~ Culture & History, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Relief for DREAMers …. what it is and is not

08/08/2013 Nativegrl77 2 Comments

click on photo for better look at bullet points

This is for all DREAMers … not just Hispanic or Latinos

President Obama announced that the policy of prosecutorial discretion—which allows immigration agents to defer deportation of low-risk, non criminal undocumented immigrants—will be expanded to all DREAM eligible youth.This is a huge win for the immigration reform movement, and comes as a result of years of tireless mobilization and agitation by DREAMers, undocumented immigrants, and immigrants’ rights activists and politicians.

The expansion in policy means that effective today, there will be an immediate halt to all deportation proceedings for DREAMers, and all DREAMers who are already in deportation proceedings will get deferred action (lasting two years) and work permits, if they meet eligibility. Any DREAMer who meets the criteria can come forward and apply for deferred action and a work permit as well.

While this is an exciting moment for the immigration reform movement, it is not an ultimate victory. This policy expansion still does not provide a path to citizenship for DREAMers. There is still a dire need for a national DREAM Act. The struggle continues, and electing pro-DREAM champions into office this November is as important as it has ever been.

Here are some of the details of the new policy:

To be eligible you must

Be between 15 years or older and 30 years or younger may apply
Be in US for at least 5 (as of today, 6/15/12)
Have to have maintained continuous residence (relatively flexible interpretation)

There are no restriction on when you can apply (i.e. no window that closes after a year, for example)
Grants of Deferred Application are for 2 years and are renewable
Criminal Ineligibility: If you have been convicted of a felony, a serious misdemeanor or three minor misdemeanors not all stemming from same incident, then you are not eligible.

Need to apply? USCIS should have an application process online within 60 days. Check back on their site for more information.

We estimate that as a result of this policy extension, nearly 1 million DREAMers will be spared from deportation. This is truly an exciting day.

Click here to thank the White House for keeping their promise to provide administrative relief.

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RainForest Action Network

08/07/2013 Nativegrl77

In June, we teamed up in Chicago with CREDO and the Other 98% to hold our first #NoKXL civil disobedience action against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. We earned national press coverage and helped push President Obama’s stance on climate change forward.

But we need to keep pushing until the pipeline is canceled.

This August, we’re taking our message straight to the State Department Building in DC as they consider whether or not to keep up their thoroughly bogus pro-KXL whitewashing — and we need your help to let the world know we’re coming.

Let’s tell the world ASAP: sign up for our Thunderclap campaign here to let all your friends know when it happens.

Hundreds will be taking action in DC but those who can’t be there are crucial to making our message heard. Let’s coordinate our voices so that they echo through the halls of power.

Thank you for all you do to make this movement real.

In Solidarity,

Scott Parkin, Rainforest Action Network

P.S. Have you signed the Keystone XL pledge of resistance yet? It might be the most important thing you do all year. Sign now!

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WH.Gov/A-Better-Bargain ~~ Today at 1PM ET and 10am Pacific Time

08/07/2013 Nativegrl77

We hope you’ll watch at 1pm ET Today and 10am Pacific TimeYesterday, President Obama spoke in Phoenix about his plan to build a better foundation for homeownership.Today he’s taking your questions online about that plan and what it means for homeowners, and those who want a home of their own. It’s part of an online chat with Zillow — the online real-estate marketplace — and Yahoo!.So at 1 p.m. ET, click here to watch President Obama answer your questions.

Watch live: President Obama holds a conversation on housing

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DOJ’s Zimmerman investigation calling for public comment

08/06/2013 Nativegrl77 6 Comments

More than 71,500 ColorOfChange members have demanded that the U.S. Department of Justice‘s criminal civil-rights section bring federal charges against George Zimmerman, who has yet to face any legal consequences for profiling and killing Trayvon Martin. The DOJ’s civil rights investigation, launched after Trayvon’s death last spring, remains open,¹ and the Department is now actively seeking public input on how it should proceed.²

This week, we’re planning to deliver tens of thousands of powerful comments from ColorOfChange members like you urging the DOJ to do what’s right — so we only have a few days left to get the word out about the Department’s call for public comment. Can you take a moment to sign the petition to the DOJ, and to include a personalized comment when you do?

Thanks,

Rashad Robinson Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org

References

1. “Eric Holder says he shares concerns about Trayvon Martin case,” Washington Post, 07-15-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2841?t=2&akid=3091.1174326.KVoDw6

2. “Justice Dept. collecting public feedback on Zimmerman case,” Washington Post, 07-17-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2847?t=4&akid=3091.1174326.KVoDw6

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Today, admitted killer George Zimmerman is a free man.

media outside Zimmerman pretrial hearing

Join the movement to end the senseless violence perpetrated by unaccountable vigilantes and police due to racial profiling: demand federal civil rights charges be brought against Zimmerman.

Dear Friends

George Zimmerman stalked and killed Trayvon Martin in late February of last year. It took 45 days for Sanford, Florida police to arrest 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s admitted killer — and only 16 hours for jurors to acquit him of second-degree murder and manslaughter last night.¹

We are angry. We are sad. And we are in pain.

We send our love and support to Trayvon’s parents — Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin — and we grieve with them and the countless other families of Black children who have been killed just for being Black.²

In this time of national sorrow, let’s turn our rightful frustration into action and grow a movement to hold the criminal justice system that fails Black Americans every day³ accountable.

Since the beginning, the Department of Justice has closely monitored the state’s case against George Zimmerman, and the DOJ can still bring charges against Trayvon’s killer. Please join us in calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to bring federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman, and help us strengthen our efforts to end racial profiling and the violence it creates.

What does it say about our society when a civilian can shoot and kill a Black child who is just walking home from the store, and what can it mean when the killer is set free? What does this say about the value our society places on the lives of young Black children? It tells us that a Black life has little worth. It tells us that Black youth are seen as nothing more than violent criminals.⁴ And it tells us how much more work we must do to achieve a just society.

The police department in Sanford botched the investigation from start to finish.⁵ But we did not stay silent. Had it not been for the dedicated activism and work of Trayvon’s family, ColorOfChange members and countless others, Zimmerman may have never been arrested — let alone gone to trial. Our collective commitment to fight for justice for Trayvon was overwhelming. We responded. We organized. We forced authorities to make an arrest in a case that easily could have been forgotten, just like so many before. The US Department of Justice was forced to intervene, and although it took 45 days, Zimmerman was eventually arrested and charged with murder.⁶

Thousands of ColorOfChange members spoke out against Florida’s “Shoot First” law, which initially shielded George Zimmerman from arrest and prosecution.⁷ The shadowy lobbying organization the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) — and its deep-pocketed supporters at the National Rifle Association (NRA) — proliferated these laws around the country. Since ColorOfChange began drawing attention to ALEC’s role in crafting these deadly Shoot First laws, 52 corporations and nonprofits and at least 70 state legislators have publicly disavowed any relationship with the group.⁸

Working together, our movement is a powerful force for change. Please join us in calling for an end to impunity. Demand that the Department of Justice file civil rights charges against George Zimmerman. And when you take action, please ask your family and friends to do the same.

Thanks and Peace,

–Rashad, Arisha, Matt, Jamar, Aimée and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team August 5th, 2013

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.

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Her worst fear

08/06/2013 Nativegrl77

by Emily J. Martin, National Women’s Law Center

When Svetlana Arizanovska found out she was pregnant, she was very excited. A mother of three daughters, Svetlana worked two jobs to support her family. By day, she worked for a medical supply company. At night, she worked at Wal-Mart.
At Wal-Mart, Svetlana often lifted heavy merchandise to stock the store’s shelves. Due to her pregnancy, her doctor told her not to lift more than 20 pounds — but Wal-Mart refused to comply. In fact, Wal-Mart has a policy saying pregnant employees are not eligible for reassignments to another position, even though reassignments are available when employees need them because of a disability. One day, while she was lifting heavy merchandise for Wal-Mart, Svetlana started bleeding. She told her boss, but he ignored her.
The next morning, Svetlana went to the emergency room and realized her worst fears were true — she had miscarried.
No one should have to choose between her pregnancy, her health, and her job. But that’s exactly what happens to many women like Svetlana.
Please help us fight for women facing challenges in the workplace and beyond. We need to raise $10,000 by midnight on Thursday. Click here to chip in $10 or more to help us reach our goal.

Employers typically accommodate workers with limitations due to a temporary disability and often accommodate workers with injuries — but when pregnant women need a temporary change in their job, many bosses refuse to make even the smallest adjustments. They may not know they’re breaking the law when they deny women like Svetlana the ability to work without compromising their health or the health of their pregnancies.
Too many pregnant women have been faced with a choice no one should have to make: Keep working and risk the health of their pregnancy — or lose their job. It’s time for employers to stop breaking the law by using pregnancy as an excuse to push women out of work.
It’s up to us to take a stand against policies that punish women.
Your donation will help us fight back. We depend on your support for our work on behalf of women and families.
Thank you, as always, for everything you do.
Sincerely,
Emily J. Martin Vice President and General Counsel National Women’s Law Center
P.S. We depend on your support to help us fight for women and their families. Please help us reach our $10,000 goal before midnight on Thursday.