Jan. 6 Remembrance Vigil in Utica
Jan. 6th Remembrance Vigil in Utica: Please Join Us
Please join IMV for a January 6th Remembrance Vigil in Utica:
Saturday, Jan. 6th, 12:30 pm-1:30 pm
Moment of silence at 12:49 pm, when Donald Trump's supporters began to breach the Capitol.
Utica Police Station (413 Oriskany Street W.)
This vigil will honor law enforcement officers who were killed, injured, or traumatized by the assault inspired Andrew led by Donald Trump on that day, an assault enabled, excused, and then denied by many Republican members of Congress. We will commemorate the third anniversary of the insurrection and attack on the Capitol in 2021. Please arrive by 12:15 pm if you can, so that we have a good number of attendees if the media are there at the start of the event. We hope that media attention will remind 2024 voters of the stakes when they go to the polls this year.
Please dress for the weather.
Bring: American flags and signs that say: "Jan. 6th: Never Forget" "Peaceful Transfer of Power -No Violence," "Jan. 6th: Never Again," and signs such as : We Support the Rule of Law, We Support Law Enforcement, or We Support Public Servants
Park: Around the police station, additional at the Adirondack Bank Center and Nexus Center across the street.
Please bring friends and family for this meaningful event.
Climate Crisis Update (It's Good News!)
We hope you heard the news that Governor Hochul signed the Birds and Bees Protection Act into law on Dec. 22. This was one of the bills MV's Climate Crisis Working Group worked so very hard on this year. Thank you to all of you that called, emailed or wrote a letter in support.
Please call the Governor to thank her for signing this most critical legislation that will protect the pollinators but also those who live in New York State. (518) 474-8390.
Ten Suggestion for Making it a Happy Blue Year
What can the rest of us do between now and the election to help save American democracy?
Ten suggestions for the next ten months from Robert Reich's newsletter:
1. Become even more politically active. For some of us, this will mean taking more time out of our normal lives — up to and including getting out the vote in critical swing states. For others, it will mean phone banking, making political contributions, writing letters to editors, and calling friends and relations in key states.
2. Do not succumb to the tempting anesthesias of complacency or cynicism. The stakes are too high. Even if you cannot take much time out of your normal life for direct politics, you will need to organize, mobilize, and energize your friends, colleagues, and neighbors.
3. Counter lies with truth. When you hear someone repeating a Trump Republican lie, correct it. This will require that you prepare yourself with facts, logic, analysis, and sources.
4. Do not tolerate bigotry and hate. Call it out. Stand up to it. Denounce it. Demand that others denounce it, too.
5. Do not resort to name-calling, bullying, intimidation, violence, or any of the other tactics that Trump followers may be using. We cannot save democracy through anti-democratic means.
6. Be compassionate toward hardcore followers of Trump, but be firm in your opposition. Understand why someone might decide to support Trump, but don’t waste your time and energy trying to convert them. Use your time and energy on those who still have open minds.
7. Don’t waste your time commiserating with people who already agree with you. Don’t gripe, whine, wring your hands, and kvetch with other anti-Trumpers about how awful Trump and his Republican enablers are. Don’t snivel over or criticize Biden and the Democrats for failing to communicate more effectively how bad Trump and his Republican enablers are. None of this will get you anything except an upset stomach or worse.
8. Don’t decide to sit this election out or vote for a third-party candidate because you don’t especially like Biden and you’re tired of voting for the “lesser of two evils.” Biden may not be perfect, but he’s not the lesser of two evils. Trump is truly evil.
9. Demonstrate, but don’t confuse demonstrating for political action. You may find it gratifying to stand on a corner in Berkeley or Cambridge or any other liberal precinct with a sign asking drivers to “honk if you hate fascism” and elicit lots of honks. But this is as politically effectual as taking a warm shower. Organize people who don’t normally vote to vote for Biden. Mobilize get-out-the-vote efforts in your community. Get young people involved.
10. Don’t get distracted by the latest sensationalist post or story by or about Trump. Don’t let the media’s short-term attention span divert your eyes from the prize — the survival of American democracy during one of the greatest stress tests it has had to endure, organized by one of the worst demagogues in American history.
CAFE Friday and More
Please join us for CAFE Friday on Friday, Jan. 5th. Sarah Klee Hood will join the Zoom for an update since it is the first Friday of the month.
And be sure to mark your calendar for our January IMV Meeting --Sunday, Jan. 28th, 2-4 pm at Schuyler Commons, 1776 Independence Square in Utica.
"Progress is not made by spectators and cynics, but by activists. And those who say that activism can't produce change should not interrupt those who are doing it."
-Jim Hightower
Wishing You All a Happy Blue Year!
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