IC-SS Weekly News: August 14, 2023
YOU Helped Ohio Win!
By now, everyone knows that Ohio voters defeated Issue 1, the anti-democracy measure that Republicans had put on the state ballot in an attempt to head off a November vote to protect abortion rights. The NO vote on August 8 was a decisive win.
Thank you to our South Side friends who contacted Ohio voters. A special shout-out to Steve Kagan, who spearheaded our letter-writing project, and Sarah Lincoln, who hosted many Indivisible Chicago phone banks.
Some takeaways:
1. In Ohio – as in other red or lean-red states – voters will turn out to protect abortion and reproductive rights.
2. We have reason to hope for good results in the 2024 elections… if we do the work.
And do the work we did. Here in Chicago, Indivisible Chicago-South Side members wrote hundreds of letters to Ohio voters, urging them to vote NO on anti-democracy Issue 1. (Steve K himself wrote over 1000!)
Some of us phoned or texted Ohio voters. We joined phonebanks or textbanks organized by Indivisible Chicago and other groups in support of sweeping efforts by Ohio Democrats, advocacy organizations, and grassroots groups.
Our letters, calls, and texts were part of a massive voter education drive on Issue 1 and a powerful get-out-the-vote campaign.
Last week we celebrated the Ohio victory. Let’s use our inspiration to keep working to defend democracy in the states so we can achieve democracy in the United States. 2024 is coming. (See this column on the takeaways from the Ohio vote in the Washington Post.)
Letter Party Next Week: Tues., August 22
Right now, we’re turning our attention to the state of Virginia, which holds state-level elections this fall.
Join our Vote Forward letter leader Steve Kagan and IC-SS friends to write letters to Virginia voters in swing districts – on Tuesday August 22, 6:00-8:00 pm at the Nile in Hyde Park. This letter campaign focuses on people who don’t always vote but are likely to vote for Democrats when they do cast a ballot. Sign up!
INFO:
- Next week, we’ll write to Virginia voters on Tuesday, August 22, 6:00-8:00 pm, at the Nile Restaurant – 1162 E 55th – on the outdoor patio (indoors if weather or air is bad).
- We’ll provide a few appetizers for the table and encourage everyone to support the Nile by purchasing their own meals and soft drinks.
- The Nile is BYOB, so feel free to bring wine or beer.
- If you can, bring along first-class stamps for the letters.
- Most important, bring yourself! Sign up
No to DeSantis, Yes to the Tampa 5
Protesting is not a crime! Thanks to Steven Dornbusch, Teri Watkins, and all who who turned out last week to support the Tampa 5 at CAARPR‘s rally in Federal Plaza. CAARPR, SDS, and other organizations rallied to demand that charges be dropped again four University of Southern Florida students and a staffer facing felony charges after taking part in demonstrations against Gov. DeSantis’s anti-DEI policies.
Learn & Act:
- Read Teen Vogue: The Tampa Five: Students, Staffer Face Charges After Protests Against DeSantis
- Read NAARPR statement: August 9ᵗʰ: National Day of Protest to Drop the Charges on Tampa 5
- Sign the petition.
Organizations and Opportunities
Indivisible Chicago-South Side shares information and actions from other organizations on issues important in our country, state, city, and communities.
Treatment Not Trauma: TONIGHT, Mon Aug. 14 + More
We recently shared information about the campaign for Treatment Not Trauma, a community care infrastructure for crisis response, mental health, and shared safety. Here are more opportunities to learn and act.
From STOP Chicago: The Collaborative for Community Wellness (CCW), of which STOP is a member, is the umbrella coalition for the Treatment not Trauma campaign in Chicago.
Cheryl Miller of STOP writes: “We are having a meeting on how you can become a part of the movement to support the fight to reopen our public mental health centers and establish a citywide non-police mobile crisis response program for mental health emergencies.”
ACT:
- Attend the in-person Southside TNTmeeting tonight, Monday, August 14 at 6:00 pm at the STOP office, 602 E. 61st St. Register here.
- Read about Treatment Not Trauma in CCW’s TNT policy paper.
- Contact your alder and ask them to support Treatment Not Trauma.
Newsletter Notes
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