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Many thanks to everyone who turned out for Seville's March for Our Lives gathering, one of 800+ protests around the world. A great first step in the long march to gun safety! And we launched Seville's voter registration effort; stay tuned for more on that. To see additional photos of Saturday's gathering, visit our Facebook page.  STOP, LOOK, LISTEN! by Kathy Sherretts Vote for Their Lives Want to support the Parkland students? Write an email to your Senators and Congressional representatives RIGHT NOW and tell them that you expect them to support meaningful gun control legislation (Find their email addresses HERE for the Senate and HERE for the House). Check out this chart, searchable by state, showing how your reps have voted on past gun legislation, from the 1993 Brady Bill until today. And above all, register to vote, so that you can back up that email with a ballot! We have not all been through a mass shooting, but lots of our communities are affected by gun violence. Domestic abuse, drug deals, traffic disputes, depression, a stupid argument in a bar—any of these bad situations can escalate past fixing when guns are involved. Twenty-five years ago my childhood friend Rusty Rice was killed by some dumb kid riding around at night with his father’s stolen handgun. I thought about him again this weekend. May he rest. Article: Washington Post: At the March for Our Lives, you’ll see her name again. But who was Marjory Stoneman Douglas? by Jessica Contrera “Be a nuisance where it counts, but don’t be a bore at any time,” Douglas once wrote. “Be depressed, discouraged, and disappointed at failures and the disheartening effects of ignorance, greed, corruption and bad politics — but never give up.”  Interactive Map: FiveThirtyEight/ The Gerrymandering Project: The Atlas of Redistricting by Aaron Bycoffe, Ella Koeze, David Wasserman and Julia Wolfe If political gerrymandering is a bad way to draw districts, what happens when you try other ways? See how changes to district boundaries could radically alter the partisan and racial makeup of the U.S. House — without a single voter moving or switching parties. This podcast of 99% Invisible explains the project, which involves not only the map but a 6-episode examination of the structure of our representative democracy. Graphic: Medium: The Media Pyramid by Faris How do we enjoy a balanced media diet and not make ourselves sick?  Learn about primaries, special elections and more at FVAP.gov. For details of how to register and request an absentee ballot, see our new page on this site, Voter Info.  For more ways to take action check out the action plan put together by PAGE (Progressive Action Global Exchange), and Americans of Conscience;read the last blog post by Indivisible; or you can always watch the four sessions of the Fall 2017 series of the Resistance School, Leadership: Story, Structure, Strategy.
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YOUR ASSIGNMENT: We’re asking each of you to download a few copies of this poster/flier (it fits A4 paper) and post them in your favorite café, gym, bar, or anywhere else frequented by Americans and sympathizers. All are welcome to join us at Merchant Pub for this event, 8 pm on Saturday, March 24.  As you may have noticed, the host is listed as Drinking Liberally Seville, which was formed by some American Resistance Sevilla members back when they were Obama campaigners in 2008. We discovered then that when you make a gathering sound more festive, you attract more people (go figure). For this event, we want to reach out to younger voters, especially in the study abroad community. So we’ve revived Seville’s Drinking Liberally chapter and are counting on all of you to make sure word gets around. You can download the poster/flier from this document or from our website.  STOP, LOOK, LISTEN! by Kathy Sherretts It’s getting crowded in here The results of an ultimately somewhat pointless special election in southwest Pennsylvania are being reviewed by the Allegheny County Board of Elections—and by a representative of apparent-winner Conor Lamb's campaign, two for Rick Saccone's campaign, one for the Republican Party, three for the Democratic Party and three for the U.S. House of Representatives. This close race is a positive sign for those of us hoping for a Democratic gain in the midterm elections later this year (when this district and its seat will evaporate and the new PA electoral map is put in place) and a reminder that every vote is important! The Women's March "Power to the Polls", the Movement for Black Lives: The Electoral Justice Project and other environmental and social justice groups are joining the push to register voters ahead of upcoming elections. Opinion: Washington Post: Trump is perfecting the art of the Big Lie by Max Boot The president is doubling down on his efforts to redefine reality—not just sneaking lies by us but shoving them down our throats. Trump is signaling that he doesn’t care what the truth is. Graphic: Axios: How the U.S. imprisons the poor by Stef W Kight The U.S. has the highest imprisonment rates in the world. A study by the Brrokings Institute shows that joblessness and poverty not only characterize the life of former prisoners, but also the life of those who will end up in prison, Video/Report: CNN: Ex-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is fired -- and fires back by Laura Jarrett and Pamela Brown Several commentators have noted that by dismissing officials in his administration, the President has essentially freed them to speak frankly. “…I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey," McCabe said.  Looking for More Ways to Resist? Check out the action plan put together by PAGE (Progressive Action Global Exchange), and Americans of Conscience; read the last blog post by Indivisible; or watch the free online series Resistance School. And as always, American Resistance Sevilla is looking for people to help with social media, events, voter registration, mailings, and more. If you have a few hours a month to contribute to the cause, contact us at AmericanResistanceSevilla@gmail.com. We're looking for help with social media, voter registration, and event planning.  Approximately 100,000 demonstrators formed "a sea of purple" in Seville on March 8, International Women's Day, according to El Correo. And American Resistance Sevilla was right in the middle of it! Thanks to everyone who tuned out to march for gender equality, pay equity, and an end to domestic violence. Do you have photos of the march? Please post them on our Facebook page or send them to us at AmericanResistanceSevilla@gmailcom and we'll post them!  Isabel, JoNell, Marjan and Sage lead American Resistance Sevilla in the International Women's Day March on March 8, 2018. STOP, LOOK, LISTEN! by Kathy Sherretts Close to home "All politics is local." AP Washington bureau chief Byron Price said it, Tip O'Neill quoted it, every candidate lives by it. But it's a missing piece for us expats. We read about and fear the looming effects of the big policy shifts back in the US, but we don't feel the importance of "local" politics. We need to add our voices to the primaries, special, midterm and state elections coming up. This New York Times editorial encourages us to push back against the manipulations, both psychological and technical, that threaten to undermine our democratic system. "...you can march in the streets, you can go to town halls and demand more from your representatives, you can share the latest outrageous news on your social media feed...none of it matters if you don’t go out and vote." Kathy Sherretts Article: Associated Press: ‘Fake news’ smear takes hold among politicians at all levels by Ryan J. Foley Politicians who have used the term in recent months include the governor of Maine, a New Mexico congressional candidate, the Georgia secretary of state and the vice chairman of Trump’s now-disbanded voter fraud commission. A California school board president repeatedly used the term to attack a journalist investigating the area’s high rate of teenage pregnancy and its sex education policies. It’s a signal to supporters to ignore legitimate reporting and hard questions. Podcast: What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law: The Poisonous Tree (18 min) This discussion of Constitutional Law, with Elizabeth Joh and Roman Mars, looks at how Trump supporters have invoked the legal concept "the fruit of the poisonous tree" to invalidate the Russia investigation. What does the Fourth Amendment say about tainted investigations, and does it apply to Trump? Graphic: Politico: Trump Madness: Politico Magazine’s 2018 Bracket by Derek Robertson Who is most likely to stay in Trump’s good graces until the bitter end? In a sprawling competition worthy of the POTUS’ heads-will-roll organizational ethos, Politico pits the bureaucrats, members of Congress and hangers-on in Trump’s orbit against one another in a smackdown for the ultimate prize—his loyalty.  Detail of the complex digram that attempts to plot out which of the current loyalists are likely to remain in the White House in 2018 Seville Voter Registration Drive Gears Up American Resistance Sevilla is spearheading a voter registration drive for all Americans living in the Seville area. Want to learn how easy it is to register online and vote from abroad? We'll be holding events where you can get all the info you need to download forms and cast your ballot. If you'd like to be part of this effort, we'd love to have you join the team! Contact us at AmericanResistanceSevilla@gmail.com. Looking for More Ways to Resist? Check out the action plan put together by PAGE (Progressive Action Global Exchange), and Americans of Conscience; read the last blog post by Indivisible; or watch the free online series Resistance School. And as always, American Resistance Sevilla is looking for people to help with social media, events, voter registration, mailings, and more. If you have a few hours a month to contribute to the cause, contact us at AmericanResistanceSevilla@gmail.com. Come and march in support of International Women's Day and gender equality on Thursday, March 8! We'll be gathering in Plaza Nueva at the statue of San Fernando at 7:15pm, departing at 7:30pm. Last year's march was tremendous fun with an impressive turnout as we gathered with many local organizations. STOP, LOOK, LISTEN! by Kathy Sherretts And the winner is… The New York Times makes a good argument for naming Scott Pruitt of the Environmental Protection Agency as the worst member of the Trump Administration I might have gone with Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. They may have been overshadowed by recent anxiety and volatility, unrest and frustration in the White House, but both are out there doing some serious damage. Kathy Sherretts Article: Mother Jones: This Senator Wants to Revive Federal Research on Gun Violence, 22 Years After Congress Banned It by Edwin Rios The Dickey amendment is a 1996 rule that blocks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from funding research into the public health effects of gun violence. Even its author, former Congressman Jay Dickey (R-Ark.), has called for its repeal. “Doing nothing is no longer an acceptable solution.” Analysis: Washington Post: Women and young voters will decide the 2018 elections. If they actually vote. by Dan Balz These are the voters who are most at odds with Trump and GOP priorities, and their attitudes appear relatively hardened. The key will be whether those attitudes result in a surge in turnout among those voting groups. That remains the most important question for this year’s elections. Article: New Orleans Times-Picayune: Could a single lunch change your views on race and wealth? by Ann Maloney Would you hesitate to spend $12 for lunch? How about $30? One big factor affecting your answer is how financially secure you are. At Saartj, a food stall in New Orleans, white customers are asked to pay $30. For black, Latino or Asian customers, the bill is $12. The chef aims to engage people on the topic of racial income and wealth disparities, sharing statistics on these disparities.  WANT TO DO MORE TO FIGHT BACK & PUSH FORWARD? HELP US GET OUT THE VOTE! American Resistance Sevilla is launching a voter registration drive here in Seville. We could use your help! We're meeting Tuesday, March 13, 7:30 PM. For details write Karen at AmericanResistanceSevilla@gmail.com. |
resist the madness!American Resistance Sevilla is a non-partisan community mobilizing Americans living abroad to take peaceful action defending our lawful rights and freedoms. Learn more Archives
November 2020
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