Be a part of their story

Have you heard the story about Tony & Janina? Their family was torn apart by our broken immigration system and their heartbreaking story has been captured by a powerful documentary film.

Tony & Janina’s story is just one of thousands that happen every day. More and more states are attempting to copycat Arizona’s racial profiling laws, while the House of Representatives has grown increasingly restrictionist and lawmakers attempt to take citizenship away from newborn babies.

We need to stand up and fight back, locally and nationally.

But where do we start? With you. In your homes and communities, with your friends and families, at your churches and schools. We want you to hold a screening of a special version of “Tony & Janina’s American Wedding” and invite your community. We’ll provide you with a special copy of the film, discussion questions and everything you’ll need to get your community involved.

It’s simple. Just sign up to host, set the date and time of your party, and then start inviting your friends. We’ll provide you with everything you need to get the discussion underway – you just provide the space.

We need everyone in the fight. Host a party, share Tony & Janina’s story and get your friends and family involved!

http://reformimmigrationforamerica.org/blog/blog/tony-janinas-american-wedding/

Thanks,

Marissa Graciosa

Reform Immigration FOR America

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

WI State Senator Chris Larson …supports

02/22/2011 Nativegrl77

Here is a message for PFAW members and activists from Wisconsin State Senator Chris Larson, a member of PFAW Foundation’s Young Elected Officials Network and one of the 14 Democratic Senators who left Wisconsin in order to prevent the Republican controlled Senate from passing Gov. Scott Walker‘s union-busting budget proposal:

Friends,

I write to express my sincere thanks to you and the other thousands of PFAW supporters who have taken the time to show your support for us and for our state’s public employees. Just one week ago, our Republican Governor Scott Walker announced that he would be using a budget adjustment bill to reverse 50 years of Wisconsin history and go after worker rights in Wisconsin. If passed, the balance in our society will again tilt to the powerful over the powerless. The ability to organize and get fair treatment are qualities that built our country. This is what the last generation fought for in the 60s and the 70s to make sure we all had a better life.

If this bill moves forward in Wisconsin, rights in all America we have grown to take for granted will no longer be so reliable. Workers will no longer be able to work as a group to negotiate anything besides wages. Republicans here have already passed a “tort reform” law that makes it much harder to seek justice in Wisconsin. But this new move by Walker is much worse. It is an unprecedented attack on workers, their communities and our tradition of working with labor to move our state forward.

If this passes here, it will pass in other states.

To be clear, Walker is seeking to scapegoat unions as the cause of the fiscal crisis in an effort to divide the middle class against itself. This, while he is opening tax loopholes for the richest in the country.

I appreciate your support and seek it for the ongoing fight ahead of us. Please speak out in any way you can. We need you to let your neighbors know that this assault on worker rights will hurt every person and every community across Wisconsin, and perhaps across the nation. It will drive down wages and decrease work place safety for all workers in our country, union and non-union alike.

Thank you for all you do for your community.

In Solidarity,

Chris Larson

Wisconsin State Senator

twitter.com/ChrisJLarson

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Harmful Bush-era “Conscience” Rule Rescinded

02/22/2011 Nativegrl77

A few years ago, we asked you to imagine this: A woman with cervical cancer is not given information about the option to extract and freeze her eggs before her cancer treatment because her gynecologist has a religiously based opposition to infertility treatment.

You helped us oppose this Bush administration “conscience” rule by sending thousands of comments and emails to the administration. The rule, which was in effect since 2008 encouraged providers to deny access to abortion and contraception, and treatment for infertility, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS in ways the law does not allow.

When President Obama took office he proposed rescinding this harmful rule, and again you responded by sending over 5,000 comments in support of removing this restriction. We are pleased to report that the Obama administration announced late last week that it was rescinding dangerous provisions of this rule. We couldn’t have done it without your help and support!

But the battle over women’s health continues and we need your help now. Please make an urgent donation today to support the Center’s work on women’s health and other issues important to women and their families.

Please make an urgent donation today to support the Center’s work on women’s health and other issues important to women and their families.http://action.nwlc.org/site/R?i=WAE9P7vrbxWLu20UOP3Kew..

The new House leadership has unleashed alarming attacks on women’s health and reproductive rights, and if they have their way, women’s access to health care will be set back decades. The House voted to repeal the new health care law, which is already helping women and families. Now House leadership wants to put into law parts of the regulation which was just rescinded. For example, exempting hospitals from requirements to treat women in need of emergency abortion care, even if they may die without it. They want to raise taxes on potentially millions of individuals and small businesses that keep the insurance plans they currently have if they include coverage of abortion. And on top of it all, this past week they made it clear that they are launching an all-out assault on women’s access to contraception and other family planning services.

For nearly 40 years, the National Women’s Law Center has led the way for women and families — in the classroom, in the workplace and in society as a whole. We’re up against what is already one of the most challenging sessions of Congress in recent history, but with our team of experts and your help we know we can win, no matter how much the other side pushes its dangerous message.

Your generous donation allows us to continue to stand up for women and their families. Please support the Center’s important work today. http://action.nwlc.org/site/R?i=vP-vEw_2yVfPMfAafWcfmQ..

Your generous donation allows us to continue to stand up for women and their families. Please support the Center’s important work today.

On behalf of women and families everywhere, thank you for your generous help.

Sincerely,

Judy Waxman

Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights

National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Learn more about Obama’s decision to rescind this harmful Bush-era regulation in our new fact sheet.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Why Wisconsin matters for President Obama (via Anderson Cooper 360)

02/21/2011 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

CNN Political Unit Washington (CNN) — President Obama knows that the ongoing budget protests in Wisconsin are just round one in the national battle for control of the budget message. So he’s reportedly sent his outside political team, Organizing for America, to help build even larger crowds. It’s something that drew ire from House Speaker John Boehner on Friday. “His political organization is colluding with special-interest allies across the cou … Read More

via Anderson Cooper 360

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

First, they attacked PBS and NPR. Now this?

02/21/2011 Nativegrl77

First, they went nuclear on PBS and NPR. Now, they have voted to totally shut down AmeriCorps — the groundbreaking national service program that has transformed the lives of millions of Americans.

In the dead of night on Saturday, a Tea Party-driven group of House members voted to kill AmeriCorps, completely eliminating all funding. With a potential government shutdown looming on March 4th, the fate of 85,000 AmeriCorp community organizers, teachers, and tutors will now be decided by the U.S. Senate.

Here is the heart of the matter: AmeriCorps volunteers help and protect our country’s most vulnerable. Every day, AmeriCorps organizers work in many of the poorest communities in America, lessening the pain of those suffering in this brutal economy. As their work rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina exemplifies, these organizers are the backbone of our country’s service community — a Peace Corps for our own country.

After hearing the shocking news, former AmeriCorps volunteer Caleb Jonas decided he had to do something. From a coffee shop in Massachusetts, Caleb logged in to www.Change.org from his laptop and created a petition asking Congress to “Save AmeriCorps.” Caleb’s inspiring action has already been signed by 17,266 Americans — without significant promotion from any major organization. Until now. http://www.change.org/petitions/save-americorps?alert_id=NNHcGQVECl_XoMYVCMMAM&me=aa

Click here now to quickly sign your name to Caleb’s “Save AmeriCorps” petition to the Senate. Your signature will help Caleb reach his personal goal of 85,000 signatures — one signature for every AmeriCorps member currently serving their country. DEADLINE: Thursday, 5 p.m.

Why does Caleb care so much about AmeriCorps? Because he spent a year improving the quality of tutoring programs for low-income kids in Minnesota — and witnessed AmeriCorps members build houses for Habitat for Humanity, help political refugees start new lives, improve reading test scores for elementary school students, and help disadvantaged high school students get into college.

As Caleb told us over the phone, it breaks his heart that this vital national service program could be shut down at a time when people in the most marginalized communities in America need it the most. That’s why Caleb was inspired to start his “Save AmeriCorps” petition from a coffee shop — and why AmeriCorps supporters are sharing it on Facebook and forwarding messages like this to their friends around the country.

With AmeriCorps on the chopping block, it’s time for us to stand up for Caleb and thousands of other volunteers who have committed years of their lives to community service. Will you click here now to sign your name and tell the Senate not to kill AmeriCorps?

http://www.change.org/petitions/save-americorps?alert_id=NNHcGQVECl_XoMYVCMMAM&me=aa

Thank you for joining Caleb and Change.org members across our country fighting to save AmeriCorps before it’s too late.

— Patrick and the Change.org team