We marched together in Utica, then mourned with Buffalo

May 20, 2022 Alan Cole

It's All Too Much, But We Will Not Give Up

Shortly after the end of our peaceful, nonviolent, and well-attended #BansOffOurBodies Utica March ended last Saturday, a white supremacist perpetrated a murderous terrorist attack with a semi-assault weapon in Buffalo, NY. You can read our local NAACP President's statement on the Buffalo murders here. You can read about the victims here. This heinous assault in a majority Black neighborhood reminds us of why we do the work we do, and how much more we need to do to dismantle our country's white supremacy system and the political power that nurtures and protects it.

Here's the reality, as an Indivisible email noted earlier this week: "Mainstream Republicans like Elise Stefanik, Blake Masters, Ron Johnson, and more adopted racist rhetoric from the dark corners of the internet and centered it in their appeal to voters. The idea that whites were under threat of “replacement” by People of Color, enabled by a global Jewish cabal, moved from the fringe of the Republican party to its most popular stars, stoking racial fears in an attempt to gain political power. As Rolling Stone put it, The Buffalo Shooter Isn't a 'Lone Wolf.' He's a Mainstream Republican."

IMV friends, we are on the front lines of fighting "the Great Replacement Theory (GRT) in our school districts, in the grocery store lines, in our neighborhoods, and across our central NY communities: Utica, Rome, and surrounding areas. Let's stay together and stay focused. It's not our first rodeo. We have been rallying against KKK recruitment locally for many years, training ourselves in anti-racism thought and action, and mobilizing against gun violence and for gun control. These are not battles won easily, but we must believe in the power of multi-racial anti-racist organizing and non-violent protest, and we must continue to act on our beliefs.

Finally, yesterday, 192 “Pro-Life” House Republicans voted against formula for starving babies (H.R. 7790). The list includes our very own Claudia Tenney (NY22) and Elise Stefanick (NY19). Click here to name and shame them on Facebook, click here to call them out on Twitter, click here to share our Instagram post, click here to take the Give No Ground Pledge to educate and mobilize voters in 2022.

Our Utica #BansOff March Draws 250 Participants

The air was warm and the sun was out in Utica for our #BansOffOurBodies March on Saturday (IMV's press release here). Chanting was heard from the beginning to the end of the long march, and the individuals on both ends of the walk spoke passionately. Like the similar march for reproductive freedom held in October, our Utica march was held in solidarity with hundreds of other #BansOffOurBodies rallies and marches across the country as well as in Washington, DC.

Hopefully you caught some of the earned media (WKTV) (WUTR) (UticaOD) from our local march, much of it due to a series of pro-choice rallies (Oneida Square-UticaOD, State building-WKTV) held earlier in the week in response to the leaked SCOTUS decision draft destroying Roe v. Wade, and the energy of the young activists who hosted these events. As was the case in October, many people furious at the SCOTUS for attacking the right to make decisions about one's own body, and angry that representatives in Washington have not yet passed laws to protect and enshrine those constitutional and basic human rights, decided to attend the first public political demonstration of their lives.

What's next?  The #BansOff planning team, made up of experienced IMV members and many creative and energetic newcomers, is preparing for the next wave of demonstrations, expected when the official SCOTUS decision is released in June or July.  With a successful march accomplished, there is also a lot of energy around supporting the LGBTQ/queer community locally with Pride event planning for June. Stay tuned for action asks ahead. We will not go back!

James Paul won and there's gonna be a party!

On May 17th, community members, teachers, and parents all across Utica came out to vote and say yes to moving the school district in a direction that benefits all of us. James Paul & Tennille Knoop want to thank you for your support and invite you to their Cake & Congratulations open house at the Five Points Public House at 623 Columbia Street. Pop in between 5:30-7:30pm! All are welcome. This event is free and ask that you register HERE so there is enough cake!

There were also many wins in the Mohawk Valley area for candidates recommended by IMV members, and a couple losses. Overall, many local districts fended off the wave of MAGA extremists who ran for school board. Thanks to all IMV members who:

contributed funds and attended fundraisers,
supported candidate forums and debates,
shared candidate info on social media,
talked to friends and neighbors,
knocked doors and made GOTV calls,
stuffed letters and distributed door hangers for James Paul or for other school board candidates.

And most of all, congrats to James Paul (and Sarah Reeske, campaign manager!), on his decisive victory!

Legislative District Upheaval

Are you still trying to figure out what's happening with redistricting? Here's a good summary from Jon Lipe:

"New congressional districts have been released by the court-appointed Special Master. He drew these districts after the courts threw out the map drawn by the legislature.

All of Oneida County has been matched with all of Madison County and all of Onondaga County. This is a seat that Joe Biden won by 7 points. (Oneida County is contained within one Congressional district just as it has been for the last decade. Utica and Rome are together, boosting the voice our county will have in Congress. #NY22)
Herkimer County remains with the Adirondacks/North Country in a Republican-leaning seat. Trump won this seat by 11 points.
Both seats would be competitive in certain years. Remember that Republican John Katko won in 2020 in a Biden +9 seat; Democrat Anthony Brindisi won in 2018 in a Trump +16 seat.
Ithaca, Cortland, Norwich, and Binghamton are placed in NY-19, which also leans Dem.
The court will hear comments on the map this week and it will be finalized on Friday." (That's tomorrow!)

New lines for NYS Senate districts were also proposed. These also some critical changes, including separating Sen. Rachel May from the Town of Kirkland, which decisively won her the critical primary in 2018 to help her smash the IDC in Albany, and also helped her win re-election in 2020.

As a reminder, new assembly districts were not affected by the recent court ruling, and so statewide, county, and assembly primary elections will still be held June 28th. The primary for state senate and congressional candidates will be held August 23rd. There may be a lot of Democratic contenders in some of the districts. Stay tuned for the announcement of the final district lines later today.

Climate Crisis Work Group Updates & Actions

Saturday, May 21, 10am-noon --FT Proctor Park Peace Garden Planting
Donations from IMV members and other community groups last year made the Peace Garden a possibility. The stone cistern has been rebuilt and the native plant flower garden is ready to plant. If you are available, join other community members to spread a last load of dirt and plant the cistern and the surrounding bed! Please rsvp to indivisiblemv@gmail.com to receive further information if you plan to attend.

Ready for even more hands on work in the dirt? For the Good is beginning the gardening season for the community gardens on Jay St and Linwood Ave as described in last fall's article in the Observer. Anyone interested in establishing their own garden bed and/or helping with overall garden care in downtown Utica is welcome to contact Carol Gable at cgable1959@mail.com for more information and coordination. Growing food together is a great way to build community.

Political Action:
We need the state legislature to take action on the bills in the Climate Can’t Wait agenda before the June adjournment. These are 12 bills and policy actions that will help prevent climate collapse and achieve the goals laid out in the CLCPA. Call Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins: 888-834-3668 and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie: 888-997-5380 and tell them we need all 12 bills passed into law this year.

News:
Thank you to Maggie Reilly and Alan Cole for commenting at the CAC (Climate Action Council) draft scoping plan hearings at Tupper Lake last week. If you haven't yet submitted one click email comments on each of the seven sections of the draft scoping plan, you can do so here.

IMV Health Care Workgroup

If you care about health care, for women, or any person in America of any change, then show up on Wednesday, June 1st to participate in the IMV Healthcare Group (details in the calendar). In the meantime, here is your critical action step:

Click here to email President Biden and tell him to lower prescription drug prices. Biden has the power to dramatically lower the costs of essential drugs like EpiPens, asthma inhalers, HIV/AIDS drugs, and cancer treatments. We know and Big Pharma knows that granting access to patents for these life-saving drugs will significantly reduce the prices that are passed on to patients. Americans deserve relief. Watch this video from Leah for more insight.

What About Cancelling Student Debt?

Does student debt affect you or a family member or friend? Are you worried that unless President Biden follows through on his campaign promise to reduce student debt, we will lose big not just in 2024, but in the 2022 elections? Do you understand that eliminating student debt could go a long way in closing America's vast racial wealth gap?

Please take action right now to bring about student debt cancellation for millions of young (and some older!) people in America. Read the rationale here ("4 reasons why cancelling $10,000 in student debt isn't enough"), or just jump to the bottom of the page and start calling Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand now. If you are motivated to do even more, click here to take more actions on student debt cancellation.

Next IMV Monthly Meeting: June 7th

Five years ago, at a June meeting in Rome at the Jervis Public Library, a group of activists with a series of public protests under its belt, energized by the women's march, and motivated to defeat the Trump -Tenney agenda following the 2016 election, decided to formalize its association as Indivisible Mohawk Valley.  IMV is celebrating our five year anniversary!

Please join IMV on Tuesday, June 7th, 6:30-8:00 pm at Sherrill Brook Park in New Hartford (just off St Rt 12) for a meeting under an outdoor pavilion (for Covid safety). We will have cake to celebrate our five year anniversary, and talk electoral politics and issue action, and much more.

***If someone you know should be receiving this weekly IMV email and calendar or political activism events, please share this email with them, and make sure you let us know to add them to our list by emailing: IndivisibleMV@gmail.com.

Remember:
Democracy is not a spectator sport.
We make political activism local, bite sized, and fun.
White Supremacist extremists and misogynists have SCOTUS, and are committed to taking the House and Senate in 2022 and the White House in 2024. but we are the real majority.
Breathe, then push.