Summer is here, but we're not slowing down. Horrified by the treatment of migrant children? Eager to support ranked choice voting in MA or flip the congressional seat in NC09? Looking for an easy way to get up to speed before Robert Mueller testifies to Congress this month? Want to protect reproductive rights or save right whales? We've got a plan for that!
PROTECT MIGRANT CHILDREN
Are you heartsick and outraged by the recent reports of how our government is treating children that have come to this country seeking safety: concrete floors to sleep on, no soap or toothbrushes, children trying to comfort younger children because no adults are available. Find actions you can take right now hereandhere.
Please join us on Friday July 12 when Lights for Liberty vigils will be held across the country. Vigils are already scheduled in Boston, Cambridge, and Framingham, one is being planned in Lexington at Hancock Church, and more are being added daily. Keep an eye on our calendarfor updates on local vigils and see this week's Indivisible MA newsletter for information on other Lights for Liberty vigils in MA. If you can't attend a vigil, light a candle at 9:00pm wherever you areand share your actions on social media using the hashtag #Lights4Liberty. We can't afford to look away or wait for elections in 2020 to stop these inhumane actions.
JOIN US IN JULY!
We'll be writing postcards for NC09 at our monthly Activism Evening and Weekday Warriors Meeting, continuing our summer canvass outside the Lexington Farmers Market, screening a film about the Mueller report, lobbying for Ranked Choice Voting at the State House, and helping new citizens register to vote. Make plans to join us!
Canvass at the Farmers Market
Tuesdays July 2, 16, & 23, 2-6:30pm
Next to 1557 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington Minuteman Indivisible will have a table near the Mass Ave entrance to the Lexington Farmers Market most Tuesday afternoons this summer where we'll be canvassing for Ranked Choice Voting and other issues. Talk to your friends and neighbors about the work that we're doing and enjoy great food at the same time! Sign up to join us hereor just stop by to say Hello!
Monthly Activism Evening
Monday July 8, 7-9:00pm
First Parish Church, 7 Harrington Rd., Lexington Join us to write postcards to mobilize voters in the NC-09 special election where Dan McCready is running against Dan Bishop, author of NC's infamous Bathroom bill. We'll also hear about local, state, and national actions we can take in response to the inhumane conditions at migrant detention camps and get updates from MI's legislative champions. Please bring your pens, highlighters, and postcard stamps (and/or a small contribution for postage). MI Elections committed to write 1500 postcards and our goal is 500 for this meeting, so invite a friend!
"Watch" the Mueller Report with Us
Monday July 15, 7-9:00pm
Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Mass Ave., Lexington Minuteman Indivisible is hosting a special screening of The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts,a play filmed live in NYC last month featuring well-know actors reading key portions of the Mueller report. Get up to speed on the Mueller report the easy way - with friends and snacks - before Mueller testifies to Congress on July 17. Can't make the screening? Check out our Mueller Report webpage instead!
Ranked Choice Voting Lobby Day
Tuesday July 16, 11:00 am-2:00pm
Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St., Boston Join us in the Great Hall of Flags at the State House as we gather with Voter Choice MA and advocates from across the state to hear from expert speakers, then meet with our legislators to ask them to support RCV in MA. RSVP here, Want to meet up with the other MI members who plan to attend?Email us and we'll be in touch.Can't make it to Boston? Help canvass for RCV at Lexington's Farmers Market or sign up here for other ways to help.
Stitch & Resist & Postcards
Thursday, July 18, 7-9:00pm
Lexington - RSVP for address Join us to either knit or write postcards. Bring a current knitting project or your favorite pen. Some of us will be knitting and some of us will be writing postcards for NC-09. RSVP here to receive the address.
Register New Citizens to Vote
Thursday July 25, 1:30-2:30pm
Between Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market, Boston MIRA will be holding voter registration events outside Faneuil Hall in Boston on many Thursdays this summer. Volunteers fill out voter registration forms for newly sworn-in citizens. All materials—clipboards, forms, and pins—are provided. No prior experience necessary - MIRA provides training. Several MI members have already signed up to help register voters on July 25 andwe'd would love to have you join us! RSVP with MIRA here. Questions? Send us an email.
ADVOCATE FOR THE ROE ACT
On June 17, MI members joined fellow Indivisibles and hundreds of others in Gardner Auditorium and the Great Hall of Flags at the State House for a hearing on the ROE Act that lasted over 10 hours. Now we need your help to get the bill reported out of committee favorably! Opponents were out in force at the hearing and even legislators who have cosponsored the bill need to hear that they have your support. Here's what you can do:
Sign up here for a ROE Act volunteer call tonight, July 1 at 6:30 pm
Volunteer for other ROE Act Coalition actions and events. Sign up here.
MOBILIZE VOTERS IN NC-09
Because of the ballot fraud discovered after the 2018 election, Dan McCready is running again in a special election for the congressional seat in NC09. This time, he's running against Dan Bishop – the “bathroom bill” author. Help flip this district by writing postcards to mobilize voters!
In collaboration with Swing Left and other MA Indivisible groups, we received 5000 postcards a couple of weeks ago. All were claimed within a few days and MI completed 1000 of them! Many thanks to Susan J, Lisa K and the Weekday Warriors who completed 500 cards; Nancy and Jim who hosted a postcard party with 16 people; and Ruthy and friends who completed 160 cards on their own.
As a reward for all this great work we get……more cards!!! We just received 5000 more cards and need help getting them done by July 21. What can you do? Join us as we socialize and write postcards to mobilize voters for this crucial election on:
July 8, 7-9pm at our Monthly Activism Evening at First Parish, Lexington July 10, 10-11:30am with our Weekday Warriors at the Roasted Granola Cafe, Arlington - RSVP here. July 18, 7-9pm Stitch & Resist & Postcards in Lexington - RSVP here.
Other local Indivisible groups and Swing Left Greater Boston are also holding events to help get all of the cards finished by July 21. See our website calendar for details about weekly postcard parties at Caffe Nero in Concord on Tuesday evenings and a postcard party with live music in Cambridge on July 12.
1. Write a letter to your MoC in the House and tell them that you support H.R. 1568, the SAVE Act. See a sample letter here. Due to our efforts, 7 of the 9 MA congressional representatives have signed on to sponsor the bill! Let’s keep up the pressure - especially for districts 3 (Trahan) and 8 (Lynch).
2. If you want to include saving the whales at your next postcard party, email us for stamped postcards.
Our fellow Indivisible groups on Cape Cod and the Islands are hosting a series of fundraisers this summer to support Indivisibles in Kentucky who are working to flip the Senate seat currently held by Mitch McConnell. The first fundraiser last week sold out, but there will be another one on Wednesday July 10 in Eastham. Get more details and RSVP here. Can't make the fundraiser? Donate directly to Indivisible KY here. Additional fundraisers will be held later this summer in:
Truro, Sunday, August 4, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Nantucket, Wednesday, August 14, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Yarmouth Port, Sunday, August 25, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Martha’s Vineyard, Saturday, September 21, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Indivisible groups across the country are also holding monthly online calls with Kentucky Indivisibles to help #DitchMitch. Email us or check our Slack to get details of how to participate in these calls on the fourth Sunday of each month at 7pm ET.
CHECK OUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON
We've been busy! In June, Minuteman Indivisible:
Cohosted a Safe Communities Act Lobby Day at State House on June 4 together with Indivisible Mystic Valley and the Safe Communities Coalition
Welcomed State Senator Michael Barrett to discuss his tax transparency and carbon pricing bills at our Monthly Activism Evening on June 10 and heard a presentation from our Elections Team on 2020 elections strategy.
Began our summer canvassing for Ranked Choice Voting at the Lexington Farmers Market on June 11
Wrote postcards to tell voters about the upcoming special election in NC09 at our Weekday Warriors meeting on June 14 and at a postcard party on June 24.
Joined five other Indivisible groups to host a Town Hall with Rep. Seth Moulton on June 15, and met with him and his staff before the event.
Joined fellow MA Indivisibles and hundreds of allies at a marathon hearing for the ROE Act at the State House on June 17
In addition to these MI-sponsored actions, individual members participated in many other activities related to the work we do: organized a series of discussions about the book White Fragility on June 2, 9 and 16; attended Bill McKibben's talk on climate change on June 6 and a “Wear Orange” event to prevent Gun Violence on June 8; hosted fundraisers for two congressional candidates on June 12 and 16; submitted written testimony to the MA legislature in support of election day registration bills at a June 20 hearing; met “TonytheDemocrat” who runs Postcards to Voters on June 25, and joined allies and friends at debate watch parties on June 26 and 27.
The Muster is coming to your inbox on a biweekly schedule this summer
Keep checking theMI Calendaron our website for the most current line-up of events and actions.
Andjoin our Slackto stay in the loop! Your input is welcome!
