Tag Archives: card check

Children fleeing violence are seeking refuge in the United States in record numbers. Every child is entitled to an immigration hearing, but there is no guarantee these children—who may have experienced unspeakable trauma—will have legal support.The MoveOn community is raising funds for much-needed legal support for these children—donating every penny to Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), the leading organization providing legal representation to children entering the U.S. alone. Can you make a donation to KIND to ensure these children have the legal counsel and support they need when they face an immigration judge?

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

Thousands of children fleeing violence from their home countries have come to the United States—sometimes traveling long distances without their parents—seeking refuge. This humanitarian crisis has overwhelmed the existing support the United States provides for children who have been victimized by violence.

These children—some just barely older than toddlers—are crowded into temporary shelters, detention centers, and even facilities on military bases.

United States immigration law guarantees all children from certain Central American countries due process, including an asylum hearing in front of an immigration judge. These hearings are crucial to protecting refugee children. Sending some of these kids back could be, in the words of Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, “to send them back to certain death.“¹

During the hearings, an immigration judge hears from each child and determines if that child is eligible for refugee status or humanitarian protection. But these children aren’t guaranteed legal representation when they face the court and could find themselves alone in the hearing that will determine the rest of their lives.

That’s why we’re coming together as a MoveOn community to raise funds for Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), an organization dedicated to providing legal support to children. We’ll give every penny of your contribution to KIND.

Can you chip in to make sure these refugee children get the legal counsel and representation they need?

Yes, I can contribute $3 to help a child seeking refuge from violence receive legal support.

Since 2012, the number of children seeking refuge in the United States has soared from three Central American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Stories of the violence these children are fleeing are chilling. This region, known as the Northern Triangle, has some of the highest murder rates in the world, and children may come to the United States having witnessed family members and friends hurt, raped, or killed in rampant outbreaks of gang violence.²

For many of these children, what happens during these immigration hearings could be the difference between life or death. No child should be forced to appear in court alone.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that nearly two-thirds of the children and families from Central America may be eligible for humanitarian protection under international guidelines³—but we are treating them like criminals.

Can you contribute $3 to make sure these children have legal representation when they appear before an immigration judge?

MoveOn members across the country have stepped up before to provide support for those impacted by major humanitarian crisis. When Hurricane Sandy left thousands without power, food, and shelter, MoveOn members opened their homes to help. And MoveOn members helped provide temporary housing for more than 30,000 people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

By making a contribution now, you can help again, and make sure children looking to the United States for protection from deadly violence receive the chance they are legally guaranteed to share their stories and plead their cases.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Stephen, Matt, Maria, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “O’Malley: U.S. shouldn’t send immigrant children back to ‘certain death,'” CNN, July 11, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299998&id=98878-17809870-QP8qysx&t=4

2. “Why are so many minors fleeing Central America for the U.S. border?” KSHB, July 16, 2014  
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299999&id=98878-17809870-QP8qysx&t=6

3. “Children on the Run,” United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees, March 12, 2014  
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300000&id=98878-17809870-QP8qysx&t=8

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The New Populist Movement

07/22/2014 Nativegrl77

“More liberal, populist movement
emerging ahead of 2016 elections.”

Front page, The Washington Post, December 1, 2013:

The past two years have been scarred by a government shutdown, the sequester, the near default of the US government and a Tea Party Congress blocking everything.

And yet –

In the midst of the wreckage, we’ve helped build a populist movement that the media and the politicians no longer can ignore.

That movement – that you, the Campaign for America’s Future and others are forcing onto the table the changes that the American people want.

Take a look at last year:

We blocked politicians from cutting one dollar of Social Security and Medicare benefits — and now our champions in Congress are pushing to expand those programs.
We put economic inequality on the national agenda and drove demands for a higher minimum wage.
We pushed for investment in jobs and full employment and against job-killing austerity.
We demanded prosecution of banks and bankers who tanked the economy – and pushed to break up too-big-to-fail financial institutions.
We stopped Larry Summers from becoming Federal Reserve chairman.
We challenged job-killing trade agreements and the corporations that wrote them in secret.

In this election year, we need to keep up the fight. We need to support political champions like Senator Elizabeth Warren. We must keep up the fight for the minimum wage and pre-school for every child. We can’t do this without you. We need your energy and we need your help with a donation.

Can you help with a $10 donation to build this movement?

Thanks for all you do,

Roger Hickey & Robert L. Borosage
Co-Directors, Campaign for America’s Future

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Aurora, two years later

07/22/2014 Nativegrl77

My heart sank when I heard the news about the shooting two years ago in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. It was opening day of The Dark Knight Rises and 12 people had just been shot and killed at a midnight showing — 58 wounded.

The only thing I could think to do was go to Aurora. I visited the survivors and family members in the hospital.

One of the amazing survivors of the shooting I met was Steve Barton — a guy who just happened to be passing through on a cross-country bike trip when he stopped to go to the movies with friends.

Tomorrow marks two years since the Aurora shooting. Click here to watch Steve’s moving story and then share it with your family and friends to mark this somber anniversary.

After the shooting, Steve focused his incredible talents on fighting for public safety measures that will prevent others’ lives from being affected by gun violence like his was. I’m inspired by his resilience and dedication.

The fact is, there’s a lot more we can do to cut down on gun violence. After the Aurora shooting, Colorado passed a strong law that has already blocked criminals from easily buying guns without a background check.

But making that kind of progress in other states or at the federal level is going to require elected officials with the backbone to act. That’s why it’s so important to support local, state and federal candidates who will push for common-sense gun laws.

On this sad anniversary, let’s all recommit ourselves to turning tragedy into meaning.

Watch Steve’s powerful message now and then spread the word:

http://every.tw/aurora-two-years

It’s an honor to stand with Steve, with you and with all Americans fighting to reduce gun violence.

Thank you,

Christian Bale

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

#LivetheWage … it’s a Challenge

07/22/2014 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

Join Leaders And Advocates Taking The #LiveTheWage Challenge And Live On A Minimum Wage Budget For A Week

July 24th marks 5 years since the last federal minimum wage increase and America can’t wait any longer.

While corporate profits and CEO salaries skyrocket, the minimum wage remains stuck at $7.25 an hour, well below the poverty line for a family of three. We need to raise the minimum wage so that workers have more money to support themselves and their families. More money for workers means more customers for businesses. More customers means more jobs and a stronger economy for everyone.

It’s time for action.

This July, join the national movement to raise the minimum wage by taking the Live the Wage Challenge.

The Live the Wage Challenge asks elected officials, community leaders, advocates and everyday citizens to walk in the shoes of a person who earns minimum wage by living on a minimum wage budget—$77—for one week. Your weekly budget of $77 represents the weekly wages of a full-time worker making the federal minimum wage, minus average taxes and average housing expenses. Your weekly budget includes all your meals, groceries, transportation, and recreational spending. (It does not include long-term and inflexible expenses like loan, car, mortgage, or rent payments, child care, health care, etc.)

Obviously, $77 is not a lot of money. The truth is that you may simply run out of money and go over budget. That’s OK: the Challenge is not easy, and it’s not supposed to be. Workers who make the minimum wage have little, if any, leeway in how they spend their money each month. The Challenge gives a glimpse into just how little the minimum wage provides. It is not enough to live on—much less enough to invest back into the community. Whatever happens — good or bad — by sharing our experiences you will help highlight the critical need to raise the federal minimum wage.

Visit Livethewage.com to learn more about the challenge and read the stories of minimum wage workers and the struggles they face. The Challenge starts on the anniversary and goes for one week: from Thursday, July 24th until Wednesday, July 30th. Invite your friends, your neighbors, your congregation, your co-workers to join. And if you take part, be sure to chronicle the whole experience on social media using the hashtag #LiveTheWage. The more participants share their experiences with others, the bigger the impact we’ll have on the national conversation around the minimum wage.

BOTTOM LINE: Take part in the Live the Wage challenge by walking in the shoes of a minimum wage worker and living on just $77 for a week. We can keep the momentum going to raise the minimum wage – and keep the pressure on legislators who are saying no.

Like CAP Action on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

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a message from Gov.Inslee … Washington is cutting carbon

07/18/2014 Nativegrl77

“This is not some distant problem of the future. This is a problem that is affecting Americans right now.”

These were the words of President Obama on Tuesday as his administration released the National Climate Assessment, a landmark report written by over 250 scientists and government officials that confirms something we’ve known for a while: Man-made climate change is real and is already altering our lives and our planet.

But this report doesn’t just warn us about the problems facing our planet in general — it specifically warns that Washington is now facing greater wildfire risks, a reduced water supply, and significant damage to our shellfish industry due to ocean acidification.

We’ve heard warnings like these for far too long, yet failed to act. But as I said on Tuesday, “This challenge is significant, but it is matched by tremendous opportunities.” That’s why, last week, I announced an executive order to limit carbon pollution and asked you to help stop climate change before it’s too late.

Thousands of Washingtonians have heeded the call and signed a petition, in just the last week, to declare that they support this executive order and demand bold action to address the climate crisis.

As our movement grows stronger, we know the opposition is watching. With the release of Tuesday’s report, there should be no doubt that now is the time to join us, and show them that we’re not backing down.

Click here to declare your support for real climate action in Washington — including a market-based program to limit carbon — by signing my petition now.

Very truly yours,

Jay Inslee