The Anxious Activist

A tiny political blog for anxious people

[the-anxious-activist]

Help Stop Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee & Protect Rule of Law

This is about checks and balances and the rule of law.

July 11, 2018

There is an important reason why Senators should refuse to confirm 45′s Supreme Court Nominee that very few people are talking about:  the president is under investigation for stealing the election. 

READ MORE:  https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/please-read-this-through-hes-right

“Never before has the selection of a Supreme Court nominee been so thoroughly compromised by the President’s profound personal interest in appointing a judge the President can count on to protect the President. This is DEFCON 1 for the rule of law in this country.”

This is an especially important argument to make since it may help to convince even conservative senators who don’t support abortion rights, gay rights, etc. Every American should be interested in protecting democracy.

What can you do?

Fax your senators, especially republicans!  Just customize the letter below with their names and your name and use https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php to send your fax for free online.  It’s easy!  And once you fax your senators PLEASE also fax: Senators Murkowski (AK-R), Collins (ME-R), McCain (AZ-R), and Flake (AZ-R).  They may be possible to flip on this issue, especially Collins and Murkowski!  (Just remember to delete “I am a constituent” if you’re not one. :)

LETTER TEMPLATE:

Dear Senator [NAME]:

I am a constituent and I write to encourage you in the strongest possible terms to reject the President’s Supreme Court nominee.  My plea is based not on abortion rights, gay rights, or any other highly politicized social issue.  

Rather it is about protecting our increasingly fragile democracy.

The president is currently under investigation to determine whether he conspired with a foreign power to win the presidency and whether he obstructed the investigation into this possible crime.

As Josh Marshall points out (https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/please-read-this-through-hes-right), the Supreme Court will very likely be called upon to determine essential legal questions especially relevant to this President who is currently under investigation.  Some of the questions the Court may determine include:

·      whether the President can pardon himself or others to protect himself,

·      whether a sitting President can be indicted

·      whether a sitting President can be compelled to testify before a federal grand jury

·      whether the appointment of the Special Counsel somehow violated the Appointments Clause

·      whether a President can ever obstruct justice.

·      whether the President’s acceptance of significant foreign funds through his businesses violates the Emoluments Clause.

Since the 45th President’s election, the EIU has downgraded the United States of America to a “flawed democracy” for the first time.  

Our courts are crucial to this country’s system of checks and balances.

Since taking office, the President’s power has frequently been limited by the courts.  Consider what America might look like if this particular element of our checks and balances were eliminated.

Senator [NAME], please protect our democracy from this existential threat.  History will remember this moment and your actions.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Okay, Anxious Activists!  Let’s do this.  And please signal boost far and wide!

[the-anxious-activist]

Urgent: Stop the Trump Tax Plan & save health care

You can help stop the Trump tax plan and save the economy, health care, and education! :)

So, what is this tax plan anyway?

You’ve probably heard about the “tax plan” (often called by opponents ‘tax scam’) that has passed through the House and is now making its way to the Senate.  There are a lot of terrible things about it, but here are a few big ones:

It’s made up of tax cuts for the richest people in America and will be terrible for the middle and low income people.

Almost all experts agree that this plan will be terrible for the economy.  (Here’s Forbes–a traditionally conservative outlet–slamming it as ‘the end of all economic sense in Washington’.) 

It will have a disastrous effect on higher education by eliminating employee tuition benefits, taxing graduate students’ tuition wavers as income, and ending interest relief on student loan debt. 

AND Republicans have now added a section that would eliminate the health care mandate that is essential to the health of the Affordable Care Act. 

There’s more, but that’s probably enough for now.

So it’s bad.  Really, really bad.  That’s where we come in.

Here’s what you can do about it:

1) Call your senators!  We know that calling can be really hard, but it’s also the best way to move politicians (other than showing up in person, which is logistically tricky).  So, here are some tips for anxious people to make calling a little easier.

If you live in Maine, Wisconsin, Arizona, or Tennessee this is extra important since your Senators have already expressed doubt about the bill, but it’s important to call everybody with a vote!  First, find your senators’ contact info here and then you can use the script below:

Hi, I’m [NAME], a constituent calling from [CITY, ZIP]. I’m calling about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which has passed the House. I am strongly opposed to this bill. The proposed tax cuts will mostly benefit the rich at the expense of programs that the working poor and middle-class depend on like Medicaid and Medicare. I also strongly oppose including an individual health care mandate in the tax plan. Please tell Senator [NAME] to vote NO on this bill and keep opposing attempts to sabotage healthcare. Please pass along my comments to the senator and tell [him/her] I will remember this issue when it comes time for reelection.  Thank you so much for taking my call.

Too long for you?  This works too:

Hi, I’m [NAME], a constituent calling from [CITY, ZIP]. I am strongly opposed to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Please tell Senator [NAME] to vote NO on this bill and please tell [Him/Her] I will remember this issue when it comes time for reelection.  Thank you for your time.

This will take less than five minutes of actual calling time and then we recommend some chocolate and a nice cup of tea.  Or tea and chocolate first? If you can, please call.  If not, there’s something else you can do!

2) Send a fax!  We get it.  Sometimes you just CANNOT make a phone call, even though you really want to.  That’s ok. Don’t give up! Here’s something else you can do.  Send a fax!  This is better than email because a staffer has to physically deal with collecting it. 

You can just copy the message below and fill in your name, info, and their names / pronouns and use that as your message.  You don’t need a fax machine!  You can do it all online using this site: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php . Just find your state and senators in the list.  Or, if you prefer, you can use resistbot to send the message.

Can’t do that or are you not a US citizen able to vote?  You can still help! 

3) Signal boost!  Help this post reach voters who can call and fax and help save America.

Thank you for your help! 

[the-anxious-activist]

UPDATE:  Here’s a little more info on the 7 Republican senators who are possible “No’s” on the Tax Bill.  If you know anybody in Tennessee, Arizona, Montana, Maine, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, or Kansas, we extra need their voices in this.

Please signal boost!  Please fax!  Please call!  Please take care of yourselves!

Let’s make this a victory.

[the-anxious-activist]

Urgent: Stop the Trump Tax Plan & save health care

You can help stop the Trump tax plan and save the economy, health care, and education! :)

So, what is this tax plan anyway?

You’ve probably heard about the “tax plan” (often called by opponents ‘tax scam’) that has passed through the House and is now making its way to the Senate.  There are a lot of terrible things about it, but here are a few big ones:

It’s made up of tax cuts for the richest people in America and will be terrible for the middle and low income people.

Almost all experts agree that this plan will be terrible for the economy.  (Here’s Forbes--a traditionally conservative outlet--slamming it as ‘the end of all economic sense in Washington’.) 

It will have a disastrous effect on higher education by eliminating employee tuition benefits, taxing graduate students’ tuition wavers as income, and ending interest relief on student loan debt. 

AND Republicans have now added a section that would eliminate the health care mandate that is essential to the health of the Affordable Care Act. 

There’s more, but that’s probably enough for now.

So it’s bad.  Really, really bad.  That’s where we come in.

Here’s what you can do about it:

1) Call your senators!  We know that calling can be really hard, but it’s also the best way to move politicians (other than showing up in person, which is logistically tricky).  So, here are some tips for anxious people to make calling a little easier.

If you live in Maine, Wisconsin, Arizona, or Tennessee this is extra important since your Senators have already expressed doubt about the bill, but it’s important to call everybody with a vote!  First, find your senators’ contact info here and then you can use the script below:

Hi, I'm [NAME], a constituent calling from [CITY, ZIP]. I'm calling about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which has passed the House. I am strongly opposed to this bill. The proposed tax cuts will mostly benefit the rich at the expense of programs that the working poor and middle-class depend on like Medicaid and Medicare. I also strongly oppose including an individual health care mandate in the tax plan. Please tell Senator [NAME] to vote NO on this bill and keep opposing attempts to sabotage healthcare. Please pass along my comments to the senator and tell [him/her] I will remember this issue when it comes time for reelection.  Thank you so much for taking my call.

Too long for you?  This works too:

Hi, I'm [NAME], a constituent calling from [CITY, ZIP]. I am strongly opposed to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Please tell Senator [NAME] to vote NO on this bill and please tell [Him/Her] I will remember this issue when it comes time for reelection.  Thank you for your time.

This will take less than five minutes of actual calling time and then we recommend some chocolate and a nice cup of tea.  Or tea and chocolate first? If you can, please call.  If not, there’s something else you can do!

2) Send a fax!  We get it.  Sometimes you just CANNOT make a phone call, even though you really want to.  That’s ok. Don’t give up! Here’s something else you can do.  Send a fax!  This is better than email because a staffer has to physically deal with collecting it. 

You can just copy the message below and fill in your name, info, and their names / pronouns and use that as your message.  You don’t need a fax machine!  You can do it all online using this site: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php . Just find your state and senators in the list.  Or, if you prefer, you can use resistbot to send the message.

Can’t do that or are you not a US citizen able to vote?  You can still help! 

3) Signal boost!  Help this post reach voters who can call and fax and help save America.

Thank you for your help! 

[the-anxious-activist]

Trumpcare Toolkit

Use this toolkit to hold Congress accountable for putting Americans' healthcare online.

If you are in one of the states listed here, you can pester your moderate Republican senator without having to make a phone call. (Of course you can also call, if that’s your jam.) 

The big issue right now is that the Senate is not having hearings on this bill and is keeping it under wraps. 

[the-anxious-activist]

Resistance Roundup: Good things can still happen!  And are happening! Hang in there!

There’s lots of work to do, but we’re in this together and good things can happen and are still happening.

Here are a few for your encouragement! 

Donald Trump’s “revised” travel ban was struck down by a federal judge before taking effect.

And, delightfully enough, the ruling quoted Guiliani’s words in favor of the “Muslim ban” as evidence of its discriminatory and unconstitutional nature.

Donald Trump’s national security advisor, H.R. McMaster, rejects the term “radical Islamic terrorism.”

Staff who attended his briefing paraphrased McMaster as saying that “he doesn’t want to call it radical Islamic terrorism because the terrorists are, quote, ‘un-Islamic’. And “he’s not on board” with a phrase that castigates  “an entire religion.”  McMaster also views Russia as a threat.  This is good news!

17 Republicans are joining the fight against climate change, opposing Donald Trump

"The head of the EPA's comments were disconcerting," Curbelo [R from Miami] said. "What he said was akin to saying the earth is flat in 2017. We must insist on evidence-based and science-based policies."

The Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis, believes that climate change is real and is a national security threat.

He’s not on the brink of becoming the new head of Greenpeace (as some have pointed out) but it’s encouraging that he believes it’s real, a force of destabilization, and is willing to voice opposition to the President who appointed him.

And here’s another professional attesting to the power of all those calls folks have been making to Congress.  It’s working!

Granted, phone calls, emails, letters, town halls--all the exhausting activism people have been doing--hasn’t magically fixed everything.  But it does matter.  It matters so much.  So please take heart.  

“Hope is kindled.”

Keep the beacons lit! 

[the-anxious-activist]

Online Action: take Trump’s manipulative media survey

Here’s a good one for people who find phones especially hard!  :)

The situation:

Trump and his team have created an amazingly biased survey designed to bolster their narrative that Americans don’t trust “mainstream” (meaning “reputable”) media.  It is designed to speak to their base and to get the answers they want to hear.  But here’s the thing: they work for us!  We are the American people!

What to do:

Take the survey!  It is short and will take about 5 minutes. No phones, no people!  Just watch out for the convoluted phrasing, double negatives, and tell them what you think.

https://action.donaldjtrump.com/mainstream-media-accountability-survey/

We’re the American people!  And we’re too smart for this shit.  In fact, this is their second survey because the didn’t like the results on their last "media accountability survey.” 

So let’s keep up the good work!

[the-anxious-activist]

Action: Ask for Town Hall meetings

Here’s an important Thing You Can Do! 

Help us make politicians accountable for their choices, especially those supporting Trump and his White House.  Help make our voices heard!

The Situation:

One of the strategies that helped bring the Tea Party to prominence and success was their strong turn out at Town Halls. As we work on resisting Trump, many commentators are advocating adopting similar strategies, despite the important differences between The Resistance and the Tea Party.  It was effective in part because politicians don’t like it when their constituents show up to confront them or protest outside events where they hoped to generate good PR.  As the Guardian says, “They don’t like it, but they can’t ignore it.“ 

But they’re trying to!  For example, Rep. Jason Chaffetz held a town hall and was aggressively questioned, criticized, and boo’d. His response was to claim these people were “paid protesters” and not his constituents. The leader of the Utah GOP then advised other politicians NOT TO HOLD TOWN HALLS.  Many members of the GOP are not using elaborate evasive maneuvers to avoid seeing us.  They can’t get away with this!!!

What you can do:

Please call your representatives!  (We know calling can be scary!  If you need some help & tips, check out this post.)  Here is a script you can use (courtesy of thesixtyfive.org):

Hi, I'm [NAME], a constituent.

I'm calling to let [Senator/Representative NAME] know that I would very much like to attend a town hall and communicate in person about my ideas for how to better represent me. Are there any events on your schedule that will feature a live, in-person Q&A session?

IF YES:

Great! Thank you! I appreciate [Senator/Representative NAME] making the commitment to connect with constituents!

IF NO:

That's disappointing. The State Work Session is intended specifically for these sorts of meetings. It's really important to me to be able to speak with my legislator face-to-face. Please tell [Senator/Representative NAME] that I expect to see town halls on the calendar for the next State Work Session in March. Thanks!

If calling isn’t possible for you, google your reps and see if they have a town hall scheduled yet.  If not, try sending their local office an email or fax. (Fax is often better since it arrives physically and somebody has to deal with it!)  You might write something like this:

Dear [Senator/Representative NAME],

I am a constituent and I am writing to encourage you to hold a Town Hall meeting during the State Work Session.  The State Work Session is intended specifically for these sorts of meetings. It's really important to me to be able to speak with my legislator face-to-face.  It is an important part of serving your constituents.  Please schedule a Town Hall meeting as soon as possible.  I expect to see town halls on the calendar for the next State Work Session in March. 

Sincerely,

[your name and address]

If politicians can avoid their constituents it makes it nearly impossible for our voices to be heard!  We can and should hold them accountable!

And remember, asking for the Town Hall doesn’t mean that you have to go.  If you’re able to go, wonderful!  But for some people that is just out of the question and that’s okay.  Asking for the Town Hall is still very important!

Town Halls can often hold only a few thousand people--and Chaffetz’s town hall had far more people show up than could be admitted--but it might take far far more calls asking for the Town Hall to make it happen at all.  So ask for the Town Hall even if you can’t go to one.  You’re creating the opportunity for the crowd-tolerant types--the ones who can go--to show up and hold your reps accountable on your behalf. 

Thank you so much!  Stay strong, make some tea, and take a deep breath.  You’re doing great!  (Signal boosts super appreciated!)

[the-anxious-activist]

Help defeat Betsy DeVos!

Tomorrow (February 2nd, 2017), the Senate votes on Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education, and in a surprising turn of events, two Republican senators have pledged to oppose her! That means we only need one more Republican to change their vote and we stop Trump’s nightmarish billionaire cabinet pick from getting confirmed!

(If you want a sense of this person’s fitness to run the Department of Education, DeVos has spent her career defending school vouchers and funding disastrously ineffective charter schools, and she apparently doesn’t think it would be her job to enforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.)

If you have a Republican senator, now is your moment!

The Republicans who are opposing DeVos were both swayed by calls from their constituents. So calling your Senator works! Here’s a script you can use (adapted from The 65):

Hi, this is <your name>, a constituent. I’m <an educator/a parent/an advocate for education> and I want <Senator ____ > to stop Betsy DeVos’s confirmation. DeVos was a key player in shaping the Michigan charter school system, which is severely lacking in oversight, demanding little accountability for how tax dollars are spent or how well students are educated. I don’t want to see the same thing happen nationally, and I expect <Senator ______ > to take a stand for quality education. America’s students and teachers deserve better than DeVos!

Or, if that seems overwhelming, here’s a shorter one:

Hi, this is <your name>. I’m a constituent, and I want <Senator ____ > to stop Betsy DeVos’s confirmation tomorrow!

Here’s a directory of U.S. Senators. Just find your state, dial that number, and read your script.

Here’s the thing: the vote is tomorrow, February 2nd! So you must call as soon as you can to make a difference.

You can also make a difference by boosting this signal, on and off Tumblr, if calling reps isn’t your thing or you don’t live in a red state. Does your aunt live in North Carolina? Does she care about education? People with disabilities? One of your Anxious Mods found that even her Republican family were willing to call on this one, so if you can, pass this info along to someone you know. Or just give us a reblog. Every little bit helps!

We actually have a real chance of winning this one, folks. And it’s because you’ve been making those calls!

[the-anxious-activist]

UPDATE: final vote now MONDAY, FEB. 6

There’s still time!!!

It’s still a 50-50 split, and Pence will cast the deciding vote to confirm her unless we flip one more Republican.  (The Dems are already all voting no.) 

If you haven’t already--or feel able to do it again-- it’s not too late!

To call!  To signal boost!  To forward this to any family / friends with Republican senators who may be receptive to this one.  Even on the weekend they may be able to leave a message.

We’re doing SO WELL!  We’re almost there!  So, good job everybody, and let’s keep it up just a little longer.

THANK YOU! 

[arcaneimages]

[brainstatic]

I wonder if other countries genuinely believe Donald Trump represents the thoughts and opinions of America as a whole. Cuz as far as I'm concerned most of us see him as a mistake an an embarrassment. I wonder if they see what he does and think "that's what all Americans are like, that's what all of America wants" or if they see us as a captive audience to his bullshit

I don’t know, hopefully the latter, but he’s pretty much every negative stereotype about Americans. 

[valencing]

jon shieber tweeted this, saying it’s “from an american friend of mine working with the un in iraq”:

so if we’re worried about american image issues we better keep protesting

[sashayed]

this is important for many reasons, but one of them is – i think we need to accept that we are going to lose a lot of these battles, and lose big, and it’s going to be fucking ROUGH. and in those moments we will need to remember that we can make a difference not just by winning, but by showing up to fight.

[the-anxious-activist]

Keep Steve Bannon off the National Security Council

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security is taking calls about Steve Bannon’s appointment to the National Security Council.

They are tallying calls, you guys. So call them and tell them you want Bannon off the NSC. Here’s the number: 202-224-4751.

You’ll probably get voice mail. If the line is busy, try again. Keep trying until it lets you leave a message.

If you can’t call, you can also email the committee using this form. Feel free to do both! You could also help by giving us a reblog or forwarding this info to your friends and family.

Here’s a script for you to use:

Hello, my name is <your name> and I’m calling to oppose Steve Bannon’s appointment to the National Security Council. No individual whose primary responsibility is political in nature should be allowed on the NSC or authorized to attend its meetings. Partisan politics have no place in our national security.

Every call and email counts, folks! These Senate Committees’ phones have been ringing off the hooks for weeks, so, awesome job, everyone. But we gotta keep at it!

[the-anxious-activist]

Help defeat Betsy DeVos!

Tomorrow (February 2nd, 2017), the Senate votes on Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education, and in a surprising turn of events, two Republican senators have pledged to oppose her! That means we only need one more Republican to change their vote and we stop Trump’s nightmarish billionaire cabinet pick from getting confirmed!

(If you want a sense of this person’s fitness to run the Department of Education, DeVos has spent her career defending school vouchers and funding disastrously ineffective charter schools, and she apparently doesn’t think it would be her job to enforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.)

If you have a Republican senator, now is your moment!

The Republicans who are opposing DeVos were both swayed by calls from their constituents. So calling your Senator works! Here’s a script you can use (adapted from The 65):

Hi, this is <your name>, a constituent. I’m <an educator/a parent/an advocate for education> and I want <Senator ____ > to stop Betsy DeVos’s confirmation. DeVos was a key player in shaping the Michigan charter school system, which is severely lacking in oversight, demanding little accountability for how tax dollars are spent or how well students are educated. I don’t want to see the same thing happen nationally, and I expect <Senator ______ > to take a stand for quality education. America’s students and teachers deserve better than DeVos!

Or, if that seems overwhelming, here’s a shorter one:

Hi, this is <your name>. I’m a constituent, and I want <Senator ____ > to stop Betsy DeVos’s confirmation tomorrow!

Here’s a directory of U.S. Senators. Just find your state, dial that number, and read your script.

Here’s the thing: the vote is tomorrow, February 2nd! So you must call as soon as you can to make a difference.

You can also make a difference by boosting this signal, on and off Tumblr, if calling reps isn’t your thing or you don’t live in a red state. Does your aunt live in North Carolina? Does she care about education? People with disabilities? One of your Anxious Mods found that even her Republican family were willing to call on this one, so if you can, pass this info along to someone you know. Or just give us a reblog. Every little bit helps!

We actually have a real chance of winning this one, folks. And it’s because you’ve been making those calls!

[sashayed]

hey rave, MD gov. hogan is conducting a phone poll today to see if residents are for or against the refugee ban. it takes about ten seconds to do and the woman answering is super nice. would you mind sharing? the number is 410-974-3901, and all you have to say is that you're against the ban (and that you live in md). thanks!!

BOOSTING!

[the-anxious-activist]

Maryland residents! Call this nice lady and tell her you’re against the refugee ban!

[rex-luscus]

Keep fighting, but take care of yourself first

USA followers, here is your daily reminder in this time of high political energy that it’s okay to take care of yourself. In fact, you must. Change is made by doing things, not by reading Tumblr posts and reacting to them emotionally. In fact, too much emotion can make us less able to act. So it’s okay to scroll past or blacklist important issues on your dash if you need to save your energy. Below are some tools people have designed to keep you informed and equip you for action without overwhelming you:

Daily Action Items for the Easily Overwhelmed

MyCivicWorkout: Emails you everyday with one thing to do

MegaVote: Emails you what your reps are about to vote on

The 65: We’re His Problem Now: Website with daily action items

Keep America Great With a Thing a Day: Website with daily action items

@call-your-representatives: Tumblr blog for same

Other Solid Resources

Call My Congress.com: A quick lookup to find out who your reps are

Indivisible: A Practical Guide For Resisting the Trump Agenda: Good info about the most effective kinds of civic action

Oh Crap! What Now?: A survival guide for living in Trump’s America

How to call your reps when you have social anxiety: It’s hard, so here’s a helpful, compassionate guide

How to throw a weekly anger party: Make calling your reps a group activity!

Being disabled in activist communities: Someone saying a thing many folks need to hear

News/Info Sources That Don’t Suck

Ballotpedia: The Wikipedia of American politics

Politico: U.S. politics news (read sparingly if you get overwhelmed)

Pro Publica: A nonprofit news outlet that does real investigative reporting

PolitiFact: Kind of a Snopes.com for politics

Remember: put on your own oxygen mask before helping others, y’all.

[spoonie-living]

Virtual march helps people with disabilities join the Women's March on Washington

Activism accessible to all.

Bummed you can’t join the Women’s March? Here’s a way to make yourself visible and for us to show our numbers! Join the virtual march here, and see the other ways you can participate the day of from your computer or phone.

[realsocialskills]

You can only fight evil as the person you really are

When you’re fighting evil, it’s important to be aware of your limitations. You can only fight evil as the person you really are. Trying to ignore your limitations will not make you a better activist — it just crushes you.

Fighting evil is a lot of hard work. It’s not just about being a good person, or caring, or having the right values. Mostly, it’s work. And no one has infinite capacity to do that kind of work.

In fact, no one has infinite capacity to do *any* kind of work. As human beings, we’re limited. We have bodies, and needs, and we can’t do everything. Trying to work flat out all the time doesn’t end well, no matter how important the work is.  

One of the things we need is love. Part of that is being aware that not everything is evil. Some things are good. Some things are amazing. Some things are important in other ways. And, no matter what, people matter, and our world is worth fighting for.

Fighting evil is incredibility emotionally draining. In order to fight evil, it’s generally necessary to come into close contact with it. And to face the fact that not everyone is on your side, and not everyone means well. Many people act with active malice or callous indifference. It can be very hard to keep going when you lose an important battle and feel the weight of the consequences. It can be very hard to avoid slipping into despair. Love is one of the most powerful defenses against despair.

It is not only ok but *necessary* to find things that you can value and enjoy. Valuing your own life and the things you enjoy is an important act of resistance. Keep in mind that one of the lives you’re fighting for is your own. You are worth fighting for.

You may have to do hard, draining things that no one should ever have to do. You may have to make sacrifices. You may need to learn how to do things you never thought you’d need to do. But you don’t have to do more than you’re capable of doing — and trying to ignore all of your feelings and limitations will not help.

Understanding your limitations actually makes you more effective (at activism and at anything else you might want to do.) Working with your brain and body works better than trying to become a superhero through sheer force of will. You can only fight evil as the person you actually are.

[the-anxious-activist]

Action: Request Intelligence Briefing for Electoral College

[Mod note: Sorry we’ve been quiet lately! Anxious mods were anxious.]

The Situation:

According to the CIA, there is significant evidence that Russia interfered in the US election to help Donald Trump win the presidency.  To avoid the appearance of partisanship, President Obama did not release this information.  Instead, he convened a secret meeting of the Big 12—a bipartisan group—to try and agree on a coordinated response before the election. Democrats were convinced of foreign involvement, but some Republicans like Mitch McConnell were not and action stalled.

The CIA’s accusation has now been made public, but because these comments are often made anonymously, it is hard for reporters or the public to piece together the facts. Trump has dismissed the accusations of Russian interference as “ridiculous,” bringing him into conflict with the intelligence community and various old guard Republicans. Republicans like Senators Graham and McCain have expressed grave concerns about hacking and supported calls for an investigation, along with many Democrats. Without high security clearance, however, it’s hard to sort out fact from exaggeration and (in the case of people eager to oust Trump) wishful thinking. Here is a good article summarizing fact, fiction, and speculation.

All this is background for today’s suggested action.

Members of the Electoral College have now written a letter publicly requesting an intelligence briefing on possible Russian involvement in the election.

One of the key reasons for founding the Electoral College—rather than instituting a direct democracy—was so they could act as a fail-safe against foreign interference in our elections. It is therefore important that the Electoral College have access to the information they need to assess the situation before performing their constitutional duty on December 19th.

What you can do:

Ask your representatives to support the Electors’ request for a intelligence briefing. (If you call during business hours, you’ll probably talk to a staffer. If that sounds scary, here are some of our Calling for Anxious Activists tips.) Here is a phone script you can use:

I’m NAME, a constituent calling about the CIA’s assessment of Russia’s influence on the election. I urge <Senator/Representative> to support the  members of the Electoral College who have requested a full intelligence briefing on the matter. I ask <Senator/Representative> to publicly demand that the CIA grant the electors’ request and immediately provide a full intelligence briefing. To discharge their constitutional duty, our electors need to know whether Trump was indeed chosen by the people or whether their votes were overruled by Russian interference. Please urge <Senator/Representative> to issue a statement immediately.

Call James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, and ask him to give the Electors an intelligence briefing. This goes to voicemail, so no talking to people; just leave a message! Call Clapper at 703-733-8600.  Here’s a phone script you can use:

I’m NAME, calling to tell Director Clapper  that I’m deeply disturbed by the CIA's statement on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. I strongly urge Director Clapper to immediately grant the Electoral College a full intelligence briefing on the extent of Russia’s involvement and attempts to sway the election. The Electoral College has a duty to preserve the integrity of the election process. In order to do their duty effectively, the Electors must have all of the facts about Russia’s influence before they cast their votes on December 19.

What’s the goal?

An intelligence briefing might lead more electors to reject Trump, like Republican Chris Suprun. It may lead more electors to work for a compromise Republican like John Kasich. And, if it swayed enough Republican electors, it might result in Trump losing the necessary majority, in which case the House of Representatives would decide the election. The House is majority Republican, so unlikely to elect Clinton, but might end up voting in Pence, Kasich, or—in fact—Trump.

Those outcomes are long shots, but allowing the electors an intelligence briefing might increase our confidence in our elections—since we the public will NOT be getting a high level intelligence briefing any time soon. And scrutinizing our elections to restore our faith in them is a good thing in itself.

HANG IN THERE, EVERYBODY! YOU CAN DO IT!