thoughts from Team S&S about our activism this week

James:

Focused my energy this week on contacting officials about stopping the spread of COVID-19, continuing to call and email for justice for Breonna Taylor. I found urgency in contacting officials about the arrests of peaceful protesters in Portland as the idea of militarized states being a way to “deal” with activism is incomprehensible. Additionally I reached out in regards to passing the USPS Fairness Act and the HEROES Act, thank you to my co-workers for sharing these links and continuing to find ways for us to work as a team in this.

Gen:

Continued to apply pressure on the case of Breonna Taylor through emails and following up with calls. Still haven’t gotten to speak with a representative but Mari’s experience continues to drive me toward that feeling of empowerment. My next focus was the case of kidnappings in Portland that were carried out by unidentified federal officers or UFO’s as this is a violation of many constitutional rights. I’m looking forward to continuing our advance.

Mari:

Today for the first time I spoke with a representative for a government official! It was surprisingly nice to know that my message was actually received. The person on the other side of the line was happy to field my call and interested in what I had to say, which was such good positive reinforcement. There is something very rewarding about knowing this is all not just a shout in the dark!

Erin:

Today I contacted (again) all my local and state reps to yell at them for not doing their jobs and not (1) speaking out against human rights violations (2) supporting the USPS and (3) supporting accessible voting practices, including vote-by-mail, but I also tried to address the ability of incarcerated individuals to vote because it's ridiculous that they can't vote for their own interests. I also left some messages for the folks in Portland about the kidnappings of peaceful protesters and sent some e-mails regarding Breonna Taylor's case. Contacting people about her case has been frustrating since their voicemail boxes are all full. It's all very frustrating and I'm angry! But at least my ADHD is well-managed enough that I can use my anger for good. Or try, at least.

Elliot:

Fun fact, Congress has been on “recess” since the 4th of July - this cool little break lasts two weeks, so they should be back to work next week.

Second fun fact, almost 150,000 Americans have died from Covid, and millions of others have been bankrupted by medical bills, laid off or otherwise left unemployed, and millions face potential homelessness in the coming months as a result of those things I just wrote.

Third fun fact, many representatives have full voicemails, so you can’t even leave them a message! I’m kidding, none of these facts are fun. I’m furious. Pay attention to what the people who are supposed to be in charge are doing, and hold them painfully accountable. The only Americans who deserve to be unemployed are the public servants who refuse to serve the public.