Are You Registered for the July 27 Dem Candidate Forum? 

IMV has joined with many of our political partners in NY22 to sponsor a NY22 Democratic candidate forum on Wednesday, July 27th, 6-8 pm at Mohawk Valley Community College (Utica campus).  You must pre-register for this event.  After you do so, please invite all your registered Democratic party voter friends and family to pre-register as well.  Here's the eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/380084722637

We have a fabulous evening planned so that you can meet the four Democratic candidates for the NY 22 congressional election, hear their positions on the issues and their plans to win, and get excited and prepared not just for the primary, but also for the general election.  We must and we will flip NY22 blue once again. 

This event is co-sponsored by the Oneida County Democratic Committee, the Cornhill Democratic Club, the Oneida County Democratic Women's Club, and Citizen Action CNY.  We need at least 100 more individuals to register for this important which will help you decide who to vote for in August, and also energize us all to do the work in the coming months to WIN in NY22!   Register right now:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/380084722637.

We can only let in registered Democrats who can vote in the August primary and our WFP friends who join us as activists and door knockers trying to elect Democratic candidates.  See you July 27th!

CAFE Friday: Join IMV for political conversation & actions

Every Friday morning at 9:30 am IMV members gather on Zoom and while they relax at the kitchen table or on their decks with coffee, they talk progressive politics and often take actions like writing postcards or calling elected representatives.  This group keeps IMV connected on a weekly basis and often serves as a "brain trust" for thinking ahead on strategy and messaging as well as volunteer outreach and effective impact.  Everyone is invited to join CAFE Fridays whenever it works for your schedule.  

Tomorrow Sarah Klee Hood, the only woman running in the NY22 Dem primary, will join CAFE Friday and answer questions or just be available for comments and conversation.  This is a terrific opportunity to learn more about Sarah and her campaign in our new district made up of Onondaga, Madison, and Oneida counties.  All you need to do is click on the Zoom link HERE.   PW: 607973
 

When DINOs Attack Common Sense Gun Laws

Thank you, thank you to all of you who have made calls and sent emails to state legislators, the Governor, and members of Congress to try to get them to take action on common sense gun legislation!  Some of you have been at this since Sandy Hook in 2012, and others even longer than that. Many of you joined the fight as part of #MarchForOurLives and Moms Demand Action after Parkland in 2018.  Together we have marched, lit candles, prayed, rallied, lobbied, and called legislators over and over again. 

Finally, we saw a few signs of hope this spring after Buffalo and Uvalde, TX. Congress passed legislation to close the boyfriend loophole and enhance background checks.  Our Democratic NYS legislature and Governor, in quick response to the SCOTUS decision striking down safety laws that New Yorkers support to restrict concealed weapons in public places, reasserted the state's right to protect New Yorkers from those who would carry concealed weapons into key public spaces. IMV and our progressive colleagues, along with parents, doctors, librarians, shopkeepers, and many others across the state. celebrated this important bill at the start of July.

Then, sadly, yesterday, two of our key Oneida County Democratic elected leaders, Sheriff Rob Maciol, and Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon went out of their way to hold a press conference with MAGA Republicans to criticize the Democratic legislators and Democratic Governor who worked so hard to respond to OUR DEMAND to defend our families and communities against the MAGA extremist SCOTUS. 

When children are being killed by the dozens in schools, and families are being executed at 4th of July parades, and a grandmother can't go to the grocery store without being killed in a mass shooting, WHY is Assemblywoman Buttenschon opposing common sense laws to protect us in our community, at the doctor's office, and at the pharmacy?  Why does our county sheriff want his officers responding to disputes to have the people involved pulling guns out of their pockets? That creates danger not just for bystanders, but especially for his OWN officers?  

IMV Steering Committee Member Dawn Laguerre responded to the press conference yesterday, saying, "With Utica called 'Shootica' and the amount of gun possession cases impacted our community, I find this deplorable."  If you agree, then consider one or more of the following actions: 

1) If anyone is ready to raise their hand to run against DINO Marianne Buttenschon, please let IMV know.  We will support you and help you build your campaign.  We know that not only does Marianne not support gun safety laws, she also does not work wholeheartedly to protect abortion rights. (her voting record is only 67% per Planned Parenthood NYS.)

2) If Marianne Buttenschon is your Assemblywoman, please call her office and express your disappointment in her actions yesterday in opposing common sense gun laws that protect you and your family in New York.

3) Please write a letter to the editor and talk to your neighbors about why common sense voting laws are critical, and we do not need to have people carrying guns in places where we deserve to feel safe from gun violence.  Keep them in your home and for hunting!

4) Please join Jill Farnham-Us at her stand in front of Rep. Tenney's office on Thursdays 4-5:30 pm. This protest started as a response to gun violence, and while it now encompasses abortion rights, and other critical issues, it is always good to bring your signs in favor of common sense gun reforms, the kind that Sheriff Maciol and Marianne Buttenschon have now attacked. 

Midterm Messaging Tools to Defeat MAGA Mayhem 

MAGA Republicans have been extremely successful in recent years in: 

1) attacking people (abortion bans and anti-LGBT actions);
2) attacking schools (through their fabricated CRT narratives and other lies) and
3) attacking democracy--and we have seen that over and over again, including on Jan. 6th.  

How can we effectively counteract these MAGA frames and messages?

We're asking everyone to take a look at this critical strategic messaging document that Indivisible shared at our national convention on Tuesday evening.  Please use this material to talk with: 

Peers--like minded friends, and family, other progressive and/or Dem frequent voters);
Persuadables--people who might share some of our values but might also have hesitations or concerns on some issues or have doubts about voting); and
Press--How to get their attention and get OUR frames and messaging into the news. 

These messages will help us write letters to the editor, talk to people at doors, and be effective in communicating our values and our priorities.  

In case you missed the Indivisible Convention this week: 

It was truly an incredible experience to attend the Indivisible Convention this week on Zoom.  Sarah Reeske kicked off the three day event with her energy and her own political activism story. We heard from co-founders Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg.  We were inspired by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Raphael Warnock, Progressive Caucus leader Rep. Pramila Jayapal, national abortion rights activist leaders, and many others who trained us on how to message effectively, recruit volunteers, and talk to voters in this midterm election season.  We heard from longtime social and political justice organizers about how to WIN and also how to take care of ourselves in the long struggle. It was amazing!

From message testing, polling, and early canvassing of voters, it is clear that THE best issue for mobilizing volunteers and voters this fall for the midterms is abortion.  The MAGA Republicans have taken away access in states across the country, overturned Roe, and now they are coming for our rights to marry who we want to marry and plan the families we want when we are ready to have them.  Americans DO NOT want their civil rights taken away.  Our job is to help people connect the dots.  If they want to have full human rights and the ability to make decisions for their own bodies and lives, they must go to the polls and vote for Democrats up and down the ballot.  

IMV has helped to elect candidates every year since 2017 and we can do it again!  We do it by self-organizing to take political action together.  

 A top takeaway that threaded through the whole national Indivisible Convention event:
 "Organize with Love at the Center"  

IMV says YES to that!
 

Democracy is not a spectator sport.
Breathe, THEN PUSH!  (Haven't watched the video in a while and need some inspiration?  Click HERE. 
 
Follow us on Twitter using @indivisiblemv and of course our Facebook page and IMV Activism Group.