Tag Archives: United States Constitution

Cory Gardner and Personhood ?


 

 

 

FWD: a message from … Zach Silk, Yes on 594


I saw this gun posted for sale online yesterday in Mill Creek.

And, I know you’re not a convicted felon or anything … but if you were, you could just hand over $550 in cash and buy this .45 caliber pistol with no background check at all. He’ll get back to you within an hour.

Really — that’s how huge the loopholes are in our gun laws here in Washington.

Help us close the loopholes in our gun laws that allow people prohibited by law from owning firearms: Pledge to vote Yes on 594 today.

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If you’ve read this far, you’ll be horrified to know that recent research suggests that 4,400 people each year WHO LEGALLY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BUY GUNS buy them online in Washington.

4,400 EACH YEAR.

Click here right now to do something about it.

Thanks,

Zach Silk
Campaign Manager
Yes on 594

Ten years in prison


Eight Greenpeace activists are each facing almost ten years in prison for participating in a peaceful protest to protect Indonesian rainforest.Indonesia RainforestSign our statement of support today for the action they took and the right to peaceful protest.

take action today

In just a few weeks, eight Greenpeace activists, who last March participated in a peaceful protest at Procter & Gamble’s Cincinnati headquarters to protect Indonesian rainforest1, will be going on trial. greenpeace

They’re each facing two separate felony charges — burglary and vandalism — and if convicted, they could spend almost ten years in prison.

These are crimes they did not commit. The charges in this case are an attempt to intimidate us and prevent more people from taking action — especially when it relates to large corporations like Procter & Gamble. The eight individuals on trial in Cincinnati are prepared to accept the consequences of their actions for a cause they believe in. But they aren’t burglars. And they aren’t vandals. That’s why they’re going to trial.

I’ll be there in person in Cincinnati during the trial doing everything I can to support the eight individuals and their case. You have a role to play too.

Add your name to our statement of support today and show these individuals that they’re not alone and that you believe in the right to peaceful protest.

When I took the job of Executive Director of Greenpeace USA, I didn’t think that this would be how I’d introduce myself to you. But this is a very serious moment, and we need your help.

I’m Annie Leonard. You might know me from my most recent project, the Story of Stuff, but I actually got my start in the environmental movement at Greenpeace over 20 years ago. And I’ve seen firsthand the power that peaceful protest can have.

I’ll be delivering your messages of support personally to the activists. It’s important that they know they’re not alone and that the there is broad support for the action they took. And it’s important that we work together to protect the right to freedom of speech which allowed this action to take place, and which will continue to allow other activists to take direct action in the future.

Add your name to our statement of support today and show these eight individuals that they’re not alone and that you believe in the right to peaceful protest.

The right to peaceful protest is one of the single most important tools at our disposal, not only to protect the environment, but to bring about positive social change in a democracy. It should be allowed to be exercised without the fear of unjust legal consequences.

Carmen, I can’t tell you how excited I am to have come home to Greenpeace as its Executive Director. Or how excited I am to work with you in the days, months and years to come to make our world a greener and more peaceful place.

Thanks for all you do. I’ll be sure to keep you updated as we get closer to the trial and the proceedings begin.

Sincerely,

Annie Leonard
Greenpeace USA Executive Director

1. For more information on the protest and why these activists did what they did, check out this blog post.

WA meet Tami Green, Democratic Party


There’s a lot to be excited about this year –

Tami Green is running for State Senate in the 28th District

Click here and say:
I’m with Tami

We have a great opportunity to unseat one of the most conservative voices in the State Senate.

In his one year in office, State Senator Steve O’Ban has led efforts to allow businesses to deny services to gays and lesbians.

He’s worked to allow insurance companies to deny coverage for basic services, like mammograms, diabetes, and autism screenings.

Our state needs leaders who will move our state forward.

Rep. Tami Green has been representing the 28th District for 10 years. She has a strong record of accomplishment in the 28th District, and she is challenging Steve O’Ban for State Senate.

Will you sign our petition and show your support for Tami Green for State Senate?

Tami Green is a trusted nurse and legislative leader known for her integrity, courage, and willingness to bring people together.

In her 10 years in the Legislature, Tami has earned a strong reputation as an experienced leader who is focused on results.

She is a strong advocate for the values we share. She’s worked to strengthen the middle class, protect our environment, expand access to health care, and protect a woman’s right to choose.

With Republicans in power in the State Senate, we haven’t gotten the results that will help Washington’s working families.

This year, the Republican State Senate majority refused to compromise and failed to pass a Transportation or Capitol Budget. This has killed jobs and hurt our middle class.

Steve O’Ban was in step with the State Senate majority the entire way.

We need to elect leaders who are willing to come to the table, get to work, and do what’s best for our communities and working families.

We need Tami Green in the State Senate. Join us now and sign on as a supporter today.

In solidarity,

Jaxon Ravens
Washington State Democrats Chair

Too much Democracy?


By

Georgia Republicans Lament Efforts To Expand Voting Access, Try To Stop Them

As November approaches, Georgia finds itself home to a toss-up Senate race between Democrat Michelle Nunn and Republican David Perdue. With such a competitive race, voters are registering at a higher rate than usual and county election boards are taking steps to expand access to the polls. America has one of the worst turnout rates of any developed country in the world, so you’d like to think that everybody would be cheering this news. But some Republican officials are worried that these measures are resulting in the increased participation of minority voters, and that that fact could spell trouble for their own candidates.

Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp is one of these officials. Think Progress’s Josh Israel reports on new audio released by progressive voting rights organization Better Georgia that captures Kemp sharing his frustration over it’s grassroots effort to register minority voters for the election. Here’s an excerpt from the tape:

Democrats are working hard, and all these stories about them, you know, registering all these minority voters that are out there and others that are sitting on the sidelines, if they can do that, they can win these elections in November.

Using the power of his position, Kemp plans to fight back. On Tuesday, Kemp launched a “voter fraud” investigation into the voter registration effort, which he says he suspects may have “forged voter registration applications, forged signatures on releases, and applications with false or inaccurate information.” (As a reminder, the problem of voter fraud is essentially non-existent.)

Kemp is not the only one feeling threatened. Just the day before he launched his investigation, another Republican, state senator Fran Millar, complained that voting is too convenient for black people. One of Georgia’s largest counties announced last week that it will allow early voting on a Sunday in late October and will open an early voting location in a shopping mall popular among local African-Americans. Millar penned an angry response, explaining that “this location is dominated by African American shoppers and it is near several large African American mega churches such as New Birth Missionary Baptist.” When asked to stand by his comments, Millar only got more offensive, writing in a Facebook post, “I would prefer more educated voters than a greater increase in the number of voters.”

BOTTOM LINE: Expanding voting access by increasing opportunities to vote and increasing voter registration is something that deserves to be celebrated in our democracy. Instead, some officials in Georgia, feeling threatened by what might happen if more people exercise their constitutional right, resort to name calling and launching specious investigations that are more likely intended for voter suppression than anything else.