Meetings, Speakers, Postcarding, Marches & Rallies, Films, Fundraisers, Lobby Days, and more... This issue of the Muster describes all kinds of ways you can get involved and take action this month!
MEET WITH US!
Getting together with other Minuteman Indivisible members is an energizing and fun way to take action. Join us at one of our events this month:
Healthcare Priorities Meeting
Thursday May 9, 7:15-9pm
First Parish Church, Lexington A lot is underway with healthcare futures both in the sabotage of existing healthcare laws and in legislation at the US and state level to protect healthcare rights. Join us to decide where MI can best focus our efforts on healthcare leading up to the primary elections and then on to 2020. RSVP here.
Monthly Activism Evening
Monday May 13, 7-8:30pm
First Parish Church, Lexington Join us as a speaker from Voter Choice MA explains Ranked Choice Voting and describes how this simple but powerful reform has the ability to transform our political process and ensure outcomes that more accurately reflect the will of the voters. There will be an opportunity for audience questions. We will also be writing postcards for issues and/or progressive candidates.
Weekday Action Meeting in Wayland
Thursday May 16, 3-6pm
RSVP for Address Join us to write postcards in support of progressive candidates at Jean's home (near the Lincoln town line). Snacks provided. Casual, convivial event. Bring your friends! RSVP here for address.
Attend the Statewide Indivisible Meeting Register now to attend the Statewide Collaboration Meeting on Saturday, May 11 from 11:30am to 5:30pm in Worcester. You'll receive a confirmation email with some prep materials after you register. Your participation and voice are essential and valued! This is a great opportunity to meet Indivisibles from around the state. If you have time, join in for an extra mix and mingle from 5:30 PM on!
SUPPORT RANKED CHOICE VOTING
MONDAY, MAY 13 RANKED CHOICE VOTING SPEAKER
At this month's Activism Evening, Jacob Silterra, a volunteer for Voter Choice Massachusetts, will be speaking to us about Ranked Choice Voting. He will explain how this simple but powerful reform has the ability to transform our political process and ensure outcomes that more accurately reflect the will of the voters. Jacob is passionate about building government institutions, including voting systems, which work best for everyone. He works at a biotechnology company in Beverly and holds a BS in physics from Cornell University and an MS in bioinformatics from Boston University.
SUNDAY, MAY 19 VOTER CHOICE STATEWIDE MEETING
Voter Choice MA's monthly statewide meeting from 2-4pm in Waltham will feature an important bill hearing training session in advance of serious legislative action on ranked choice voting heading into June. Get the address and RSVP here.
Take the Ranked Choice Voting Public Hearing Pledge
We want to make a big impact at the State House when it's time for the Ranked Choice Voting public hearing. Unfortunately, under state law, they only need to give us 3 days notice for the hearing. To mobilize fast, Voter Choice MA is now collecting pledges from people to attend the hearing. Please click on this link to let them know you can typically make it to the State House on a weekday to support RCV. They will alert people who have pledged to attend as soon as there's a definite date, time and location for the hearing. At that point, you can change your pledge to an actual RSVP.
SAVE LADY WHALES
Right whales are one of the most endangered large whale species on the planet: there are only 411 left in existence, with less than 100 breeding females. Every year, around half of the remaining North American right whale population spend two months feeding in Cape Cod Bay on their way from their calving grounds in the waters off Georgia and Florida to Canada.
Nearly 90% of North American right whale deaths are caused by humans, usually from entanglements in fishing gear and ship strikes. H.R. 1568, the SAVE Right Whales Act, would establish collaborative grants to fishermen, the shipping industry, non-governmental organizations, and researchers to reduce human impacts on the right whale. One idea that has been proposed is using technology to develop rope-less lobster traps. This legislation, introduced by MA Rep. Seth Moulton, has bi-partisan support and has been endorsed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Please contact your MOC in support of the bill (and ask your friends to contact theirs). We'll have stamped postcards available at our May 10 Weekday Warriors Meeting and May 13 Activism Evening, but you can also download a sample letter or postcard on our website. Don't miss this chance to help save a species that has a major connection to Massachusetts!
Dr. William Moomaw, the Emeritus Professor of International Environmental Policy at Tufts, will speak about climate change and becoming a resilient part of the solution at the Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester at 7:30 pm. His presentation will provide a better picture of the implications and solutions of climate change in New England and what individuals, families, and communities can do to help mitigate these effects. There will be an opportunity for audience questions after the presentation. See this link to RSVP or get more details, including options for a picnic supper before the talk.
SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES
THURSDAY, MAY 9:
NEW IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE VISIONS
New Immigrant and Refugee Visions (NIRV) is a project designed to inform people about the experience of new immigrants and refugees in the United States. NIRV has trained new immigrants and refugees to produce a series of short non-fiction films that will amplify their stories and perspectives. This film screening at Cary Library in Lexington at 7pm will feature three short documentaries and provide an opportunity for the audience to discuss them with the directors and participants.
HONOR VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE
SUNDAY, MAY 12
MOTHER'S DAY WALK FOR PEACE
TheMother’s Day Walk for Peace is a celebration of our potential to create more peaceful communities. Every year families from across the state and region meet at 8am at Town Field in Dorchester to walk together toward peace and justice for all families impacted by murder. RSVP here to walk with the Moms Demand Action team.
SATURDAY, MAY 18
MOTHERS DREAM QUILT PROJECT
Join Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America at the Arlington Center for the Arts at 1pm to stitch together quilt blocks commemorating the lives lost to gun violence in our country, and expressing the dream of keeping all children, families and communities safe. No experience necessary - novices welcome and materials will be provided! RSVP here.
Join us at this meeting in Arlington on Wednesday, May 15th from 6:30 to 8:30pmto make plans for the events and actions to take over the next 6 months to a year to protect reproductive rights in MA. Snacks will be available. RSVP here for address.
There are several opportunities this month to join fellow Indivisibles and other allies at the State House to lobby for important legislation.
THURSDAY, MAY 16
FUND OUR FUTURE DAY OF ACTION & RALLY
Ask your state rep and senator to take action to pass two key education funding bills, the Promise Act and the Cherish Act, this year. A variety of activities are being planned including legislative visits starting at 1pm, a children's action and a rally outside the State House at 5pm. Get more details and RSVP here.
Our friends at Force Multiplier helped Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) and 12 other Democratic challengers flip Republican House seats in 2018. Rep. Axne has voted for comprehensive campaign reform, supports the Affordable Care Act, and fights climate change as a member of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry. Come and meet her in Brookline from 3-4:30pm and support her as she begins her 2020 re-election campaign. RSVP and/or donate here.
SUNDAY, MAY 26
#DITCHMITCH INDIVISIBLE CALL
Indivisible groups across the country are coordinating with our fellow Indivisibles in Kentucky to help flip the Senate seat currently held by Mitch McConnell. Email us or check our elections channel on Slack to get details of how to participate in this online call at 7pm ET.
TAKE THE INDIVISIBLE 2020 PLEDGE
Have you taken the pledge?
Rachel Maddow ran stories on Indivisible’s 2020 pledgetwice in one week (see them here and here). The pledge has already garnered 26,000 signatures, including from at least 14 of the Democratic candidates! The pledge is simple and calls on us to:
