More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth
Masked ICE and Customs and Border Patrol continue to abduct people in Maine. Several of these kidnappings have happened at Home Depots around Maine. Here are a few related actions you can take in response. Ask Governor Mills to let LD 1971 , an act which forbids Maine Law Enforcement and other public offices from doing the work of ICE, go into law. (She can no longer sign it, but she can veto it.) Go here to email or call her at (207) 287-3531. Remember in Nazi Germany, and in many other fascist government take-overs, action starts with scapegoating a perceived “outside” group of people such as Immigrants, Jews, Roma, Buddhists, etc.
For more Anti-Ice activities go to: Ice Out of Home Depot to sign a petition sent to Home Depot headquarters, personalize this letter to Home Depot Execs and send it to them, and publicly comment on Home Depot’s social media posts with these demands: Publicly condemn ICE raids, Stop cooperating with ICE – close stores and parking lots to agents, Protect workers and customers from attacks, Help detained victims and support their families, Release security video and other footage of enforcement actions at Home Depot stores. (Thanks to Mid Maine Indivisible for this info.)
Last week Trump posted execution threats towards Democratic lawmakers who are all former military/CIA who posted a video asking troops not to obey illegal orders: Ask Pingree and Golden to join the effort begun yesterday by Representative Al Greene to begin impeachment hearings. There is no walking this threat of violence back.
Trump and his gang have started an illegal war through extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific. A dozen civilian vessels have been blown up and dozens of people killed, with no hearings, no due process. . Trump wants to distract from his problems at home by creating a “war” on drug traffickers in which he can order anyone he wants killed by claiming they are drug dealers. What could go wrong? The Senate voted down S.J. Res 90 which directs the “cessation of US military involvement in any non-congressionally authorized hostilities with Venezuela.” Collins voted against the resolution despite her protestations of concern, King voted for. Our lawmakers should be demanding an investigation of these murders NOW, as well as a say in stopping a war with Venezuela!! For more information go here.
ActivateMaine has created a site, SNAP Into Action: “a statewide effort to help those who are affected by the freezing of benefits due to the Government shut down.” Even though the Government is “open” now, hunger issues continue for people around the country.
Arts and Politics!
Consider boycotting Spotify and canceling your subscription to them: To participate in the boycott of Spotify for their running of ads recruiting for ICE, visit this Indivisible page for more information, and for ready-made materials you can post online and use in other ways to encourage others to cancel their subscriptions, visit this page. According to Indivisible Bangor, Pandora is running the same ICE recruiting adds. Pandora is a subsidiary of SiriusXM. Spotify’s stock has dropped 13% in the past month.
GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS (just pick one!)
- Ask our Maine Law Makers to Ring the Alarm on Trump’s murder of civilians in the Caribbean: Trump’s orders to blow up boats in the Caribbean because they are carrying drugs is illegal, unconstitutional, and a trial run for what he would like to start doing at home. These killings must be investigated and Trump must be held accountable. Call Pingree, Golden, King and Collins to raise a storm about these killings. Go to 5calls.org for a script. Ask Collins why SHE IS NOT OPPOSING Trump’s military maneuvers against Venezuela.
- Join the Maine People’s Alliance in bringing your story to our Congresspeople: Are your insurance rates going up? Did you lose SNAP benefits – the MPA wants to hear your story and use it to fight for Mainers in the ongoing shutdown budget battle. Fill out this form and tell your story here.
- Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities: It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
- Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to let LD 1971 become law, by not signing and not vetoing it: Go here to make a comment on this on her website. (She can’t sign the bill anymore, but can veto it.)
- Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives: Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
- Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below: Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project.
Statewide Actions
- More ICE resistance: Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities. NO I.C.E. for Maine (noice4me): Learn more about this effort to reign in ICE. Here is the number for the ICE Watch hotline in Maine: 207 544 9989
- Mid Maine Indivisible has a great weekly newsletter – To sign up: go here. Indivisible Bangor has a great daily newsletter and actions go here to sign up. If you are in the Mid Coast area consider joining Audacity – learn more here. The Bold Coast Civic Alliance has a newsletter as well as the Hancock County Democrat. Cumberland County Indivisible newsletter go here. Greater Portland Indivisible, go here. We are developing a great ecosystem for resistance communications in Maine.
- Check out the No Kings Alliance page for weekly updates about actions that you can take to continue building the pro-democracy movement, building and protecting our communities. (Thank you to Indivisible Mid Maine for this suggestion)
- Check out Graham Platner’s Online Town Hall Mon, Dec 8 @ 5pm Online Town Hall with U.S. Senate Candidate Graham Platner to sign up for any of these go here or go to Grahamforsenate.com
- The Maine Library Commission has delayed a vote taken recently to require small public libraries throughout rural Maine to hire a lead librarian, and stay open a specific number of hours weekly. Libraries that do not conform to the rule would not be eligible for inter-library loans or the digital lending services the state provides. No funds were offered to small libraries to meet this new rule. This ruling, if enacted would affect libraries all over the state, and force closings and restrict services. Please email Brian Cundick, Chair of the Commission, at bryce.cundick@maine.edu, to let him know you oppose this ruling and why. For more details on this situation and what libraries would be affected go to the Maine Monitor’s article on this issue. We should not be making it harder for small, rural, all volunteer libraries to operate in Maine. Knowledge is power. (Thanks to Elisabeth for this lead.)
(The Library Commission, a 17-member board appointed by the Governor, is broadly representative of the state’s library community. The Commission establishes the policies and operations of the State Library, gives advice and makes recommendations on the expenditure of state and federal funds, and establishes guidelines and policies for statewide library programs.)
With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
Emanuel
It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!
Senator Angus King
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292
Senator Susan Collins
DC: (202) 224-2523
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019
Waterville: (207) 873-5713
Congressman Jared Golden
DC: (202) 225-6306
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767
Find your State Representative:
By name: Here
By district: Here
Find your State Senator:
By name: Here
By district: Here
Our government in Augusta:
Governor Janet Mills
Email Governor Mills
Call (207) 287-3531
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Contact Secretary Bellows
Call (207)626-8400
Attorney General Aaron M. Frey
Contact Mr. Frey
Call (207) 626-8800
Questions or comments? Contact George!
