, 'cause happy days are here again! Even Republicans like Joe Biden and say they'll vote for him. With Donny or Joe in the Oval Office, we'll all be raking in the cash and rolling in the dough like we are now. And a healthy stock market is a great thing for all Americans, don't you agree?  

Don't believe me? Well, this gal says she'll vote for Joe (holding her nose) https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/62473-focus-i-cant-believe-i-have-to-vote-for-joe-biden

But this guy says you actually have a choice and you don't have to vote for him if you don't want to. As if!  https://medium.com/@danielca/dont-vote-for-joe-biden-the-case-for-the-green-party-in-2020-fcae946e0ffc

:BIO: "A. Riche-Persson" (or Ayn to her friends) is a member of the country club down the road and thinks she knows what's best for those who haven't been blessed with her good looks (and face lifts) and brains (she attended Yale, but married a millionaire and forgot to finish her degree). Heed her advice and you, too, can become well-connected in a corporate-owned-and-operated establishment party like the DNC. Just leave your conscience at the door with the coat check girl.

For more on Biden's background, check out this informative blog post from last year -- Biden: My Time? https://bernie2016.blogspot.com/2019/04/biden-my-time.html

UPDATE: New Evidence Supporting Credibility of Tara Reade's Allegation Against Joe Biden Emerges: https://theintercept.com/2020/04/24/new-evidence-tara-reade-joe-biden/

Now for a different viewpoint of what's happening in the world. Lee asks, "Will things ever be the same?" (And will we ever see that $12,000 yearly we've all been paying out to the 1% since 1980?)

https://youtu.be/HO0aB_VuoGo

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For families locked away in the Trump administration's detention centers, there are zero options to stay safe from the coronavirus. Even in the middle of a pandemic, authorities are keeping dozens of families away from their loved ones in facilities with limited access to soap or adequate medical treatment.
Two of the largest U.S. private prison profiteers have already recorded cases of COVID-19 among their staff and the people they've detained. [1] 

There is no time to waste: Rush an urgent message to state and federal legislators and DEMAND that they IMMEDIATELY end the use of private prisons and release vulnerable populations so they can reunite with their families and socially distance safely.

ACT NOW

When an outbreak occurs in a detention center, the families there won't be the only ones at risk: the staff who work in these facilities could take the virus home, and put their entire communities at risk of exposure.
 
By demanding an end to the use of private prisons, we can help thousands of children and their families escape conditions that will condemn them to needless suffering and death from COVID-19. 70% of all immigrants detained by the Trump administration are held in private prisons. Ending the use of private prisons would release many migrant children and families in federal detention, and seriously affect the Trump administration's ability to separate more families in the future. 

This pandemic reminds us that we are intertwined. You can't cage a virus; the only way to ensure our collective health is to care for each other. To do that, we have to fight back against this administration's abusive policies that endanger families in federal detention and beyond. 

Tell federal and state lawmakers to end the use of private prisons and protect incarcerated people from COVID-19.
 
Thanks for all you do,
Jess Morales Rocketto
Families Belong Together

[1] A Second ICE Detainee in Louisiana has Tested Positive for COVID-19

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Don't let the coronavirus make us homeless. Demand an end to rent and mortgage payments during the crisis.

Sign Now

Over ten million U.S. citizens filed unemployment claims in just two weeks due to the intentional economic shutdown to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Unemployment websites are crashing, many people are not even eligible, and the one-time $1,200 checks promised by the government will not even cover many people's rent. In short: millions of Americans have no way to pay their rent or mortgage right now. That's why we need to demand leaders put a freeze on rent and mortgage payments during the pandemic for both individuals and businesses. Sign the petition if you agree! A national landlord association reported that a full one-third of renters in the U.S. failed to pay their rent during the first week of April and May is going to be even worse. While some cities have put a moratoreum on evictions, that just means rent and mortgage payments will pile up during that time and folks will be evicted as soon as those moratoreums are lifted. The only ethical, humane answer is for lawmakers to put a freeze on rent and mortgage payments, and they have the power to do it. Please sign on to help make sure no one ends up homeless due to this global crisis. Thank you, Kelsey B. The Care2 Petitions Team

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From Color of Change:

We just received great news to provide us all with a glimmer of hope! Since the outbreak of COVID, we knew we had to fight hard for incarcerated people because our elected leaders failed to make a humane plan to address those who would be hardest hit. 

So we decided to launch our fight.

Thousands of Color Of Change members joined us in pushing to make all communication free of charge for incarcerated people and their families during this crisis, and forever. As of last week, people incarcerated at federal prisons have finally been granted free phone calls during the pandemic, up to 500 minutes a month. Before we launched our campaign and more than 18,000 people signed our petition, many incarcerated folks were only given two fifteen-minute free calls per week, some received even less.

This is what’s possible when we unabashedly fight for those most impacted, in the face of elected leaders who show indifference for incarcerated people. We win and keep families connected!

But C.A., we know we have much more to do to ensure ALL incarcerated people receive the humane response needed to ensure their wellbeing. Here is what we need you to do to continue fighting with us:

  1. Share the petition with your friends and family demanding elected leaders grant ALL incarcerated people with free calls. This includes state prisons, county jails, and all detention centers.

  2. Start or join a local campaign and demand your elected leaders implement a humane plan for incarcerated people. We need mass releases and an end to the constant churn of people in and out of facilities across the country.

Until justice is real,
Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Clarise, Erika, Malachi, Leonard, Marybeth, Madison, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

I Believe Christine (and Anita and Patti and...)

I Believe Christine (and Anita and Patti and...)

by C.A. Matthews

The time we live in is one of skepticism and cynicism.  We trust nobody and trust even less what these "nobodies" have to say. Yet Americans have elected an apparent pathological liar to the highest office in the land. What gives?

When a liar is elevated and adored by many, any persons who are seen as a threat to the worshiped sociopath must be eliminated. Their reputations must be besmirched; their testimony silenced. Truth cannot be allowed to shine on the heroes of darkness, revealing more warts than even the most adoring of fans could tolerate. So truth must be denied and added to the list of ideals to be skeptical of, derided to the point that it becomes the most despised of virtues. Because to quote an infamous Twitterer: "Facts aren't necessary."

Even so, I believe in truth. I believe Christine Blasey Ford. I still believe Anita Hill and the testimony she bravely gave at the Clarence Thomas hearings. Why do I believe these women? It's not just because I'm female and a fellow #MeToo member.  It's not because I've experienced similar horrors or felt powerless to do anything against my attacker. I believe them because I believe any person (male, female or other gender) who is brave enough to admit publicly of being harassed and violated in such an intimate manner is a strong person, and, as such, has no reason to resort to subterfuge to gain an upper hand over the person who wronged them.

A rapist/sexual predator, on the other hand, behaves in the completely opposite manner.  This individual learns to lie and obfuscate to cover his deep-seated sense of inadequacy and self-loathing that manifests itself in an outward hatred and dehumanizing of others. He (face it, most rapists are male) becomes an actor in our "macho tough guy" culture. He knows how to put a woman "in her place" through forcing her to "live through her own death," as rape has been described by many survivors. Laughing it off as "boys will be boys," he seeks to normalize his sadistic behaviors by destroying his victim's reputation. He'll claim she is liar, a whore, an attention seeker or otherwise a person of no consequence. He alone is what society wants and needs. Society shouldn't listen to the hurting souls he leaves in his wake through his violent actions, let alone believe or empathize with them.

I don't believe Brett Kavanaugh knows what truth is--or else he would take himself out of the running for the Supreme Court. If Kavanaugh is being honest with himself, he would understand that his past actions constituted a felony and were physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually harmful to a fellow human being. Of course he would also have to acknowledge that Christine is a human being worthy of respect, which his denial of the importance of this revelation indicates he does not. He is allowing the darkness to dictate his actions, giving into the lie that when a crime isn't reported then there isn't a victim.

But there is a victim, and she is brave enough to come forward to talk about the injustice perpetrated against her. It's the least the senate judiciary committee could do is to let her speak her piece without unwarranted criticisms and slanderous commentary. It's the least they could do to investigate the incident and not take Kavanaugh's dismissal of it as the only evidence they need to place him on the highest court. Revealing the truth is where victims can at last exert some measure of power over their attackers and begin to heal.

To deny the truth doesn't mean the false reality where "boys will be boys" automatically becomes the accepted norm for the majority. Most Americans feel that a rapist is a rapist no matter what term you use to describe this sort of individual. He forces himself on another without pity and enjoys silencing his victim through fear and intimidation that can last a lifetime. If denying climate change doesn't stop the destructive hurricanes and flooding, then why should denying the crime of a man in the running for a high office change the horrendous nature of that crime?

But why Kavanaugh? It seems our current sexual predator/liar-in-chief desires a person possessing a similar outlook on the worth of women sitting on the bench. When push comes to shove, one "good ol' boy sexual predator" will gladly cover for another, won't he? A woman's right to safe and legal abortion, her right to equal pay, her right to feel safe from uncalled for advances from people in a position of power over her--both Kavanaugh and Trump express contempt for these rights. They both seem to enjoy forcing  women into a "helpless" position, making them dependent upon the "help" of men in order to maintain a decent standard of living for themselves and their children.

If you want to know more about "Why Kavanaugh?" please click through to read my article A Matter of Control that I wrote a few weeks ago. It's a control game, all right. The truth-deniers are spinning the narrative on the mainstream media even now. The dirt-diggers will continue flinging mud on Christine Blasey Ford and other women who  come forward to expose the predators in positions of power who hurt them. We can't let these evil-doers get us down. We must continue to believe in the truth and support truth-speakers, because as it is written, "The truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

We need to free ourselves from the lies, hatred and division of our cynical society before it enslaves us all. We need to protect the truth and believe in justice now more than ever.

Related articles:

Christine Blasey Ford agrees to testify before Congress
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/52441-christine-blasey-ford-agrees-to-testify-before-congress-next-week

Second woman accuses Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/24/supreme-court-nominee-kavanaugh-faces-new-sexual-misconduct-claim.html

Lessons never learned--45 years after the All in the Family Episode where Gloria was almost raped
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/52443-rsn-lessons-never-learned

Brett Kavanaugh faces unprecedented opposition
https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/52422-poll-brett-kavanaugh-faces-unprecedented-opposition-to-supreme-court-confirmation

Patti Davis (Ronald Reagan's daughter): I was sexually assaulted...
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/52423-i-was-sexually-assaulted-heres-why-i-dont-remember-many-of-the-details

The Kavanaugh confirmation battle is about to explode
https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/52426-focus-is-the-kavanaugh-confirmation-battle-about-to-explode

Another example of how women are "put in their place" and silenced by our corrupt system:  The Real News Network interviews Green Party candidate for governor, Constance Gadell-Newton, on her platform after being barred from participating in the Ohio governor debates.
https://youtu.be/mWlqsNzrfPI

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Press Release: Ohio Supreme Court Ignores Rights, Blocks Citizen Initiative Protecting Lake Erie - Voting rights and Lake Erie disregarded as justices dispute technicalities
 https://celdf.org/2018/09/press-release-ohio-supreme-court-ignores-rights-blocks-citizen-initiative-protecting-lake-erie/

TOLEDO, OH: On Friday, the Ohio Supreme Court blocked from the November ballot a Toledo citizen’s initiative. The Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR) would have recognized the right of Lake Erie to be healthy and free from pollution that today is killing the Lake and depriving surrounding communities of safe water.

Toledo residents are among eleven million people dependent on Lake Erie for drinking water. Following a 2014 algae bloom that deprived Toledoans of water for three days, community members formed Toledoans for Safe Water. The group requested the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) assist in drafting a bill of rights for Lake Erie as a means to legally protect it. Decades of government regulation have failed to do so. Community members gathered nearly 11,000 signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot.

Over the last 18 months, in addition to blocking the Toledo initiative, the Ohio Supreme Court justices have ruled to keep a number of rights-based initiatives off the ballot that would have protected communities from shale gas drilling and fracking activities. In addition to those justices dissenting from the majority, the remaining justices are disagreeing how to rationalize blocking the people’s right to vote on their own measures.

In Friday’s ruling, a majority made clear the court had made errors in previous decisions regarding these initiatives. Justice Sharon Kennedy concluded, “The public is not under the illusion that we are infallible. There is little harm in admitting that we made a mistake. But recognizing an error in a prior decision is only the first step; sooner or later, we have to rectify it.”

In all of the justices’ machinations, there is but one mention of Lake Erie in a background paragraph. Markie Miller, an organizer with Toledoans for Safe Water, stated, “We the people put in hundreds of volunteer hours collecting nearly 11,000 signatures because we’re alarmed about Lake Erie’s deterioration. We’re apprehensive about the safety of our drinking water. We’re worried about our survival. Our Ohio Supreme Court justices make no mention of any of that in their decision. It is as if Lake Erie and the people are invisible to the court.”

Crystal Jankowski, another organizer with LEBOR, added, “It was devastating to be without water for 3 days in 2014. This is worse. To know that the Lake and my children are at risk because it is legal for the polluters to pollute us, while our own government makes it illegal for us to propose a law to protect the Lake and our children, is beyond devastating. It is the realization that we not only have a water crisis, but we also have a democracy crisis.”

Terry Lodge is a CELDF-affiliated attorney representing the community group. Lodge stated, “There seems to be a ‘ruling class’ divide in the court, yet they all miss the point that the people have the right to directly legislate by initiative. They ignore their own long-standing precedent, which has always been to allow initiatives on the ballot, regardless of constitutionality. No one can interfere with the city council or the state legislature voting on an illegal or unconstitutional bill. It should be the same for the people of the state. It’s clear that our government is afraid to let the people legislate by initiative.”

CELDF is filing a Motion to Reconsider on behalf of community members today, based on a federal judge ruling in Schmitt vs. Husted, Case No. 2:cv-18-966, on September 19th. In that case, two marijuana initiatives kept off the November ballot by the Portage County Board of Elections were ordered on the ballot.

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Power to the people and not the corporations!  

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From the National Domestic Workers Alliance:

I can't stop thinking about Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who courageously came forward to share her story of being sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. As a survivor, I know how difficult it is to come forward. I believe her. That's why I decided to add my voice to this video.

Watch the video, and co-sign our letter: #DearProfessorFord, we believe you, and we honor your strength.

This nomination process cannot go forward without a full and fair FBI investigation into the case.

The #MeToo movement has given us the courage to demand that survivors be heard and supported. And no matter how powerful -- even those nominated to the highest court in the land -- those who are accused of abuse should be fully investigated.

It's hard to overstate the stakes with this nomination: it's a lifetime appointment that could affect everything we care about: Workers' Rights, Marriage Equality, DACA, Citizens United, Roe vs Wade -- many court cases that have a profound impact on our lives.

Please, watch this video, share it -- and support Dr. Blasey Ford.

Sincerely,

Ai-jen Poo
Director
National Domestic Workers Alliance

 ***

Can you imagine your home is no longer safe because of the horrors of bombs, blockades, or floods? And you’re forced to flee with your family, across land and water, not knowing what’s ahead? That when you finally arrive, you’re ordered to “go back where you came from.” You’re told you are criminal, a burden, unwelcome.

This heartbreaking story is an everyday refugee story in our world. And Trump is making it even worse.

Last night, the Trump administration further dismantled the Refugee Admissions Program by announcing an all-time record low admissions cap of 30,000 for fiscal year 2019. This is WAY below even a bare minimum needed for the program to survive. 

This is unacceptable. And what’s worse is that Trump is required to consult with Congress before setting this cap —but he didn’t. That’s illegal.
I’ll be really blunt: Congress has to grow a spine and step in to stop Trump’s hateful and illegal anti-refugee agenda. But our elected officials will only act if we make them. So that’s where we come in.

Tell Congress: Act immediately to stop Trump from slamming the doors shut on refugees for good. 

The U.S. should be opening our doors to refugees. After all, our failed violence-first foreign policies drive displacement around the globe, from war to climate change. Yet, instead, Trump is barricading our borders to those our own policies harm.

Congress MUST stand with the American people and honor our nation’s aspiration to be a refuge for those in need. If our elected representatives stay silent now, they will enable Donald Trump in slamming shut our nation’s doors for decades to come. And we need to make very sure they know it.

Tell Congress to act immediately and stop Trump from dismantling the life-saving refugee resettlement program.

Refugee and migrant solidarity is one of the biggest anti-war issues of our time. Refugees already face insurmountable obstacles in fleeing the frontlines of war, climate catastrophes, and social and economic inequalities in pursuit of sanctuary and dignity. We must not make this pursuit impossible.

Thank you for working for peace,
Mariam, Tara, Cassandra, and the Win Without War team

***

From the Sierra Club:

We have less than two weeks to stop the anti-environmental provisions of the House Farm Bill in final negotiations with the Senate, which will shape the next five years of food, farming, agricultural and environmental policy.  
 

Tell your Members of Congress to urge House and Senate Conferees to pass a Farm Bill free of anti-environmental riders. With increasing assaults on federal environmental protections from the Trump administration, time is of the essence and we cannot afford to lose bedrock environmental safeguards that regulate toxics and ensure clean, safe food, and drinking water!

A clean bill would promote sustainable agriculture, and support local communities, without making egregious cuts to funding for local food systems, weakening the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) designed to curb hunger, and trampling state and county rights -- including the right to regulate pesticides!

The House Farm Bill is full of anti-environmental provisions that would even gut the Clean Water Act, log away our national forests, harm conservation policies and launch a total attack on the Endangered Species Act.
 

Tell Congress to keep toxic, anti-environmental riders out of the Farm Bill now! We need legislation that puts local farms, communities, and environment first.

Thanks,

Kirin Kennedy

Associate Director for Legislative and Administrative Advocacy

Lands and Wildlife, Sierra Club

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From RootsAction:

The Trump administration continues to keep children locked up whom it has torn away from their parents.

And the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement routinely denies or limits journalists access to child "detention centers," arguing that it needs to protect the privacy of children.

But professional journalists are capable of reporting on children responsibly, and the government could easily negotiate with them on ways to do so.

If reporters are locked out, the public is denied its right to freedom of the press and the ability to engage in self-governance.

Click here to join RootsAction and a huge coalition in demanding access to these child jails so that the U.S. public can see what is being done with our money and in our name.

Our Message to Office of Refugee Resettlement:

Since May of 2017, the number of migrant children in custody has jumped from 2,400 to 12,800 as of September. The administration’s recent investment in “tent cities,” which provide harsh living conditions for children, is horrifying and unacceptable. The Office of Refugee Resettlement routinely denies or limits journalists access to child detention centers, arguing the need to protect the privacy of children. But professional journalists are capable of reporting on children responsibly. We demand that journalists be given immediate increased access to detention centers―to honor our constitutional right of freedom of the press and to ensure government transparency and accountability. Only through our free press will we begin to understand and be able to address the humanitarian crisis at our southern border.

Add your name now by clicking here.

After signing the petition, please use the tools on the next webpage to share it with your friends.