Thursday, April 3, 2014

Get Your Laws Off My Body

Get Your Laws Off My Body

A friend read that slogan to me, written large in a women's restroom on campus. 

Most women don't even Know they are pregnant at six weeks.  In my state the last clinic providing safe, legal, abortions, even to save a mother's life who already Has children to care for, is being targeted for closure.

The supposedly Supreme Court gets to decide if employers can deny their female workers birth control, NOT abortion, just Birth control!  

Where do these people get such "rights"?  I didn't vote for them.

Take Action Now
Right now, politicians in Alabama are considering the most extreme and restrictive
abortion ban in the country. And if that wasn't bad enough, this bill, which would
ban abortion at just six weeks of pregnancy, is only one part of a sweeping package
of bills aimed at restricting a woman's personal medical decisions.
Add your name to stand with Alabama women
If it becomes law, the proposed six week ban would become the earliest ban and most
extreme ban in the country, with no exceptions for cases of rape and incest. Many
women do not even know they are pregnant at six weeks — something that these Alabama
politicians don't seem to care about. Unfortunately, these politicians aren't the
first to try it. Just last year a federal judge blocked a similar ban passed in North
Dakota because it was blatantly unconstitutional. If passed, this bill would essential
ban all abortions in the state of Alabama.
Pledge to fight against the most extreme abortion ban in the country — take action now
The larger package of restrictions includes other dangerous bills that block access
to reproductive care. There's even a bill that would allow staff at an emergency
room to turn away a woman who is experiencing a miscarriage.
States like Alabama are working to restrict women's health care at an alarming rate. Sign the pledge now to oppose these extreme restrictions
Women in Alabama, and every state, are capable of making their own decisions when
it comes to reproductive health care. It's time for lawmakers to learn that they
cannot put women's health in danger by eliminating abortion.
Thanks for keeping it personal,
Thao Nguyen
Campaign Director
This Is Personal
We sent you this email because you signed up for news updates and action alerts about
women's reproductive health from This
Is Personal. If you don't want to get these anymore,
click here to unsubscribe
.
Privacy Policy
All content © 2014 National Women's Law Center
11 Dupont Circle NW, #800
Washington, DC 20036

Trigger Warning:

  A man who sexually assaulted his  two children under the age of Four was given Parole by a judge who said this wealthy heir "Wouldn't fare well in prison."  Does he not think imprisoning those children with their father/abuser is not "Cruel and all Too Usual Punishment?"  Does he think those children will "fare well" at home?

A wealthy heir was convicted of raping his 3-year-old daughter and sexually abusing
his 19-month-old son.
But the judge gave him only probation, saying he "wouldn't fare well" in prison.
 Demand this judge be removed from the bench.
click here
Click Here

This is hard to stomach--
Robert Richards IV, a wealthy heir to the DuPont fortune, was convicted of raping
his 3-year-old daughter and sexually abusing his 19-month-old son
, crimes he admitted to. But instead of putting this dangerous abuser behind bars,
the
judge shockingly gave him only probation, justifying this by saying Richards "wouldn't
fare well" in prison
.1
What?!
There is so much wrong with this situation it's hard to know where to begin.
The idea that someone's sentencing should be based on their financial position and
the luxuries that they're used to is disgusting.
 But even more importantly, two young survivors of sexual abuse will see no justice,
and a violent pedophile is walking free. The judge in this case, Jan Jurden, is sending
the unbelievable message that
if you've got a trust fund and a powerful family, you are free to do whatever you
want with zero consequences--including raping your children
.
That's not the world we want to live in. And that's not the world survivors of rape
and violence deserve to live in.
Right now, this story is blowing up. As more and more media report on it, the pressure
on Judge Jan Jurden is growing. If we all speak out now while the story is in the
spotlight, we can force Judge Jan Jurden to be removed from the bench for this gross
misrepresentation of justice.
Can you stand up for a 3-year-old survivor and demand Judge Jan Jurden be disrobed? Click here to sign the petition.
Robert Richards IV is the great-grandson of multi-billionaire Irenee DuPont, and
a member of the eighth richest family in America.
2
 He lives off a massive trust fund and doesn't need to work.
3
 Of course, immediately after he was charged with abusing his children, he hired
a top-notch expensive law firm to help him dodge the charges. He even denied that
he was a rapist and abuser.
4
But even the best lawyers couldn't help Richards when he failed a lie-dector test
and
admitted that he had raped his children.5
He accepted a deal and pleaded to fourth-degree rape, a violent felony with a maximum
15-year sentence.
6
 But rather than the max he could have been given,
Judge Jan Jurden chose to let him off with a slap on the wrist.
For raping his children.
Worse, officials tried to hide the case from the public
 after returning Richards to his life in luxury. It wasn't until Richards' former
wife filed a lawsuit that the story came to light.
7
This isn't the first time that money prevails over justice. Just last year, a judge
let off the son of wealthy parents who plowed into a car while driving drunk and
high on drugs, killing four people. The judge gave him probation and sent him home,
saying he wouldn't do time behind bars, because
he suffered from "affluenza"--being too rich to understand right from wrong.8
This kind of preference that lets some people get away with horrific crimes because
of wealth and power can no longer go unchecked. Already, a meager 8% of rape survivors
take their cases to court because of the scrutiny and victim-blaming they are often
subjected to.
9
 But after this ruling, how many people won't report a rape because the abuser is
wealthy and seemingly untouchable?
We need to prove that judges can't get away with favoring wealthy abusers over their
victims simply because the abuser has money and power. Public pressure from 140,000
UltraViolet members helped hold a Montana Judge accountable when he let a teen girl's
rapist off the hook.
10
 And we can do it again. UltraViolet might not have billions of dollars to advocate
for a 3-year-old rape survivor.
But there are 550,000 of us and because of that, we are a force to be reckoned with.
 Let's send the message that we WILL hold Judge Jan Jurden accountable even if she
chose not to hold a rich pedophile accountable.
Can you sign the petition demanding the judge who let the rapist of a 3-year-old go free be removed from the bench? Click here to add your name.
Thanks for taking action.
--Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, Adam, Gabriela, and Holly, the UltraViolet team
Sources:
1.
Report: Judge said duPont heir wouldn't "fare well" in prison
, CBS News, March 31, 2014
2.
America's Richest Families
, Forbes, December 3, 2009
3.
One Percenter Convicted of Raping Child Dodges Jail Because "He Will Not Fare Well,"
 Huffington Post, March 30, 2014
4. Ibid
5. Ibid
6.
DEL CODE § 770 : Delaware Code - Section 770: RAPE IN THE FOURTH DEGREE; CLASS C FELONY
, FindLaw
Delaware Felony Crimes by Class and Sentence
, Criminal Defense Lawyer
7.
Du Pont heir dodged prison for raping 3-year-old daughter after judge ruled he 'would not fare well' behind bars
, NY Daily News, March 31, 2014
8.
Texas rich kid who killed 4 in drunken car crash spared jail
, NY Daily News, December 11, 2013
9.
Reporting Rapes
, Rape Abuse and Incest National Network
10.
Activists Want Montana Judge Removed Over Rape Sentencing
, KRTVQ, September 23, 2013
Baugh to retire, won't file for re-election
, KRTVQ, January 6, 2014
Want to support our work?
 UltraViolet is funded by members like you, and our tiny staff ensures small contributions
go a long way.
Chip in here.
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Fight Human Trafficking on Corporate Plantations

I know this is long.  Please read it anyway.

WalkFree.org
********CAMPAIGN UPDATE**********
In response to messages from over 10,000 activists, a representative from Tata Global
Beverages emailed us on 15 March, 2014.
They said Tata takes our concerns seriously and wanted us to let you know that they
have authorised an assessment of the living and working conditions in Assam, India.
We wrote back, thanking Tata for their concern and repeated our call for the company
to take specific steps (see below) to prevent the trafficking of young girls working
on their tea plantations.
They are clearly paying attention to us right now, this is your moment:
Ask Tata Global Beverages to help fight human trafficking in Assam, India.

By now, you’ve probably seen the exposé in The Guardian on what is being called the
“Tea Maid Trade.” Men and women operating as “recruiters” prey on young girls living
on tea plantations in Assam, India.
 Thousands of girls have reportedly ended up trapped as domestic slaves in middle
class homes in Delhi
1.
Ask Tata Global Beverages to help fight human trafficking in Assam, India.
So how do these girls become trapped? The short answer is that workers in Assam are
trapped in a unique situation of terrible poverty making them vulnerable to the lure
of human traffickers
2.
The long answer looks like this:
1. Tata Global Beverages (owner of Tetley Tea) is the biggest shareholder of a company
called Amalgamated Plantations (APPL)
 which manages tea plantations in Assam, India
3.
2. Several years ago, a program was initiated that aimed to make tea plantation workers
part owners in Amalgamated Plantations. In exchange for a portion of their already
small wages, they would get shares in the company. Sounds good, right? Sadly,
scores of workers report they were coerced to buy shares in Amalgamated Plantations
and remain confused about the details
4.
3. The minimum wage on the tea plantations in Assam is industry wide and set by a tripartite
agreement, but reports
indicate that workers are paid 94 rupees ($1.54USD) a day, a little over half the
legal wage for an unskilled worker in Assam.
There is a price for keeping wages so low, and it is paid by the workers who cannot
afford to keep their daughters
. When the traffickers come knocking, offering to take the girls away, promising
good wages and an exciting new life, they find it hard to say no
5.
4. Because of the poverty in Assam, trafficking girls is an attractive business for
locals. Investigative reports indicate that
people in Delhi have bought girls for as little as 4,000 Rupees (or $65 USD)
6.
As the biggest single shareholder,
 if Tata Global Beverages commits to help improve the working conditions of the employees
of Amalgamated Plantations, they could play a much needed leading role in ending
slavery
in the region.
We know that right now, Tata is listening.
Tell Tata Global Beverages, parent company of Tetley Tea to help fight human trafficking on tea plantations in Assam, India.
Unfortunately, the problem of human trafficking in Assam is not new. But
 right now we do have a window of opportunity to act and call for change
. Due to growing global media coverage,
Tata is feeling the heat.
A couple of days ago, they agreed to conduct an audit on the living and working conditions
in the APPL tea plantations. This is a good first step, but we’re asking Tata to
do more:
1. Publish the Tata Global Beverages Code of Conduct
. Make public a code of conduct which ensures zero tolerance for modern slavery and
includes measures for effective remediation when modern slavery is found.
2. Ensure that plantation workers are paid a full cash living wage
 and are able to opt out of investment schemes, across all plantations. Pay should
be backdated accordingly.
3. Establish an independent grievance mechanism
 to enable workers to report violation of their rights, both individually and collectively,
as verification that the code is being implemented.
Ask Tata Global Beverages to break the cycle of modern slavery on tea plantations in Assam.
Thank you in advance for taking action. If you have a moment, please forward on to
three of your friends to triple your impact.
In solidarity,
Debra, Mich, Kamini, Andrew, Kate, Sarah and the Walk Free Team
P.S.
We want to be really clear -- we are not accusing Tata Global Beverages of trafficking
girls from Assam to be held in situations of modern slavery. We are, however, concerned
that Tata Global Beverages is engaged in a labour scheme via Amalgamated Plantations
in Assam that is fuelling unique forms of vulnerability to modern slavery. Of all
the possible players,
Tata Global Beverages has the power to do the most good in this situation
 and that is why we are calling on them to engage.
1
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/mar/02/tea-workers-sold-into-slavery
2
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/video/2014/mar/01/tetley-tea-maids-real-price-cup-tea-video
3 Tata Global Beverages own a 49.66% share in Amalgamated Plantations -
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/01/india-tea-firms-urged-tackle-slave-traffic-plantations
4
http://web.law.columbia.edu/human-rights-institute/initiatives/global-economy/tea-plantations/more-things-change
5
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/01/india-tea-firms-urged-tackle-slave-traffic-plantations
6
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/mar/02/tea-workers-sold-into-slavery
Walk Free is a movement of people everywhere, fighting to end one of the world's
greatest evils: Modern slavery.
Follow on Twitter
 |
Friend on Facebook
 |
Subscribe on Youtube
 |
View this email in your browser
 You can unsubscribe from WalkFree.org at any time.
© 2014 WalkFree.org | All rights reserved |
www.walkfree.org
WalkFree.org
********CAMPAIGN UPDATE**********
In response to messages from over 10,000 activists, a representative from Tata Global
Beverages emailed us on 15 March, 2014.
They said Tata takes our concerns seriously and wanted us to let you know that they
have authorised an assessment of the living and working conditions in Assam, India.
We wrote back, thanking Tata for their concern and repeated our call for the company
to take specific steps (see below) to prevent the trafficking of young girls working
on their tea plantations.
They are clearly paying attention to us right now, this is your moment:
Ask Tata Global Beverages to help fight human trafficking in Assam, India.

By now, you’ve probably seen the exposé in The Guardian on what is being called the
“Tea Maid Trade.” Men and women operating as “recruiters” prey on young girls living
on tea plantations in Assam, India.
 Thousands of girls have reportedly ended up trapped as domestic slaves in middle
class homes in Delhi
1.
Ask Tata Global Beverages to help fight human trafficking in Assam, India.
So how do these girls become trapped? The short answer is that workers in Assam are
trapped in a unique situation of terrible poverty making them vulnerable to the lure
of human traffickers
2.
The long answer looks like this:
1. Tata Global Beverages (owner of Tetley Tea) is the biggest shareholder of a company
called Amalgamated Plantations (APPL)
 which manages tea plantations in Assam, India
3.
2. Several years ago, a program was initiated that aimed to make tea plantation workers
part owners in Amalgamated Plantations. In exchange for a portion of their already
small wages, they would get shares in the company. Sounds good, right? Sadly,
scores of workers report they were coerced to buy shares in Amalgamated Plantations
and remain confused about the details
4.
3. The minimum wage on the tea plantations in Assam is industry wide and set by a tripartite
agreement, but reports
indicate that workers are paid 94 rupees ($1.54USD) a day, a little over half the
legal wage for an unskilled worker in Assam.
There is a price for keeping wages so low, and it is paid by the workers who cannot
afford to keep their daughters
. When the traffickers come knocking, offering to take the girls away, promising
good wages and an exciting new life, they find it hard to say no
5.
4. Because of the poverty in Assam, trafficking girls is an attractive business for
locals. Investigative reports indicate that
people in Delhi have bought girls for as little as 4,000 Rupees (or $65 USD)
6.
As the biggest single shareholder,
 if Tata Global Beverages commits to help improve the working conditions of the employees
of Amalgamated Plantations, they could play a much needed leading role in ending
slavery
in the region.
We know that right now, Tata is listening.
Tell Tata Global Beverages, parent company of Tetley Tea to help fight human trafficking on tea plantations in Assam, India.
Unfortunately, the problem of human trafficking in Assam is not new. But
 right now we do have a window of opportunity to act and call for change
. Due to growing global media coverage,
Tata is feeling the heat.
A couple of days ago, they agreed to conduct an audit on the living and working conditions
in the APPL tea plantations. This is a good first step, but we’re asking Tata to
do more:
1. Publish the Tata Global Beverages Code of Conduct
. Make public a code of conduct which ensures zero tolerance for modern slavery and
includes measures for effective remediation when modern slavery is found.
2. Ensure that plantation workers are paid a full cash living wage
 and are able to opt out of investment schemes, across all plantations. Pay should
be backdated accordingly.
3. Establish an independent grievance mechanism
 to enable workers to report violation of their rights, both individually and collectively,
as verification that the code is being implemented.
Ask Tata Global Beverages to break the cycle of modern slavery on tea plantations in Assam.
Thank you in advance for taking action. If you have a moment, please forward on to
three of your friends to triple your impact.
In solidarity,
Debra, Mich, Kamini, Andrew, Kate, Sarah and the Walk Free Team
P.S.
We want to be really clear -- we are not accusing Tata Global Beverages of trafficking
girls from Assam to be held in situations of modern slavery. We are, however, concerned
that Tata Global Beverages is engaged in a labour scheme via Amalgamated Plantations
in Assam that is fuelling unique forms of vulnerability to modern slavery. Of all
the possible players,
Tata Global Beverages has the power to do the most good in this situation
 and that is why we are calling on them to engage.
1
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/mar/02/tea-workers-sold-into-slavery
2
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/video/2014/mar/01/tetley-tea-maids-real-price-cup-tea-video
3 Tata Global Beverages own a 49.66% share in Amalgamated Plantations -
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/01/india-tea-firms-urged-tackle-slave-traffic-plantations
4
http://web.law.columbia.edu/human-rights-institute/initiatives/global-economy/tea-plantations/more-things-change
5
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/01/india-tea-firms-urged-tackle-slave-traffic-plantations
6
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/mar/02/tea-workers-sold-into-slavery
Walk Free is a movement of people everywhere, fighting to end one of the world's
greatest evils: Modern slavery.
Follow on Twitter
 |
Friend on Facebook
 |
Subscribe on Youtube
 |
View this email in your browser
 You can unsubscribe from WalkFree.org at any time.
© 2014 WalkFree.org | All rights reserved |
www.walkfree.org

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Important in So Many Ways

It's been almost a crazy month since I've written.  Explanation will follow as I have time.  But This is of major importance to all of us,  I think.

This concerns the Supreme Court's decision that a multi-national corporation has all of the legal rights of a U.S. citizen.  It allows corporations to get away with Much that they could have been Stopped from doing Before the Court's decision.  Look at the situation on bosses denying Birth control, not abortion, but simple Birth Control, to their female employees based on Their Personal Religious Beliefs!  And whatever happened to Freedom of Religion?

I do Not agree with all that this organization does.  But I Am behind this particular action.


Dear Friends and Activists,
The moment is NOW for undoing the existential damage done to our
democracy by the Citizens United supreme court decision.
We are off to a terrific start with more than 5,000 action page
submissions already, each going to all three of your members of
Congress. But we need YOUR voice too. We need everyone on this one.
End Corporate Personhood action page:
http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1166.php
The good news is that there are identical twin joint resolutions
introduced in both chambers of Congress to clarify that where the
Constitution says "the people" it never intended to include
"corporations" of any kind.
The disgraceful news is that these resolutions have only 3 sponsors
in the Senate, and only 34 in the House. But that is only because
nobody yet has really jumped on this . . . until now.
And judging from the response of our participants, we are prepared to
go all in on this one.
It is incredible to us that ANY member of Congress would not sponsor
these resolutions to initiate formal amendment of the Constitution.
Do they purport to represent us?? Who do they think they are kidding?
Who do we think we're kidding . . . ourselves??
We are pledging to never again vote for any member of Congress who
will not get behind this.
We are pledging to never again give even a single dime to any member
of Congress who won't even go as far as stepping up as a sponsor of
these resolutions.
Last week our own inbox was subjected to what can only be described
as carpet bombing emails, crying "The whole world is going to come to
an end this very minute if you don't send us more money," from every
congressional campaign committee imaginable.
Enough!
There is only one way we will ever support any candidate for Congress
every again, and that is if they have demonstrable proof that they
are fighting for us, the people. And the only primary evidence we
will accept from now on is a meaningful commitment to reverse
Citizens United.
Now let's do it.
End Corporate Personhood action page:
http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1166.php
And after you submit the action page, check out our proposal for our
next full length feature, dramatic movie, Citizens United, The Movie,
to help build awareness of this movement. Read the first 6 pages of
the script on this page.
Citizens United, The Movie proposal:
http://www.peaceteam.net/citizens_united2.php
Check out the demo of the second scene already posted, a faux defense
contractor spot to make a point of the extent to which corporations
have commandeered the concept of "We, The People." All we need to do
is get the REAL actors in to replace the stand-in voiceover we have
now, and that scene is finished.
Use the link there dedicated for you to give us your own comments and
suggestions about the new movie. This is your chance to influence our
production and creative decisions just as we expect our members of
Congress to heed us.
And if you are inspired to do so, request any of the policy advocacy
gifts related to all this, so that we can make the rest of this very
needed educational production a reality, just like our first dramatic
film complete and available for you now.
You may forward this message to any friends who would find it
important.
Contributions to The People's Email Network are not tax-deductible
for federal income tax purposes.
If you would like to be added to our distribution list, go to
http://www.peaceteam.net/in.htm
Or if don't want to receive our messages, just go to
http://www.peaceteam.net/out.htm
usalone559b:16973


Take Action Now

On March 25 the Supreme Court will hear two cases brought by for-profit companies
that want to deny their employees coverage for birth control. The bosses at Hobby
Lobby, a large chain of arts and craft stores, and Conestoga Wood Specialties, which
manufactures cabinets, are arguing that their personal religious beliefs should trump
the personal beliefs of their female employees, allowing them to evade the law and
deny their employees birth control coverage.
Decisions about my birth control are not my boss’s business. If you agree, add your name to the big banner.
This Is Personal
 will be at the Supreme Court on the day of the hearings to rally in support of birth
control coverage and to show America that every woman should have access to this
benefit, regardless of her boss’s religious beliefs.
You can be there with us. Add your name to the banner that we'll unfurl on the steps of the Supreme Court.
Already more than 27 million women have access to the birth control coverage benefit
under the new health care law. Birth control, one of the most frequently used women’s
preventive health services, is critical to women’s health and equality. Excluding
it from insurance coverage for women while covering the full range of preventive
care for men is discrimination—pure and simple.
If you agree — show it. You may not be able to be there in person, but you can still keep it personal. Add your name to the big banner.
Thanks for keeping it personal,
Thao Nguyen
Campaign Director
This Is Personal,
click here to unsubscribe
.
Privacy Policy
All content © 2014 National Women's Law Center
11 Dupont Circle NW, #800
Washington, DC 20036

Thursday, February 27, 2014

I Cry Foul

I Cry Foul

Maybe Blogger will think this is a sports comment and let it pass, we'll see.  This shit is UUUgly!


Mining companies are destroying the rainforest. Chip in to stop them.

Costa Rica's rainforests are some of the most amazing places on earth. So when a
Canadian mining company wanted to put an
open pit, cyanide-leach gold mine in the middle of its most pristine forest, Costa
Rica didn't just say no. They said hell, no.
So what did the mining company do?
They sued Costa Rica for $100 million lost profits.
It's the latest strategy in corporate bullying: If a country won't let you do whatever
you want, then sue them for violating "free trade."
But Costa Rica is the tip of the iceberg. Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly sued Canada
to increase drug prices. Philip Morris has sued Australia over cigarette warning
labels. The list goes on and on -- and under proposed trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, we'll see an explostion of these kinds of lawsuits.
But fighting corporate bullies is exactly what SumOfUs was set up to do.
 Using the Internet to organize, our worldwide membership has the collective power
to stand up to big corporations, so countries like Costa Rica don't have to face
these corporate bullies alone. Can you donate $25 to help us take on these giant
corporations and win?
Yes, I can chip in $25 to help stand up to bullying by big corporations.
Shortly after Infinito Gold proposed its mine, Costa Rica banned the kind of destructive
open pit mining they wanted to do. And you'd think that would be the end of it --
but because of a so-called free trade agreement between Canada and Costa Rica, many
experts think Infinito Gold will win its lawsuit. If it do, Costa Rica will have
to pay a huge sum of money just because they decided to protect their forests.
Costa Rica is just one example of a growing trend of corporations bullying sovereign
governments -- and it could get a lot worse because of similar trade deals like the
Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) or the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
(TTIP) that could affect virtually all of Europe, Australia, Asia, and North and
South America.
So we're fighting back. First, we're blowing the whistle every time a corporation
tries to bully a nation like Costa Rica. Second, we're organizing to block new trade
deals like the TPP and TTIP.
Can you make a donation to help support these efforts?
Can you chip in $25?
Thanks for all you do,
Paul and the team at SumOfUs.org
 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.

I thought the Republican Party stood for "Family Values."  There is a difference in "Family Values" and the values of the 1950's.  Why tear families apart when children tend to do better with two parents?  Why Not allow those parents to stay, pay their taxes, and learn English?

Reform Immigration FOR America
A Badge of Courage to Stand Up for Immigration Reform
Teresa,
There truly is "no place like home." Yet for millions in our community, homes and
families are torn apart due to a broken immigration system. In fact, more than 150,000
children are missing at least one parent who's been deported, and thousands more
face the pain of separation daily. Speaker of the House John Boehner has the power
to change this devastation by bringing an immigration reform bill to the House floor
for a vote. Yet, he remains silent and does nothing out of fear for anti-immigrant
extremists in the Republican Party.
Click here to tell Speaker Boehner that real leadership takes courage.
Since we began this fight, we have seen nothing but inadequate leadership from Speaker
Boehner on immigration reform.
 What started the year seemingly as a step forward with the GOP's introduction of
immigration principles led only to backpedaling just a few days later when the Speaker
claimed that he couldn't possibly put reform on the agenda because he couldn't trust
President Obama to enforce immigration laws.
Meanwhile, our families continue to wait for relief from the terrible threat of deportation,
and for reform that will allow them to stay together. While Speaker Boehner has the
power to end the ceaseless heartbreak of hundreds of thousands by bringing a bill
to the floor for a vote, he continues to sit on his hands out of fear of a small
but vocal anti-immigrant fringe of the Republican Party.
Like the Cowardly Lion from the children's tale "The Wizard of Oz," Speaker Boehner
has the ability to accomplish great things -- yet he lacks the courage to take the
first step.
Click here to send him a badge of courage and help him find the nerve to stand up for reform.
Millions of families are waiting for the threat of deportation to be lifted. They
are waiting for a reform bill that will allow them to live their lives without fear.
Speaker Boehner cannot continue to hide from his responsibilities. He must act quickly
and decisively to help our families. The first step is to stand up against anti-immigrant
extremists and to bring an immigration reform bill to a vote.
You can help the Speaker find his strength.
 Let him know that passing immigration reform is a priority for the American people,
that we support creating a path to citizenship for the undocumented. So let's help
him find his backbone by sending him some courage. Sign the petition and for every
signature we get, we will send Speaker Boehner a badge of courage. Together we can
show the Speaker that talk about immigration reform is not enough -- we demand action!
Help this cowardly lion stand up to Republican anti-immigrant extremists and do the right thing for our community. Add your name to send him some courage today!
With hope,
Donna De La Cruz
Reform Immigration FOR America

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Monday, February 24, 2014

Something which Will Effect Our Futures, I think.

Something we all should be aware of.  I 'm noot sure how much of a democracy we have, but this is NASTY stuff!

Dear MoveOn member,
Do you know what McCutcheon v. FEC is? McCutcheon is
Citizens United 2.0. Remember that
—even if you don't remember anything else from this email. It'd do for wealthy individuals
the same thing
Citizens United
 did for corporations—and money would reign.
Shaun McCutcheon is an Alabama coal tycoon who likes to spread his money far and
wide.
1
McCutcheon's a real-life Raymond Tusk from
House of Cards.
In 2012, McCutcheon managed to spend nearly $300,000 on political campaigns—almost
three times what an individual can legally contribute—by creating his own political
action committee.
2
 Now, in a case he's argued before the Supreme Court—with support from Republican
Senator Mitch McConnell's own legal team—McCutcheon could eliminate some, or even
all, of our country's aggregate spending limits for individuals making political
contributions.
3
This democracy-crippling judgment could come down from the court as soon as next
week.
4
 and why it's so dangerous, check out this 90-second video to get up to speed—and then share it with a friend or two.
A bad Supreme Court decision in this case would practically legalize corruption.
Instead of donating to 18 House races, politician purchasers like McCutcheon and
the Koch brothers could donate to 435.
Check out the video above, and spread the word by sharing it on Facebook, Twitter, and email.
Thanks for all you do.
–Mark, Kyle, Matt B., Joan, and the rest of the team
P.S. MoveOn is partnering with Public Citizen and a dozen other advocacy and policy
organizations to pull off more than a hundred rapid-response rallies when the Supreme
Court issues its decision—whether it's next Monday or next month.
Find details for a rally near you.
Sources:
1. "Meet Shaun McCutcheon, the Republican Activist Trying to Make History at the
Supreme Court," The Daily Beast, October 8, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=296936&id=91946-9089709-InX1D4x&t=5
2. "McCutcheon Super PAC Already Busts Limits, Rule of the Game,"
Roll Call, October 7, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=296937&id=91946-9089709-InX1D4x&t=6
3.
"Meet Shaun McCutcheon, the Republican Activist Trying to Make History at the Supreme
Court," The Daily Beast, October 8, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=296936&id=91946-9089709-InX1D4x&t=7
4. "Nationwide Rapid Response Planned for U.S. Supreme Court's McCutcheon Ruling,"
Common Dreams, February 10, 2014
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2014/02/10-6
Want to support our work?
 MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions,
no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a
long way.
Chip in here.

Friday, February 21, 2014

What We Need to do and What WE CAN SUCCEED in DOING

ppPersonal note, yesterday I made my First Sale from WWW.abilitieslive.com

A necklace I made with coral, black beads, and turquoise lamp work beads.  Working hard to get more on the site, but it's slow, with the blessing of hard working volunteer help.  Still, I have to begin Somewhere and have Finally begun!

Now, I hope the video of tar sands oil, mean meant for export, spilling in a small town is accessible from this site.  This pipeline (Keystone XL) is set to cross a lot of farmland.  Do you think ruined crop land won't result in price rises at your grocery store?

And then there are the victories we are working to win and Winning!  I know this is a Huge post, but please, check it out.

Thank you.

What We Must Do, and What We CAN SUCCEED in DOING

We Love Our Land
200,000 gallons is more than you can imagine.
Last spring, 200,000 gallons of crude oil spilled in the small town of Mayflower,
Arkansas when an Exxon pipeline carrying Canadian tar sands ruptured.
Many people became ill. The stench still lingers in the air. And ten months later,
some families still cannot return home.
The truth is, the residents of Mayflower never stood to benefit from this pipeline
— Americans won't benefit from the Keystone XL pipeline either.
Share this video with your friends so that they know what tar sands crude is doing to American towns like Mayflower.
Click here to watch the video!
http://nextgenclimate.org/mayflower
When tar sands crude travels through our neighborhoods, our communities bear the
risk while Big Oil reaps the profits. Issues like the Keystone XL pipeline affect
every American, but especially those living with this danger in their own backyards.
Share this video with your friends to let them know the risks we run if Sec. Kerry supports the Keystone XL pipeline.
Thank you for sharing this important video,
Josh Burstein
Digital Team

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Photo by
Pembina Institute
 /
CC BY


This, just in the last 3 months:
The “world’s least sustainable corporation” has committed to stop destroying the
rainforest
Three huge clothing manufacturers have stopped torturing rabbits for their fur
The biggest corporate power grab in a generation has stalled in the US Congress,
and is facing growing opposition around the world
The UK government has put plans to sell citizens’ private medical data to corporations
on hold
Our growing community of more than 3 million people played a crucial role in every
one of these victories
 -- and many, many more! It’s been an exciting few months.
Meanwhile, we’re pushing forward in other areas, too. A massive US garden store has
confirmed to us that it's developing a policy on neonics, the pesticides that are
killing the bees. We’ve filed a legal request to fight back in the courts against
Bayer’s attempt to overturn Europe’s ban on these poisons. And more and more companies
are making strong commitments to remove conflict palm oil from their products.
Things are happening fast.
But let’s be clear: The fight against corporate power is a big one. In almost every
country, and on almost every issue, big corporations are fighting against the issues
we care most about. From environmental protection to human rights to economic justice,
corporate power is a huge part of the problem. And until we name it and fight it,
we can’t win.
And that’s why there is huge hope in the SumOfUs community.
 Together, we’re 3 million people strong -- and we hold tremendous collective power
over the corporations that increasingly control our democracies.
Thanks for being a part of it. Towards the next 3 months,
-- Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, Executive Director
PS: Get ready for some groundbreaking campaigning in the months ahead to stop the
Trans-Pacific Partnership and challenge giant corporations like Monsanto, as well
as the launch of SumOfUs in German, French and Spanish (with more to come).
Chip in to make it happen here.
Campaign updates
VICTORY!
Saving Tony the Tiger and the rainforest from the “world’s least sustainable corporation”
Tony
After months of organized pressure against Kellogg's and its massive partner Wilmar
International -- a palm oil company that Newsweek named the “world's least sustainable
corporation” -- both companies are taking action to protect the rainforest!
Kellogg’s and Wilmar have both signed commitments to eliminate deforestation from
their supply chains
 in the next two years -- in what the Guardian called a “major success for environment
and consumer groups”.
We played a key role in pushing these companies over the line.
 Here's just a few of the things we did together:
Bombarded Kellogg's with hundreds of thousands of petition signatures and
thousands of phone calls
Worked with organizers in Michigan (where Kellogg’s is based) to pressure executives
on their home turf, generating reams of media coverage
Delivered
 tens of thousands of personal messages to Kellogg’s CEO
, and met personally with the company’s head of sustainability
Put the campaign on investors’ radar, who proposed the issue for discussion at the
company’s AGM to increase the pressure
Helped
publish a report that exposed Wilmar's role in illegal destruction
 of orangutan habitat
Kellogg's commitment raises the bar for other consumer companies
-- who we're getting ready to target soon. And because Wilmar controls nearly half
the world’s palm oil trade,
 this could represent a massive sea change in the industry.
 We’re working with partners to make sure they implement their commitments on the
ground -- groups like Catapult Campaigns, Rainforest Action Network and Greenpeace
-- all of whom were crucial in winning this campaign, too.
This is great news for Tony the Tiger, and for the survival of Southeast Asia’s rainforests.
It's one of our biggest victories to date as a community -- and a very, very big
deal.
Read More:
Original petition
Press:
Bloomberg
 |
Clean Biz
WE WON:
They stopped torturing and killing bunnies for their fur!
Bunnies
When we saw the horrific video footage showing rabbits screaming in pain as their
fur was torn off at angora farms in China for the sake of “fashion” -- we knew we
had to act.
We got in touch with PETA to put pressure on three clothing manufacturers to stop
production of their angora products -- and they did!
Topshop was the first to topple
, after five days of pressure from SumOfUs members around the world. Not satisfied,
we moved on to
Asos -- who promised to never sell angora on its website again.
 Next, we asked clothing giant Zara to suspend orders of angora -- who were initially
refusing to act.
After a week of pressure, Zara caved!
 SumOfUs members mobilized almost 300,000 petition signatures and thousands of comments
on Zara’s Facebook wall. 330 people signed up to our
Super Bunny Warrior Team
, and over 200 people personally delivered the petition to Zara stores to force them
to act.
Read More:
Original petition
Press:
Daily Mail
 |
Huffington Post
 |
LA Times
HUGE PROGRESS!
UK government not selling private medical records to corporations -- for now
NHS
Alarmed by a plan that would have seen British citizens' private medical records
sold to corporations, we sprung into action this month.
SumOfUs joined with 252,000 UK members to spearhead growing opposition to the proposal.
Our staff team was meeting with top officials this week when they announced that
they were delaying the scheme for six months.
 They were feeling massive pressure -- SumOfUs’ campaign had already been featured
in the biggest UK newspapers, we’d commissioned an opinion poll that demonstrated
that 65% of the UK public were opposed to the scheme, and we were working with our
partners 38 Degrees to build a mass opt-out system for our members.
We’re staying engaged so we can feed in our views to any consultation process that
might emerge from the wreckage of this proposal. And we'll be watching closely to
see whether NHS England will make real changes to the scheme to address our privacy
concerns. If they don’t, then we’re ready to spring into action.
Read More:
Original Petition
Press:
The Independent
 |
The Telegraph
STOPPING THE TPP:
A corporate lobbyist’s wildest dream
TPP
The Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP) is called a trade deal, but it’s really a massive corporate power grab
that would make it easier for corporations to sue our governments when they act to
protect our environment or health. And so we’ve launched a major campaign to stop
it.
In the US, Obama has been pushing for “fast track” authority to allow him to negotiate
the sweeping deal without input from Congress. But after SumOfUs members joined with
other groups and made
almost 8,000 calls to their representatives, key lawmakers including Senate majority
leader Harry Reid and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi came out against fast track
authority -- a major blow to the TPP.
This fight isn't close to over, but we've got momentum on our side. Now,
we’re working to build major opposition in Australia, Canada, and elsewhere in the
12-country block to kill the TPP.
 If just one key country stands up and rejects the TPP, the whole deal could fall
through -- and we think our community has got what it takes.
Read More:
American call-in
 |
Australian Petition
Press:
Reuters
 |
The Guardian
STILL BUZZING: Strong progress for the bees
Bees
Bayer is determined to keep selling its killer-pesticides for profit -- whatever
the cost to the bees. It’s still pushing ahead with a ridiculous lawsuit against
the EU’s two-year ban on the pesticides that are behind the global bee die-off.
Well two can play at that game. Tens of thousands of us chipped in to defend the
ban in the European courts against Bayer
 -- and the court is currently considering our case. The stakes are high. If Bayer
wins, it would be a huge setback for the bees -- making it much harder to push other
countries to ban these dangerous pesticides. But with science on our side, we’re
quietly confident we can silence Bayer’s legal threats.
Meanwhile, thousands of SumOfUs members in the US and Canada joined up with Friends
of the Earth and others to deliver a Valentine’s message to big garden stores Home
Depot and Lowe’s -- asking them on the phone and in stores to “show the bees some
love”. After the national media covered the story,
Home Depot has contacted us to let us know it's developing a policy on neonics.
 It’s a positive sign -- but we’ll keep up the pressure until it commits to remove
bee-killing pesticides from its stores, and we're working to push other retailers
to action, too.
Read More:
Contribution page for lawsuit
 |
Valentines call-in
Press:
Ecowatch
 |
NBC
VICTORY!
 Winning workers’ rights from the 4th richest man in the world
We Won
A company owned by the world’s 4th richest man, Warren Buffet, was threatening to
throw 200 low-wage rail workers on the streets when they came together to demand
decent wages. BNSF, a railroad company Buffet owns, planned to fire its subcontractor
if its workers went on strike for decent wages.
Union-busting is always wrong, but it’s especially disappointing coming from Buffet,
who’s become famous for speaking out against inequality. But
 after we spoke out against Buffet's hypocrisy, the railroad backed down and the
workers got a fair contract and a raise.
Read More:
The original petition
Press:
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America
TAKING THE FIGHT TO ITS OWN BACKYARD:
Joining Monsanto’s concerned shareholders to call on the bio-giant to tell the truth
about GMOs.
Monsanto
Monsanto is known as the biggest bully around -- so we decided to find some friends
and fought it in its own backyard.
Thousands of us chipped in to so we could take action with concerned shareholders,
who simply wanted the bio-giant to come clean about the risks of GMOs at the company's
Annual General Meeting. With your help, we were able to:
Secure advertising in Monsanto's home town of St Louis, Missouri, so that shareholders
hear our message
Send organizers to St Louis to raise a media storm outside the shareholder meeting
and deliver 160,000 signatures to Monsanto
Buy a small, strategic stake in Monsanto so that we can speak out as shareholders
ourselves.
Our shareholders failed to win the vote to demand Monsanto come clean this time around.
But we know it is scared. Monsanto even planted pro-GMO advocates to speak out against
transparency (who in their right mind is against being open with the data on GMOs?).
But we built invaluable strategic partnerships that will help us fight Monsanto in
the future -- from spreading harmful GMOs, to introducing terminators seeds, to its
butterfly killing pesticides. We are as determined as ever to keep fighting Monsanto.
Read More:
Original petition
Press:
NPR
 |
Reuters
Onwards!
As you can tell, this has been a busy 3 months! We're not just winning campaigns
-- together, we are building a movement strong enough to take on corporate power.
Thank you for being a part of it.
To keep up our momentum and make sure that corporations continue to hear our voices,
would you consider
becoming a donor in order to help our movement grow
?
We are still a tiny organization, so we depend on members like you to keep us going
-- especially since we don't take any money from corporations or governments. SumOfUs
is a world-wide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations
accountable for their actions -- and we really can't do it without you.     
donate
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.
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