Monthly Archives: March 2017

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the trump ban – the facts … wa-democrats.org


Washington State Democrats

Earlier this week, Donald Trump signed another Muslim travel ban, after his first one was stayed by the courts.

We fought that first ban, and we’re going to fight this one, too.

Add your name if you stand with Washington Democrats against the Trump Muslim travel ban.

The Trump administration purposely wrote this new ban to make it harder to challenge in court. But slapping a new coat of paint on a hate-filled proposal doesn’t make it better. It’s still the same xenophobic rhetoric we saw before:

  • It prohibits travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. — even though a Department of Homeland Security report shows a travel ban is useless for preventing terrorism
  • It denies refugees (who have already been thoroughly vetted) entry for 120 days — putting tens of thousands, including children, in danger

This ban hurts immigrants, DREAMers, and innocent Muslims who are trying to enter this country to better their lives — for no other reason than Donald Trump’s xenophobia.

I’m so proud of Washington Democrats like Governor Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who have stood up to Trump’s bans. And I’m disgusted by Republicans who are putting partisanship ahead of human rights by supporting the ban or staying silent.

Stand with Washington Democrats: Add your name to show you’re against the Trump Muslim travel ban!

Thank you,

Karen Deal
Executive Director
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ding dong the bills are dead – Working Washington …state


Well here’s some good news : our minimum wage is safe! 

On 3/8/2017 at 5:00pm , three bills that would have rolled back our state minimum wage officially “died” in the State Legislature.  

Click here to add your voice and help us celebrate this big win for workers!

  • SB 5530, which would have reduced the minimum wage to $9.53/hour for everyone who happened to work outside of King County is dead.
  • SB 5532, which would have reduced the minimum wage to $9.53/hour for everyone whose employer happens to be classified as a nonprofit is dead.
  • And SB 5541, which would have created a special sub-minimum wage for younger workers is dead too.

In other words: we did it! 🙂

Click here to add your voice and help us celebrate this big win for workers!

 

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The families of Pope Mountain need us… Israel is about to wipe out an entire indigenous community


Israel is about to wipe out an entire indigenous community based on a new law that could take away their rights to their land. Alone, they will lose everything — but if we show local politicians that a million eyes around the world are watching, we could stop the bulldozers before they start.

ADD YOUR NAME

Dear friends,

Near the hilltops of the village of Bethany, 2000 years ago, it is said that Jesus Christ brought Lazarus back to life.

Today those hilltops are home to an indigenous community who are about to be bulldozed into the ground. Their homes, land, and way of life completely wiped out.

But these brave families refuse to fade silently into the darkness. Instead, they are taking a huge risk, rising up against the bulldozers by nonviolently “sitting-in” their homes. They’re betting on a miracle: that their act of courage will inspire people around the world to help stop the bulldozers before they crush them.

We can be that miracle.

This destruction can only happen under total media darkness. Click to stand with the families, and the Avaaz team will join the community and project our names onto these homes — so when the military bulldozers come, they won’t just see a small village huddling in fear — they’ll see the world standing as a protective shield around the families of Pope Mountain.   

Click here to stand with the families of Pope Mountain.

The community on Pope Mountain is under threat because extremist politicians just passed a law that undermines these families’ right to their land. The Israeli Attorney General has said it’s unconstitutional, but politicians plan to cleanse everyone living in this area to build an illegal colony and Trump-style separation wall.

Although the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is complicated, this issue is clear cut: President Obama, all the leaders of the European Union, and the United Nations condemned these plans and said that cleansing this indigenous community would make peace almost impossible.

But now the extremists have Donald Trump. That’s why the families of Pope Mountain need us.

If millions of us stand in solidarity with them now, we’ll bring media attention to their story — and mobilise people from around the world to come and join the sit-in. We’ll bring to life a symbol of global unity where extremists want to create division. It will be a miracle of hope against fear. Let’s create a protective shield around Pope Mountain — and give peace a chance.

Click here to stand with the families of Pope Mountain.

For the last year, Avaazers have been helping the community, creating a space for doctors to provide treatment. Now, faced with being ripped from their homes, the people of Pope Mountain are saying: “We will remain.” Let’s give them hope and show that the world stands with them in their struggle.

With hope and determination,

Fadi, Nell, Risalat, Ana Sofía, Emma, and the whole Avaaz team

More information:

UN: Record number of demolitions in 2016 (United Nations)
http://www.ochaopt.org/content/record-number-demolitions-2016-casualty-toll-declines

UN Condemns huge Israeli settlement plan (Al Jazeera)
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/condemns-huge-israeli-settlement-plan-170125041616025.html

Trump Ambassador to Israel said to push new settlements (Forward)
http://forward.com/news/breaking-news/362712/david-friedman-trump-s-israel-envoy-pick-reportedly-behind-newly-approved-s/

Netanyahu: “I will speak with Trump about settlements” (The Jerusalem Post)
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahu-I-will-speak-with-Trump-about-settlements-in-Washington-480500

Israeli Allies Condemn Settlement Law as Lawsuits Loom (Associated Press)
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/17f2d5ed1433466ba5c6e0666e8ea686/israel-passes-law-legalizing-thousands-settlement-homes
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Steve Bannon … how can republicans square up with him as White House Strategist


jointsessioninCongress
Bannon championed the white nationalist movement and gave voice to racism, anti-semitism, and nationalism as the former head of Breitbart News.4 Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke called Bannon’s appointment “excellent” news that shows Trump is “sticking to the issues and the ideas that he proposed as a candidate.”5

1 Vox – Steve Bannon, the Trump adviser who spent years mainstreaming white nationalism, explained
2 PBS – Meet Myron Ebell, the Climate Contrarian Leading Trump’s EPA Transition
3 CNN – Donald Trump is a double-edged sword for oil
4 Los Angeles Times – What is the alt-right? A refresher course on Steve Bannon’s fringe brand of conservatism
5 CNN – White nationalists see advocate in Steve Bannon who will hold Trump to his campaign promises
6 The Washington Post – Trump taps climate-change skeptic to oversee EPA transition
7 The Washington Post – Republicans finish discrediting their Planned Parenthood investigation
8 Slate – Senior House Republican Says Earth Is Cooling

resources: NextGenClimate.org

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deep state


noun: deep state; plural noun: deep states
  1. a body of people, typically influential members of government agencies or the military, believed to be involved in the secret manipulation or control of government policy.
    “the deep state and its policy of allowing extremist ideologies to flourish may be the actual issues of concern”
Origin
1990s: probably a translation of Turkish derin devlet (the term was first used with reference to Turkey).