April 11, 2024

Gun violence & Congress, kindness to abortion providers and patients, engage voters, and more!

Contact all members of Congress:

• By phone: (202) 224-3121

• By email: democracy.io

• By US mail: Representatives / Senators

• By fax: Representatives / Senators

• By Resistbot: Resist.bot

Contact White House or other federal agencies:

• usa.gov/federal-agencies

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• ADVANCE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION IN CONGRESS

  A recent ProPublica report describes how the Indiana state legislature and governor, kowtowing to the gun lobby, have passed a law that will likely end the decades-long effort to stop the illicit gun sales that contribute to violence in Gary and nearby cities. There are many issues involved here. One of them is that federal law prohibits the public release of information about illegal gun sales by retailers. Another is a federal law that protects gun manufacturers and retailers from civil litigation. The federal Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act (H.R.6596 and S.3407), if passed, would create a federal gun licensing system, require universal background checks, ban individuals who represent safety risks from buying guns, ensure responsible use and storage, ban military-style assault weapons, crack down on gun trafficking, improve oversight of gun dealers, hold the gun industry accountable, and invest in research and community-based gun violence prevention. It has only 21 cosponsors in the House and 3 in the Senate. Let’s tell our Members of Congress why ending gun violence matters to us and ask that they cosponsor H.R.6596 and S.3407.

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• SUPPORT WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ASSISTANCE PROJECT

  Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (WRRAP) is the only independent 501 (c) 3 abortion fund that provides urgently needed financial assistance, on a national level, to those seeking abortion or emergency contraception.  Not only can we donate to help fund the work they do, but we can also write letters of support to clinics or the women they serve.  Let’s share our story or an encouraging message here.  

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• HELP ENGAGE VOTERS

  Building Bridges for America has a vast list of volunteer opportunities for us to help engage voters in swing states. We can help abortion rights mobilization in Nebraska, help young people register to vote, connect with Democratic Party veterans organizations, and so much more. Let’s explore the possibilities here and sign up to help engage voters!

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• PROSELYTIZING IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
  Another effort to fuse our public institutions with a very specific set of religious beliefs is underway, led by an organization which aims to shape policy around “a biblical world view.” The National Association of Christian Lawmakers has been pushing bills in multiple state legislatures to bring chaplains into public schools – including using them to replace trained counselors. A version of this law is already in place in Texas and on Governor Ron DeSantis’ desk for signature in Florida, and has been introduced in 12 other states. The NACL’s “biblical principles” include opposing reproductive rights and marriage equality, and they are working on this model legislation with a subsidiary of an organization called Mission Generation, which has an explicit goal of using public school chaplains to proselytize and convert kids. Let’s reach out to our state legislators and urge them to oppose these measures and shine a spotlight on them where they are introduced, and ask them to closely monitor and warn the public as future efforts by the NACL move forward.

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