IEB NEWSLETTER 6/25/20

After Kentucky slashed its two highest minority population counties to ONE polling place each, lots of voters were still waiting to park as Jefferson Co.’s polls set to close at 6 PM in Tuesday’s primary. Dem candidate Charles Booker got a last-minute injunction to extend – the doors were opened, then closed & locked again! His opponent Amy McGrath tried for another extension, but poll workers were going, going, gone by 7. Whoever wins this race, it’s clear: They must beat Mitch McConnell, who wouldn’t condemn the racist-in-chief for calling COVID-19 “Kung Flu,” telling reporters to ask his wife, whose family immigrated from Taiwan when she was a child. And Vote by Mail is crucial. And Black voters are STILL pounding on doors to exercise their right to vote, and being turned away. Can we make a difference from here in the East Bay? You have to ask!? Read on and make a difference!

Action: Tell Congress: no military weapons for cops

Deadline: July 1 – Wonder why local police look like an army? Surprise: they get “excess” weapons, bought with your tax $$$, from the Pentagon’s budget. Does that sound wrong to you? Tell your Members of Congress to offer an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to include H.R. 1714, the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act – and to fight to repeal the 1033 Program of the NDAA, which lets them get the weapons; and to fight for a major overhaul of defense spending so we no longer have “excess” weaponry to begin with.

What to say:

My name is ___, my zip code is ___, and I’m a member of Indivisible East Bay. The federal government shouldn’t give police forces military weapons under the 1033 Program of the NDAA. Please offer an amendment to include H.R. 1714, the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act, in the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. We need these restrictions now. Please also fight to repeal and defund the 1033 Program, and to overhaul defense spending. It’s obscene to spend so much on defense that we have excess military weapons to give to police.

Say HER Name: Breonna Taylor

Breonna Taylor. Murdered by three cops in her home in Lousiville KY – where the polls closed too early for people to vote – and justice is AWOL. One of the three has been fired; none arrested. And the US Senate’s attempt at police reform didn’t prohibit no-knock entries, which is what led to her death. We don’t have to sit by idly. Fight for Breonna; read more here and check out the actions at the bottom. And say this: Black women’s lives matter equally.

HAPPY PRIDE !

What We’re Up To

Happy Birthday IEB Postcarding Series! A year ago, IEB sent our first Reclaim Our Vote postcards to Virginia. We now write about 1K cards a week with ROV and Flip the West, and we’d love to have your help! Join our Zoom postcarding events or email us if you want to write any time on your own. Read our article to see what we’ve done, what’s to come, and how to get involved.Keep sending us those activists-in-place pix for our “IEB In Place” project! Here’s info about the project & tips to get good shots. Email photos with subject “IEB In Place” to aspevack@gmail.com

Your donations to IEB support our actions against the Evil Empire but do not go to candidate-related events.

Activities & Events!

2020 Voter Outreach Events

No in-person events for now. Please fill out this form, we’ll let you know about our virtual & remote options. And see our article for a list of great groups we partner with, they’ve got many more! 

Phone & Text Bank/Postcard & Letter:

• Every Thursday: Online Vote Forward letter writing party with Ted & Taj. Info & sign up here for each date. 
• Every other Saturday (next up 7/11), postcard with Matt & Alice. RSVP here for all dates.
• Phone Bank to AZ & CO 6/27
• Tuesday Night Postcarding 6/30 
• Thursday Night Postcarding 7/9
• Can you help reach out to Spanish-speaking voters in AZ & beyond? If so, please add your name to our list.
• Want to write postcards any time from home? Email us for complete instructions, scripts & addresses.

Other Activities & Events

• See our article Come Zoom With Us about how to join us online or by phone, using the Zoom call app.
• June 28, 1-2:30 PM: Virtual IEB All Members Meeting. RSVP & info here.

IEB doesn’t necessarily endorse the groups, events, or candidates below. Submit calendar events to newsletter@indivisibleeb.org

• June 26-28: SF Pride online events and Bay Area Pride Weekend protests & rallies.
• June 27, 6-7:30 PM: Fallen Heroes, Rising Stars:A Juneteenth Dance Celebration. On FB live.
• June 29, 1 PM: Rep. Eric Swalwell author event, discussion about his new book Endgame: Inside the Impeachment of Donald J. Trump. Register here (free event, book available to purchase)

We Could Not Make This Up

Are we sure it’s not Banned Books Week? First Trump sued unsuccessfully to block former National Security Advisor John “Warmonger” Bolton’s book The Room Where It Happened (hm that title), and now he’s threatening jail instead (the man is nonstop!) Days later, Trump’s little brother Robert sued niece Mary Trump to stop HER book Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. Don says she’s “not allowed to write a book” under a non-disclosure agreement from another intra-family lawsuit. (Suit just tossed as we’re going to press). Nice to see a family do things together! Speaking of lawsuits: thoughts & prayers for Devin Nunes, who lost the Twitter War to his cow. The crusader against frivolous lawsuits sure gets around in the courts. CA Rep Ted Lieu wants to solve things without lawyers – hey, don’t have a cow, man!