The System Isn't Broken

 

Maybe we should junk the whole thing and start over?

The System Isn't Broken

(A Tribute to RBG)  

By Redd Phlagg

You can become overloaded with others' bellyaching at times. You have to tune it out to preserve your sense of sanity. With the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg, a whole new round of neoliberal woe-is-me-ing has begun to get on my nerves. The fact of the matter is it's all for naught and your tears of righteous indignation are just going to circle the proverbial drain, unheeded.

For all intents and purposes, the system is working in the way it is intended. It's efficiently replacing one cog in the pro-corporate, pro-billionaire machine with another. Already the "left wing" of the "same bird" is stepping aside and allowing the "right wing" to replace Justice Ginsberg with the puppet of their choosing. Nothing unusual there. It's business as usual. And it is business as in a "America's business is business" sort of way.

The system isn't broken as many attest and needs to be fixed. It's fixed in place, servicing well those it was meant to serve--the oligarchs, the 1%, the rich, whatever you want to call them. So, stop the crying about how "democracy is at stake" if a pseudo-left-leaning judge isn't appointed to the Supreme Court. How would it make any difference who is picked and placed in that spot? As long as the billionaires are getting their way, Trump could appoint Daffy Duck to the court, and they'd give Daffy their blessing.

Your needs and wishes are not all that important, peons. Get over yourselves!

If you want to use that righteous indignation in a productive way, stop the neolib whinging and start marching to the beat of a different drummer. Try democratic eco-socialism. Face it--we don't live in a democracy. We never have. If we did, all voices would be heard and attended to instead of only white males with tons of wealth.  If this doesn't describe you, then this isn't the system of government for you.

We don't take care of our neighbors as we should--we have our militarized police shoot human beings dead for driving, walking or sleeping while black, or lock them up in ICE detention if they're brown with a Spanish accent. That ain't democracy--that's fascism. Trying to perpetuate this totally f***ed up system with its easily corrupted checks and balances--or "checkbook balances of the rich"--is societal suicide.

And just stop it with the "Saint Obama would have never done such awful things!" bullshit. Who do you think set up the ICE deportation centers in the first place--Trump? Did Obama shut down Gitmo? (Answer: Nope to both questions.) These travesties of justice didn't just materialize overnight because "Trump." Remember, you're living in a fascist failed state. These concepts and anti-democratic institutions have been developed, perfected  and implemented over years, many years.

Now do you understand why replacing one "rubberstamp the corrupt system" justice with another doesn't make one speck of difference? Things are going to run the same way for the benefit of the same folks (the 1%) if we continue to prop up the dirty system we got now.

Solution? Tear it all down and start fresh.

As Thomas Jefferson said:

The system ain't working for you, but it's not "broken" by a long shot. It's just totally and utterly corrupt, and it breeds and nurtures corrupt leadership and creates corrupt practices and then it rewards even more corrupt men with them. That's all it was ever meant to do. Well, that and fool ordinary people into putting up with it.

Don't expect things to change for the better if you're not willing to stop putting up with corruption and fight it. Save your energy for the struggles ahead in tearing the whole system down and replacing it with something that is actually democratic. And while you're at it, can your insipid moping over a dead one-percenter Supreme Court justice. She's resting in a better, safer place than you are currently, right? I think even Ruth would tell you, "Stop whining and get to work!"

BIO: Redd Phlagg has had enough of those who can't see the forest for the trees and easily fall for the latest mainstream media drivel. Redd says, "It's time to grow a pair and think for yourself before it's too late! Our founders would not be proud of how we're handling things. They didn't sit on their butts and complain--they took it to the streets and made some noise and kicked out the bums holding them back. What's holding you back? Worried you'll miss your favorite Netflix show or break a nail? Get over yourselves!"

Here's yet another example of the mainstream media propagating propaganda and writing hit pieces to cover up neoliberal lies and campaign mistakes. Jimmy Dore on the Dems: "How is disenfranchising voters encouraging them to vote for Democrats down ticket? Their voter outreach should be called 'bullying into submission'... If the Democrats understood irony they'd change their name."

https://youtu.be/VBUXTMJSelw

***

From Move to Amend:

The system isn't broken. It's fixed. These converging crises -- public health, racist police violence, and ecological collapse -- are laying bare who, and what, matters most in our system. Should we be surprised? Well, no. How can we be surprised that profit and property are consistently prioritized over human beings, when our founding documents -- that still guide our system to this day -- were written to do exactly that? And what would it look like if we had a People's Constitution? Join us for a People's Movement Assembly, where people from all walks of life will come together and envision a country and a world with genuine and vibrant democracy. "Toward a People's Constitution" October 24-25th *RSVP HERE* This conversation might not be for everyone. But if you’re ready to come together with other passionate people and envision together what we would want in a Peoples Constitution -- and figure out how to build towards that vision -- you are invited. This two day event will include art shares, panel discussions, small group breakouts, planning and community building. Move to Amend is partnering with other organizations like the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund and A Radical Guide to put forth a rich and visionary weekend October 24th and 25th.  Learn more and RSVP at MoveToAmend.org/PMA In Solidarity, Jessica, Greg, Keyan, Joni, Milly, Kaitlin, Shelly, Alfonso, Daniel, Leila, Jason, Tara, George,  - Move to Amend National Team

 ***

From Faithful America:

In a year full of grave racial injustices, this is some of the worst.

U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement has been forcing women in ICE detention to receive hysterectomies against their will. The horrifying news comes from heroic whistleblower Nurse Dawn Wooten, who worked at ICE's Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia.

Let that sink in: The days of the Tuskegee experiment, when our government intentionally let Black Americans suffer from syphilis, are not over. Violent, state-sanctioned medical abuse against women of color is still rampant in the United States.

When Jesus' mother Mary sang of bringing down the powerful from their thrones, it was surely with abusive governments like this in mind. A fundamentally racist system must be changed, and the corrupt authorities who have enabled it -- including Donald Trump and his allies -- must be swept from power.

The first step is to put our faith into action by supporting the calls of local organizers to permanently shut down Irwin.

Tell Congress: Shut Down ICE's Irwin Detention Center >>

This is forced sterilization – and it fits the broader pattern of racist abuse that has characterized the U.S. immigration system for decades. Immigration officials have been repeatedly accused of rape inside detention cells, filming women as they showered, shackling pregnant women, ignoring miscarriages, and threatening victims with deportation if they speak out. The problems have only grown worse in recent years, emboldened by Donald Trump's hatred.

It is not surprising to learn of such atrocities from an administration also guilty of separating families, rejecting refugees, teargassing those who protest for racial justice, banning Muslims, desecrating sacred Native lands, and supporting white supremacists.

Yet some have been brave enough to speak out. In Georgia, organizers and attorneys have been taking complaints of medical neglect for a long time. In Texas in late February, Cameroonian women at an ICE facility staged a sit-in to protest their lack of medical care. What's different this time is the courage shown by whistleblower Dawn Wooten.

Nurse Dawn is a Black woman, and Black women have often been the bedrock of social change. She will likely be the subject of racist attacks herself, which makes it all the more important that we believe her, support her, amplify her complaint, and condemn racism whenever and wherever we see it.

Tell Congress: Shut Down ICE's Irwin Detention Center >>

Thank you for everything you do to love your neighbor, welcome immigrants, and oppose both racism and sexism. After you sign this petition, we'll send you several next steps you can take in the fight against injustice.

In peace,
Rev. Nathan and the Faithful America team

***

From Color of Change:

Prosecutors have failed to deliver justice for Breonna Taylor.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the decision we were all fearing he’d make: No murder charges will be filed against the police officers who murdered Breonna Taylor in her home. Just one officer was charged with "wanton endangerment," and it was NOT for shooting Bre.¹

After 194 days.

2.3 million petition signatures.

100,000 phone calls.

And a global uprising demanding justice for our sister, Breonna Taylor.

No justice was served.

By failing to bring murder charges in the brutal killing of Breonna Taylor, Attorney General Cameron has failed to deliver justice for Bre. Instead, after more than six months, all we’ve received is a second injustice as Bre’s killers — Brett Hankinson, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove — walk free with no murder charges. 

Elected officials at every level — from Mayor Greg Fischer and Commonwealth’s Attorney Tomas Wine to AG Daniel Cameron — all failed Breonna, her family, and the millions of people like you who demanded justice. 

Cindy, this moment is more than disheartening — it’s infuriating. And while you may be thinking, “what more must we do to get justice for a Black woman murdered by police?”, don’t forget what we’ve made possible since March: After millions demanded #JusticeforBre, the phony charge against her boyfriend Kenneth Walker was dropped. Louisville voted to ban no-knock warrants. Audio of the 911 call was released, and one of the police officers involved was removed from the force. None — and I repeat, none — of this would have happened had we not exercised our voices to stand up for Bre.

Color Of Change won’t stop fighting. Black Lives Matter Louisville won’t stop fighting. And you can’t stop fighting either. 

Here’s what you can do right now to continue demanding #JusticeforBre:

• Sign the petition to uplift Breonna Taylor’s family’s demands in calling for the city council to divest from the LMPD.

• Tweet at the Louisville city council president to divest from the LMPD. 

Millions, if not billions, of people worldwide have joined the movement to say her name and demand justice for Breonna Taylor. Black kids across the country have recognized their power to effect change. Our white allies are having the much-needed tough conversations at their dinner tables. And so many local organizers now have the resources they need to keep the fight going. 

Breonna Taylor changed the world. And this is not the end. 

We can’t be deterred. Because folks like Tamika Palmer, Breonna’s mom, are still on the ground fighting relentlessly to secure justice for our people.

We stand with Breonna’s family, BLM Louisville, and local organizers and activists in demanding the Louisville City Council take immediate action to divest from the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department and invest in communities.

Today is a hard day. But although we may be discouraged by this announcement, we will never stop fighting for Black people. 

Until justice is real,

Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Marybeth, Malachi, Leonard, Ernie, McKayla, Ana, Ariel, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

Reference:

1. "Police officer indicted in Breonna Taylor case." CNN.

 

Why Do We Let Them Do This To Us?

Why Do We Let Them Do This To Us?

by Redd Phlagg

Answers staring us straight in the face aren't always easily discerned.

July's Lake Erie algae bloom as seen from space. (NASA Earth Observatory)

Our so-called "Environmental Protection Agency" does everything but protect us and our environment. It allows corporations to dump their chemical wastes wherever they like, whenever they like essentially at the cost of cutting a Congress-member a campaign check. Factory farms are allowed to cage animals into pens for the duration of their meager existences--and then they make sure there are laws outlawing the filming of these deplorable conditions. To top it all off they dump the "manure ponds" from their feedlots into the fields and drainage areas of our rivers and lakes--the same rivers and lakes where we take our drinking water. Cancer is on the rise and toxic blue-green algae blooms are practically an everyday occurrence. So, here's the thing--

We know what is killing us. Why do we let them do this to us?

Another day--another mass murder taking place in the good ol' US of A. It seems Americans have become immune from the onslaught of violence wrought by the gun manufacturing industry. If a classroom of elementary school students dead on the floor isn't enough to start a weapons buy-back program in our cities and the enactment of sensible gun laws nationwide, then what does it take? We have shootings in schools, churches, shopping malls and concerts. We have shootings in synagogues, mosques and parks. We have shootings at festivals, weddings and birthdays. About the only place and time we don't seem to have any mass shooting is in our statehouses and at the Capitol building in Washington D.C. when they're in session. Perhaps that's intentional?

We know who is killing us. Why do we let them do this to us?

Bernie Sanders proposes Medicare for All and ending student loan debt. Immediately, the mainstream media propaganda machine swings into action to paint him as a pie-in-the-sky idealist or a cranky old man who, surprisingly enough, can still run marathons. Yet the vast majority of Americans are desperate for his kind of leadership and these kinds of programs. The broadcast networks and the party apparatus will undoubtedly force him out of the race for the presidency once again. The corrupt establishment will do anything to convince us to vote against our best interests. They will tell us that we have no choice--it's either "sh*t sandwich red" or "sh*t sandwich blue." Pick your poison and choke on it.

We know the system is killing us. Why do we let them do this to us?

There are enough natural predators in the world we should be wary of--and a few extra man-made ones in the form of climate crisis-induced super hurricanes and fracking earthquakes. Why do we allow the continued burning of fossil fuels to add energy to the already coming climate catastrophe? Why doesn't our government encourage the development of green energy and mass transit? Why can't we just keep the oil in the ground so we can keep our planet at a comfortable average temp instead of turning the Earth's surface into a broiler?

We know the Big Oil companies are killing us. Why do we let them do this to us?

Answers aren't always easily discerned--but apathy is. We let them do these things to us because we can't be bothered to care about what happens to us. We don't give a rat's backside about our future. It's like we think we deserve to be treated like sh*t. Maybe we do. But not all of us on this spinning globe are pieces of sh*t. So wake the hell up and give a sh*t about them. Ask the hard questions and demand straight answers of the EPA, of the system, of Big Oil, of our elected representatives. And take action.

The Global Climate Strike week is scheduled from September 20 - 27 and is dedicated to climate actions worldwide while the United Nations is in session discussing the climate catastrophe. Extinction Rebellion and the Movement for a People's Party are planning a shutdown of Washington, DC on September 23. Millions of others in thousands of cities will do similarly.

Be there. No excuses.

Let's don't allow them to continue screwing us. Let's take our destiny back. Let's save the world and its people.

BIO: Redd Phlagg won't let the corporate establishment cause any more harm to people and the planet on his watch.  There are climate actions planned for nearly everywhere and you are encourage to plan your own too. Now's the time to make our voices heard as one! To find an action near you and for more info: https://globalclimatestrike.net/



If you don't believe how severe the climate crisis is, maybe this Honest Government Ad will change your mind:  https://youtu.be/cOmdkN6MOwU

  ***

Anti-Rights of Nature Provision in Budget Bill Authored by Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Handed to State Representative

Columbus, OH: An email exchange between the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the office of Ohio Representative James Hoops has been made public after a records request by a board member of the Ohio Community Rights Network. 

The emails reveal Zachary Frymier, Director of Energy and Environmental Policy for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce (who has since been promoted to State Government Affairs Manager for American Electric Power), expressing concerns about the Lake Erie Bill of Rights and requesting language revoking legal standing for nature and ecosystems be added to the Ohio budget.  

“We have some language that we’d request be considered for the budget. Though obviously it would have to be submitted after tomorrow’s deadline we’d still like to have a conversation,” 

Legislative services commission staff questioned the necessity of the language. Frymier defended the language, to Hoops’ legislative aide, arguing the “language in this amendment stating that [nature and ecosystems] do not have standing is essential to what we’re trying to accomplish. If we could get that added I would be very grateful,” citing the passage of the Lake Erie Bill of Rights in Toledo as his reason.

 

“The Ohio Chamber of Commerce is rewriting Ohio law, handing it off to supposed ‘representatives of the people,’ in order to try to ban a people’s movement. But Rights of Nature is a movement whose time has come. The genie is out of the bottle, and not the state, not the courts, and certainly not the Ohio Chamber of Commerce can stop it. All that is uncertain, is which side of history those in power will be on,” said Toledo organizer Bryan Twitchell. 

 

”These emails prove what the Ohio Community Rights Network has been trying to educate communities about for the past seven years,” stated Tish O’Dell, an Ohio community rights organizer. “Industry and government are colluding to make sure laws are written and passed in the best interest of corporations. Yet people continue to obediently follow these laws that have been written at the expense of people and nature.  The people of Ohio are the only ones who can put a stop to this.”

The 2600+ page budget bill is overwhelmed with non-budgetary provisions in violation of the Ohio Constitution’s single-subject provision. The government violates the constitution, misses deadlines, and allows corporate lobbyists to write it’s laws. But rather than the new budget, it is the Lake Erie Bill of Rights that is under threat for being unconstitutional.

Ohio Communities Part of Growing Movement 

Ohio residents are advancing Community Rights as part of the broader Community Rights Movement building across the United States, where other localities are advancing similar measures to establish and protect their rights to a healthy climate, clean air and water, and the right to local community self-government. 

To learn more about the Ohio Community Rights Network, visit ohiocrn.org.

https://celdf.org/2019/08/media-release-exposed-chamber-of-commerce-wrote-ohio-law-banning-rights-of-nature-enforcement/

 ***

Innocent people in St. Louis are forced to pay $300, plus $10 a day, to be monitored by police before they even get a trial. We're organizing to fight this, and we want you to join us.

From	the Color Of Change:

Imagine paying $10 a day to be monitored by the police.

Hundreds of people in St. Louis are forced to do this. For these innocent people awaiting trial, electronic monitoring bracelets cost them $300 up front, $10 per day, plus a $50 installation fee. People often have to start second jobs, sell TVs and laptops, or take kids out of childcare just to pay these fees.¹

And all of this money goes to a private company Eastern Missouri Alternative Sentencing Services (EMASS). This company is profiting off of innocent, low-income Black people under the facade of offering “alternatives” to money bail.
The St. Louis court system's business partnership with EMASS is undermining our work to transform criminal justice, and we won’t stand for it. We’re training community members in St. Louis as Court Watchers so we can collect proof of the electronic monitoring crisis and force lawmakers to confront it. 

Our program is scheduled to run through November, but we already know it will take more time to win. Will you donate $5 so we can continue our Court Watch program to expose this blatant exploitation of innocent Black people?
Electronic monitoring puts people in an electronic cage. If you’re wearing an EMASS electronic ankle bracelet, you have to charge it for an hour and a half every day while it’s still on your leg, making it difficult to work full-time jobs or travel for extended amounts of time. In a 2011 survey, 22% of people reported being fired from a job because of their ankle bracelets.² And that’s if they’ll even hire you in the first place with a bulky bracelet in plain view. Over 200 people in St. Louis were forced to wear these bracelets last year.¹

To push back, we need the data to prove how this is impacting Black people in St. Louis. Since this information isn’t easily available to the public, we’re gathering it ourselves. So far, we’ve trained over 30 St. Louis community members in our Court Watch program: they attend hearings and take notes on every decisions judges make, including when people are put on electronic monitors.

In November, we’ll be releasing a public report of our findings, which will:

• Ensure activists and lawmakers in St. Louis have statistics about the courts to help them back up their campaigns to end electronic monitoring and other racist practices
• Give us the data we need to push Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to call on judges to reject electronic cages, holding him to his campaign promise of transforming criminal justice in St. Louis County
• Show judges in St. Louis County that the public is watching them, and that we will hold them accountable if they continue to target low-income Black communities

It's rapidly nearing time to launch the next phase of our campaign to end electronic monitoring in St. Louis. Will you chip in $5 to help us keep our Court Watch program going after our report releases?

Our work has already uncovered some alarming patterns. Different judges are inconsistent, some assigning electronic monitors all the time while others rarely do. Some waive the monitor fees, others don’t. Some issue arrest warrants if people don’t pay their debt to EMASS, others turn their head.¹ These choices are all in the hands of individual judges who can only be held accountable if people know what they’re doing.

Our Court Watch program is the most powerful tool we have to expose electronic cages for the racist, profiteering scam they are. Your support will help us implement the findings from our November report, train more people in St. Louis to be Court Watchers, and hire more staff to run the program.

Please-- help us tear down these electronic cages. Donate $5 to keep our St. Louis Court Watch program going now.

Until justice is real,
Arisha, Jenni, Charles, Daniel, Tammi, Scott and the Color Of Change team

---

Sources

1. "Digital jail: How electronic monitoring drives defendants into debt", Pro Publica, 3 July 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/178305?t=7&akid=35439%2E3399430%2EkDnvKD
2. "Electronic Monitoring", National Institute of Justice, September 2011, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/178306?t=9&akid=35439%2E3399430%2EkDnvKD

Why Do They Lie About Progressives?

Why Do They Lie About Progressives? 

(But Still Want Us To Like Them)

by Still Bernin'

The following two videos from The Jimmy Dore Show say a lot about the people who slur progressive activists and candidates:
 
Why do these DNC corporate-money-lovers seem so bitter and angry? Bernie Sanders is still the most popular politician in the country, and his progressive stances on universal health care, a living wage, and free college education (among others) are extremely popular with the majority of Americans. If anything, shouldn't they welcome Bernie into their fold and accept and promote these progressive ideas so they can regain seats in Congress and in state houses across the nation?

Jimmy Dore says it well: "They'd rather lose to Trump than win with a progressive." Another telling quote about the Democrats: "You're just Republicans in Democrat clothing." By labeling Bernie-supporters as the "alt-left," the corporate Dems seek to marginalize and shut out true progressives in the party. However, in doing so they've created even more outspoken progressives. They don't seem to realize they've sown the seeds of their own destruction. Even the corporatists' selection of Senator Kamala Harris as their "Clinton substitute" has backfired, as Jimmy shows in the video below:
 

 
"Doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of sanity," jokes Jimmy. So, corporate Democrats think Harris is perfect to run in the 2020 presidential election? A younger version of Hillary Clinton, Harris has her own scandals to deal with, such as not prosecuting current Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin while she was California's Attorney General after Mnuchin committed thousands of illegal foreclosures. A "winning" choice? An honest progressive candidate? Yeah, right. 

Harris is "progressive" and doesn't support single payer health care? Uh-huh. She takes lobbyist money and says she's for the people? Does the DNC think we really believe that? You know what I say to the Democrats? "Would you buy the Brooklyn Bridge from me? I'll sell it to you cheap!" (In other words, once conned, it's easy to see through a con artist's tricks. We're onto your tactics, DNC.)

The corporate Dems must believe true progressives are so gullible we'll fall for their blatant lies without blinking an eye. Luckily for us, we're not quite that naive, and we voice our objections loudly. It's why the corrupt DNC is so frustrated with us and will continue to act out their fears and prejudice by smearing progressives and creating distractions such as Russiagate to take the focus off their move to the right. 

No, the Democrats are not a "centrist party"  as they tout. In the last 30 years, they've transformed themselves into a right-wing party by taking large sums of money from billionaire oligarchs. You haven't seen the DNC come out to support the Move to Amend organization, to rid us of the Citizens United ruling, have you? It's deliberate--I don' t think they just forgot about it. They want to keep their super-rich donors happy. Money is speech, especially when you're filling the Dems' war chest coffers.

Those who think that the Democratic Party can be changed from the inside, consider this: Is joining them worth it? Once inside, will you find yourself sucked under into their quagmire of greed and deceit? Will you find yourself trapped and unable to escape with your integrity intact?

Now, more than ever, it's time to say good-bye to the Dems. Any party that feels rigging their own primary elections is a good thing isn't honorable. Making a deal with a less than honorable organization is bound to lead to heartache. It's time for a fresh start--and Draft Bernie for a People's Party is there, ready to pick up the pieces of the self-destructive Democratic Party and support progressive candidates to fill the empty slots left behind by these money-loving lie mongerers. 

If you can't bring yourself to trust a new and untested party, why not try an older third party, the Green Party. With a motto of "people, planet and peace over profits," you can't go wrong there as a progressive. Whichever path you choose, choose one that you can live with and one that reflects your morality. Never join a group out of fear or coercion. You'll only regret it later, like so many ex-Dems are doing now.

Progressives believe in a future where all are free from the shackles of poverty and fear. Progressives believe in a future where the people's needs are ranked well above billionaires' needs to make obscene corporate profits. Let us walk confidently into that future--not crawl in fear in the shadows of the establishment factions. Break the two-party habit today. You--and your future--will be glad you did.

Read this very comprehensive piece on Kamala Harris to see what the corporate Dems like about her. It ain't pretty stuff: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/08/in-kamala-harris-the-establishment-has-its-champio.html

Dr. Cornel West tells us exactly what the Democrats have delivered over the past 100 days--disappointment: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/24/democrats-delivered-one-thing-100-days-disappointment?CMP=share_btn_gp

BIO: Still Bernin' sees a brighter future away from the dark clouds of the "lesser evils" of the two-party system. All we have to do is believe in ourselves and follow our conscience in the voting booth.

***

In a related story, here's an update from Our Revolution about the People's Platform petition and the Summer for Progress activism. Do you feel the DNC is getting the message? Nina Turner and other progressives stood at their front doors in Washington D.C., and the Dems still wouldn't let them in. Can we assume they'll change their corporatist ways?

Over 100,000 of you signed our petition in support of the People's Platform, but when we went to deliver it to DNC headquarters they did not appreciate our presence. Despite the attendance of current and former DNC officials and Members of Congress in our group, we were shut out from entering the building. Citizens engaging in the democratic process deserve better and despite what happened, we will continue pushing for policies that enhance the quality of life for all.

We cannot wait for change, we need to make the change we want to see happen. Together, we made the DNC “Feel the Bern” last summer with sustained grassroots pressure and adopted the most progressive platform in the Democratic Party's modern history, but since then they have pushed back at every turn. We need to show House Democrats that our grassroots movement is more powerful than the party establishment. Will you donate $3, or however much you can afford to help Our Revolution continue our campaign and keep the pressure on for our Summer for Progress?

Unlike the presidential primaries where millions of independent voters were barred from state primaries and caucuses, our push for the People's Platform does not restrict people based on arcane party rules—it's just about us. With the full participation of voters of all party affiliations who believe in our progressive ideals and the People's Platform, we can present a united front that is more powerful than the sequestered party elites who resist the change we need to see. It is time to make the Democratic Party “Feel the Bern” again.

Chip in $3 to Our Revolution and help win over House Democrats to support the People's Platform.

The DNC may think that they can continue working behind closed doors, but they will know different when millions of us come knocking.

In solidarity,

Nina Turner
President
Our Revolution

DONATE »

 ***

Take action this week--
From 314 Action:

Betsy Southerland worked for the EPA for 30 years. This week, she resigned.
Southerland, a director at the Office of Water, called out Trump and Scott Pruitt’s blatant disregard for protecting public health and safety in a scathing exit letter. Here’s an excerpt:

“Today the environmental field is suffering from the temporary triumph of myth over truth. The truth is there is NO war on coal, there is NO economic crisis caused by environmental protection, and climate change IS caused by man’s activities. The majority of the American people recognize that this protection of public health and safety is right and it is just.”

The EPA was created to protect our health and safety, not cater to big business. Add your name to stand with Betsy and fight this administration’s attempts to dismantle the EPA.

STAND WITH BETSY

 
Trump and Pruitt have steadily been trying to undermine and sabotage the EPA since they arrived. They’ve fired dozens of scientists and have given jobs to their buddies in the fossil fuel industry. They’ve torn up or scaled back environmental regulations, including one that protects children from brain damage-causing pesticides. They’re already being sued by multiple states.

States shouldn’t have to sue the EPA for access to clean air and water. The interests of the American people should come before those of the fossil fuel industry. And lifelong employees like Betsy, dedicated to protecting public health and safety, shouldn’t be forced to quit.

Add your name to stand with Betsy and against Trump’s EPA sabotage.

Thanks for standing in solidarity with science.


Harmony Knutson
Director of Advocacy
314 Action

***

Verizon Wireless was just caught in the act of what looks like a blatant violation net neutrality.

Last week, without warning or permission from its customers, Verizon throttled bandwidth speeds down to 10Mbs. Users trying to stream video or use certain apps were caught in an internet slow lane and couldn't do anything about it.

But because of Title II net neutrality protections, the press has called the company out.¹

Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast have argued that they should be able to regulate net neutrality on their own, without FCC rules. Verizon just proved why we can never let that happen.
Will you chip in $5 to help fight for net neutrality?

Verizon has argued that it was performing a "test" on bandwidth that was perfectly legal.² But the truth is that Verizon can brazenly break net neutrality rules because it has confidence that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai—a former Verizon attorney—will dismantle net neutrality and let the company off the hook.

The 2.5 million comments our Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality generated to the FCC show that the public is united against the Trump FCC's repeal of net neutrality. 

As for the CEOs of AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon—they have turned down the invitation to speak before Congress and defend their stance.³ They know that there is no public good argument in favor of disbanding net neutrality rules.

Instead, the telecom industry is relying on the over $25 million in campaign donations it made during last year's election to convince Congress to support Pai's effort to destroy net neutrality.⁴

Our voices need to be louder than Comcast's checkbook. We are continuing our fight for net neutrality and organizing meetings across the country to put pressure on the FCC and Congress to keep Title II protections in place.
Will you chip in $5 to help stand up for net neutrality against Verizon and Comcast?

Thanks for standing with us,

Kurt Walters, Demand Progress

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Sources:
1. USA Today, "Verizon slows video traffic, causing concerns for net neutrality advocates," July 26, 2017
2. Ibid.
3. Endgadget, "Tech CEOs haven’t yet agreed to attend House net neutrality hearing," July 31, 2017
4. OpenSecrets.org, "Telecom Services & Equipment: Top Contributors to Federal Candidates, Parties, and Outside Groups," accessed August 4, 2017