Why my Nickname is Lefty

I hope you’ll take a moment to

watch an inspiring two-minute video

 -- narrated by Kyra Sedgwick -- about all the breakthrough victories you helped

NRDC win over the last year. It’s our shout-out to the amazing role you played in

our work. And please consider

making a special year-end gift

 right now so we can keep on fighting for our natural heritage in 2014.

You Made a World of Difference in 2013

 2013 victories

 -- narrated by Emmy Award-winning actress Kyra Sedgwick. Then donate to help us

defend wildlife and wild places in 2014!

VIEW OUR VIDEO

Wow. It's been an incredible year in our fight to save wildlife and wildlands --

and we have

you

 to thank.

I hope you'll

watch our short video

 --

narrated by actress, activist and NRDC Member Kyra Sedgwick

 -- so you can see all the exciting victories you helped us win in 2013.

It's a fantastic reminder that we can make a world of difference with your steadfast

support.

Over the past 12 months, we

helped persuade British mining giant Anglo American to quit the destructive Pebble

Mine

 ... made sure that polar bears will keep their all-important federal protection

.. saved

11 million acres of vital wildlife habitat

 in the Western Arctic Reserve from oil development ... came to the legal defense

of local citizens in New York who opposed the spread of fracking in their community

... and prevailed on many other fronts.

All of these victories were made possible thanks to your strong support.

And right now, you can put us on the path to next year's victories

by making a special year-end gift to NRDC

.

You see, even as this year draws to a close, our fight for nature never ends.

 Our staff of more than 400 environmental litigators, scientists and other experts

will be working right through the holidays -- and into the new year -- to turn back

new attacks on wildlife and wild places.

With your support, we'll be going all out to

prevent Shell from endangering the Polar Bear Seas

 ... turn up the pressure on mining giant Rio Tinto to abandon the Pebble Mine ...

block the climate-wrecking Keystone XL tar sands pipeline

 ... protect whales from the U.S. Navy's use of deafening sonar and explosives ...

and that's just a small part of what's in store.

That's why, after you watch this powerful video of the past year's biggest triumphs,

I hope you'll feel inspired to

make a tax-deductible gift

 so that NRDC can go right on defending our natural heritage over the year ahead

in the most effective way possible.

Make no mistake: You're the reason that NRDC is so highly regarded as America's most

effective advocate for the environment.

I look forward to having you alongside us again as we come to the rescue of wildlife

and wildlands in 2014.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke

President

Natural Resources Defense Council

The mission of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is to safeguard the Earth:

its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.

Donations to this campaign will be used to protect imperiled wildlife and wild places

and defend our environment in the most effective way possible.

Personal:  I was Supposed to receive a letter from Missouri Division of Favily Support saying benefits were restored.  What I got were:  1.  A letter from my funeral home to make the cash value of my cremation policy ($605.00) irrevocable,  The Division of Family Support want this so I can't cash it out and get rich.  And 2.  A letter from the Mo. Division of Family Support? Saying my income has increased, (I've only submitted paper work showing it hasn't Three times! And that benefits will be cut as of Jan. 1, 2014.

I'm writing all organizations to which I made small occasional donations to say there Ain't no more.

Given my own situation and that of So many others, this next post is complex for me.  Once I told an anti-abortion politician you can't have it both ways.  Either allow couples or mothers to abort those of us who have disabilities or help us live lives which Contribute to society!  I asked why we are Only sacred in utero?  He had no answer.  When I ask middle class or wealthy "right to life" people if they have adopted any American children, you know, mixed race children, African American boys, children with disabilities, the answer is nearly universally NO.  

I know of a veteran whose check was lost during the Government shut down.  This person lost a spouse and is raising kids.  Still hasn't received it and is being told that an appeal process must be followed in order to receive it.  WHAT!

Yesterday I met a totally blind deaf person who is quite intelligent.  The Mo. Division of Family Support is asking this individual to prove that they are blind.  Daaah!  Too bad that isn't what they want Me to prove, I could just throw a pair of plastic eyes at them.  Think that would do it?

So, will we ever form a People's movement to demand decent treatment for the living or shall we just resign ourselves to increasing the population of those our society has already deemed Expendable?

Now, consider this petition.

State Rep. John Sabatina, D-Phila.,is collecting co-sponsors for House Bill 1474,

known as Paul’s Law, aimed at prohibiting the discrimination of any potential organ

transplant recipient on the basis of physical or mental disability.

Your voices were heard and we ask that you now sign Rep. Sabatina's PA House petition

on behalf of Paul's Law :

http://www.pahouse.com/Sabatina/pauls_law_petition.asp and sign

Thank you for your continued support.

Help My

Autistic Son Get a Life-Saving Heart Transplant." Change.org does not endorse contents

of this message.

View the petition

Personal and Political

Personal and Political

I am still waiting for official documentation from the Division of Family Support in Mo. Saying that half of my income and all medical coverage won't disappear next month.  Am Cautiously optimistic.

Am trying to figure out how to access Facebook via Braille display computer.  As with many sites, this one is Not too user friendly to people with visual disabilities. Person who entered some facebook data For me misspelled a lot, Not due to disability, I didn't do it.  More jewelry available on site.

Weather here is treacherous, sleet, freezing rain, (not sure what the difference is) snow and rain all mixed, sidewalks and streets Slick!

My hope is that Each of you has a Safe, Warm, and enjoyable Christmas.  Get a doll!

Politically Important!  Multi-national corporations are gaining the power, with President Obama's approval, to sue Governments and force Nations to change their laws.  Who runs the Government?

The E.U. is being sued to Force that body to allow bee killing pesticides into its member countries.  Now, check this out.

Do you Really think it Can't happen in Our country?

Infinito Gold is threatening a $1 billion lawsuit against Costa Rica for rejecting

a toxic, open-pit gold mine after massive protests from local citizens.

Tell Infinito Gold to drop its lawsuit against Costa Rica.

Sign the Petition

Infinito Gold, a Canadian mining company, just

slapped Costa Rica with a $1 billion lawsuit because the nation decided to protect

its rainforests rather than host an open-pit gold mine.

Costa Rica’s

rainforest is lauded as one of the most beautiful in the world

, and is home to many endangered species, including the green macaw. Officials considered

approving the gold mine, but the use of toxic chemicals such as cyanide -- which

often leaks into and pollutes nearby lakes and rivers -- was

far too great a risk to allow the project to move forward.

A subsidiary of

Infinito Gold has announced that a massive lawsuit against Costa Rica is “imminent”,

so we need to act now.

 If thousands of us stand together against this toxic mine, we can show Infinito

that Costa Rica and other countries that are defending their natural resources will

not be silently bullied by corporate power.

Tell Infinito Gold to drop its $1 billion lawsuit against Costa Rica.

Open-pit gold mining in Costa Rica would destroy 190 hectares of pristine forest.

 The rainforest houses 5% of the world’s species and has seen tremendous growth in

the ecotourism industry. Over 75% of Costa Ricans oppose mining and have decided

that they cannot take the risk to move forward with gold mining in the country.

And Costa Rica is not the first to be sued by Infinito Gold. In 2001, Infinito Gold

locked Venezuela into a ten-year legal battle over a rejected mine. Fortunately,

Infinito lost.

We can make sure Infinito Gold loses again by standing up to its greedy tactics and

shameful behavior.

 Corporate profits cannot take precedence over the health of the people and the environment.

Stand up for Costa Rica’s rainforests -- tell Infinito Gold to drop the $1 billion lawsuit now.

Thanks for taking a stand,

Kaytee, Hanna, Katherine, Terryn, Kimberly, Jessica, Ledys, Fatah, Marie, Zermina

and the rest of us

P.S. Please help us up the pressure on Infinito by

sharing this petition on Facebook

 or forwarding this email to your friends.

**********

More information:

All That Glitters

. Corporate Knights, 3 Oct 2013.

Calgary-based mining company suing Costa Rica for more that $1 Billion

. Global News, 4 Oct 2013.

SumOfUs is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations

accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Please help keep SumOfUs strong by chipping in $3.

Personal News, Important National, International News

Just because it's nearly Christmas doesn't mean we all get presents.  Food stamps have been cut.  Since last month I've been struggling with the state entity responsible for Medicaid and about half of my income.  They want to take both away it seems and keep Losing my re-re-re-submitted paperwork.  So, how do I pay the heat bill, (today's high temp. may be in the 20's.  There was blowing snow when I went out earlier this morning, and it's going to get colder.  I don't dare take advan advantage of that grocery cupon because I Can live without that food.  Here's to the garden!  And to the Deer and my friends who don't like dark meat turkey, so gave it to me.  I mixed it up with frozen garden veggies and have been eating turkey stew since Thanksgiving, almost gone now.  I'm fine today, bt scared, which brings about angry feelings, concerning the future.

But then Missouri is firing about 700 case workers, to save money.  Merry Christmas for them, too.

Every time this state bids out a contract for caring for elderly, poor, and disabled citizens, it bombs!  I can think of two past instances where low bidders fom other states were brouht in and had their contracts canceled due to a death and public outcry.  But they're doing it again.  Sometimes I Deeply want to leave this place with its rabidly conservative politics and religious intolerance!!!!  But where would a deaf-blind person who knows no one go?  Where would it be any better?  I'd rather live in the country where I could grow ood, but where?  At least here I Do have a network of top notch friends who give a sh--.  Anyway, like I said, I'm fine for now.  Just uncertain how many days Now will last.

Multi-Nationals Could Get Rights to Sue All Governments, Who's Running the World?

Corporations could get increased rights to sue the US government

, thanks to a secret global trade treaty called the TPP.

President Obama wants to ram the deal through Congress with "fast track", stifling

any debate.

We need House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi to speak out to stop this -- can you

call her office now?

Make a call

Tobacco giant Philip Morris is suing Australia for billions of dollars in lost profits

 -- just because the government took action to reduce teenage smoking.

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is suing Canada for $500 million

 -- just because Canada has laws to keep essential drugs affordable. Worst of all,

these cases are happening in secret, in international tribunals to which only corporations

have access.

Now,

more of these corporate lawsuits against governments could be coming to the US

, thanks to the Obama Administration.

For months, world leaders have been negotiating a trade deal -- called the TPP --

that would massively expand these secret tribunals.

It’s NAFTA on steroids

, and international. The text of the deal is still completely secret and the public

can't look -- but over 600 corporate lobbyists who are helping write the treaty can.

Now President Obama is trying to ram this deal through by seeking “fast-track” authority,

which would

prevent Congress from making any changes to the deal and stifle any debate

. Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have spoken out against fast track

authority, and if we can get more Democrats to join them, we’ll have a real chance

to stop this corporate power grab.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is key.

 She’s on our side, but needs our support to speak out. Can you call her office today

and tell her to stop fast-track?

Our government is negotiating right now to lock a deal. Call Rep. Pelosi and tell her not to sign off on a deal the American people can’t read!

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is called a trade deal, but it's really

 a corporate wish-list aimed at attacking everything from environmental protections

to affordable medicines to internet freedoms

.

There's lots wrong with the TPP, but the unaccountable system it would set up to

allow corporations to sue governments is one of the worst. If the deal is signed,

future laws designed to protect consumers, our health or our environment could be

challenged by corporations who claim that the law reduces their profit -- and

there is nothing we or our governments could do to stop them.

Corporate lobbyists and government insiders are keeping the text of the deal secret

because

they know that if the full details got out into public view, we wouldn't like what

we saw

. Even Congress can’t see the bill, but the Obama administration wants authority

to negotiate without any oversight. But we already know enough through leaks to know

it's really bad.

We can't let this sail through without public scrutiny, and the only way we can give

the public time to review the bill is by stopping fast track now!

Can we count on you to call Rep. Pelosi and tell her not to let the TPP sail through

without real oversight?.

Our government is negotiating right to lock a deal. Call Rep. Pelosi and tell her not to sign off on a deal the American people can’t read!

Thanks for all you do,

Paul, Martin, and the rest of us.

 SumOfUs is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations

accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Please help keep SumOfUs strong by chipping in $3. net. |

Better News on Another Issue.

Thanks to you, we just came one BIG step closer to getting justice for the memory

of Cherice Moralez, the 14-year-old girl in Montana who was raped by her teacher.

Moralez committed suicide before her case could be brought to trial, and Billings,

Montana, Judge Baugh blamed her for the rape after sentencing her rapist to

a mere 30 days in prison.

 Baugh said Cherice was "older than her chronological age" and "as much in control

of the situation" as her 49-year-old rapist.

After months of pressure from UltraViolet members, Montana NOW, and our allies,

Montana prosecutors filed an appeal on Saturday to put Stacey Dean Rambold, Moralez's

rapist, behind bars--this time for 10 years.

1

 This might not have happened without the 86,500 UltraViolet members, including YOU,

who signed a petition demanding justice for Cherice.

THANK YOU.

Here's what we've accomplished so far:

86,500 petition signatures demanding justice for Cherice Moralez and Judge Baugh's

removal

Hundreds of people rallied in Billings against Judge Baugh

495 sexual assault survivors who signed an open letter calling for Baugh's removal

News stories in Fox News and Montana KRTV recognizing UltraViolet members' demand

for justice2

This fight isn't completely over. We'll closely follow the appeal to see if Rambold

serves more prison time, and we're staying updated with our friends at Montana NOW

who have filed an official complaint to have Baugh removed from the bench.

But this appeal--with a request for 10 years of prison time--is

a critical step in the right direction.

 Without the spotlight you helped shine on Montana, Cherice Moralez's memory might

have been swept under the rug and her rapist given a free pass.

Thanks for speaking out and demanding justice for Cherice.

--Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, Malinda, Adam, and Gabriela, the UltraViolet team

Sources:

1.

Montana rape case: Was 31-day sentence for teacher illegal?

, The Christian Science Monitor, December 1, 2013

2.

Critics seek ouster of Montana judge, allege bias in teacher-student rape case

, Fox News, September 24, 2013

Petitioners demand that Montana judge resign over rape sentencing

, KRTV, September 24, 2013

Finally, Justice for Some

Finally! After UltraViolet members spoke out for justice, a grand jury in Ohio has

indicted school officials who tried to cover up the horrible Steubenville teen rape

case.

 Can you sign our card to Ohio AG DeWine to thank him for standing up to rape culture

and pursueing justice?

click here

Click Here

HUGE news from Steubenville, Ohio.

This week,

a grand jury issued indictments against several people involved in the cover-up of

the terrible teen rape case

. A superintendent, principal, IT officer, and two coaches now face charges. The

two rapists were convicted and sentenced in juvenile court last spring.

1

For nearly a year now, UltraViolet members have been speaking out for justice for

the survivor in the rape case that shocked the entire country last winter.

Together, 200,000 of us demanded accountability for anyone involved in the rape or

in covering it up. Thank you.

Thanks in part to all the public pressure and media attention that the UltraViolet

community helped create,

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine stood up to rape culture and pursued justice--he

even met with UltraViolet members about the case earlier this year

. DeWine faced an uphill battle as there was tremendous pressure to sweep this case

under the rug.

Will you sign the thank you card to AG DeWine

 and show authorities everywhere that when they stand up to rape culture, we'll support

them?

Sign the card thanking AG DeWine for rigorously pursuing justice in Steubenville.

It was a long, slow path to this point, and sometimes it seemed the world had forgotten

that an unconscious 16-year-old girl was brutally raped while other teens stood by,

watched, and even took photos and tweeted about the attack. Or that coaches, school

officials, and other authorities tried to cover up the crime and destroy evidence

instead of helping the survivor.

2

But while we've been waiting for justice in Steubenville, the UltraViolet community

has come together to fight rape culture time and time again.

 Here's just a few of the ways that UltraViolet members--that's you!--have made an

impact this year:

200,000 of us signed petitions demanding justice in Steubenville, and Ohio UltraViolet

members and our allies met with AG DeWine twice to deliver the petitions and urge

him to pursue the case.

720 of us chipped in to send a mobile billboard to Steubenville and keep the pressure

on local authorities. And many others attended rallies seeking justice.

We educated more than 2 million friends about rape culture with shareable graphics

on Facebook.

UltraViolet members have also stood up to rape culture in the media and on college

campuses. And last spring, we even convinced Reebok to stop promoting rape and end

their endorsement deal with rapper Rick Ross after he bragged in a song about drugging

and raping a woman.

3

And when other rape cases made national news, UltraViolet members jumped into action

again. We urged the Montana courts to sanction the judge in Billings, Montana, who

blamed a 14-year-old girl for her own rape and gave the teacher who raped her just

30 days in jail.

4

  And we rallied in support of teen Daisy Coleman from Maryville, Missouri, who bravely

spoke out about her rape, the failure of authorities to investigate, and the way

her family was bullied when they sought justice.

Thanks to the public outrage, Daisy's case has been assigned to a new prosecutor

who has promised to pursue it rigorously.

5

Now, we have to show authorities everywhere: You must take rape seriously--and when

you do, we'll have your back.

We can start by thanking AG DeWine for seeking justice for the Steubenville survivor.

 Can you sign the thank you card?

Add your name.

Thanks for speaking out.

--Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, Malinda, Adam, and Gabriela, the UltraViolet team

Sources:

1.

4 more school employees charged in Steubenville rape case

, CNN, November 26, 2013

2.

Rape Case Unfolds on Web and Splits City

, New York Times, December 16, 2012

3.

Social Media, Pushing Reebok To Drop a Rapper

, New York Times, April 12, 2013

4.

Rambold released from 30-day prison term for rape of girl

, Billings Gazette, September 26, 2013

5.

New prosecutor brings experience to Coleman case

, Northwest Missourian, November 17, 2013

Want to support our work?

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go a long way.

Chip in here.

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