Canceling Household Debt

What do you think of the idea?

As so many Americans face hardship and eviction notices during a global pandemic, some leaders want to act as if everything is normal while others are trying to actually address these problems head-on. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is one of them. Tlaib has introduced the Maintaining Access to Essential Services Act in the U.S. House to help alleviate some of the pain that people are facing right now.

The Act would get rid of debt households have for electricity, water and internet services, ensuring their basic utilities are met and ceasing shutoffs, giving folks a little more breathing room to pay their rent and buy food. It's really a no-brainer to help folks during a pandemic, especially when the government was irresponsible enough to not issue a workable shutdown like some governments were able to do to actually stop the spread.

If you agree, you can sign in support of the Act and share it. What else do you think our government should be doing right now? From universal basic income to simply issuing a workable stay home order with pay or other ideas, what can we do to promote more health, equity and aid for people right now? Share your ideas in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Government

End The Bounties On Pregnant People

This is outrageous

SCOTUS must think playing cowboys and vigilantes is fun and appropriate for 2021 because that's what's happening right now as doctors admit to saving lives by performing abortions and disgusting people rush to file lawsuits per the legislation. The people suing the doctor are both former lawyers from Illinois and Arkansas. One even says he doesn't disagree with abortion but he wants the courts to test the legality of the case to find out what happens. 

This is a mess. This is an outrageous injustice, an unconstitutional law that's being upheld by the semi-coherent people Trump appointed to SCOTUS, and it's just a taste of what will continue if we don't expand the court, impeach Kavanaugh, do SOMETHING. Lives are going to be ruined left and right with this outrageousness.

Some have said they thought abortion rights would always be protected just so the Right could get their base riled up and that started to give me hope--until this. We also know that the Right just threw targets on the backs of an even more vulnerable population this year--trans kids. So they have their sites set on not only pregnant people but children because that's what they do. 

Protest, write, call, donate... what are you doing to fight this unconstitutional law? Share your actions in the chat. 

Klat Categories: 
Politics

Lodge A Complaint With AT&T And Other Actions

AT&T Funded These Extremist Abortion Bans

If you're as ready and willing to stop state-sponsored fascism and destruction of our lives with their extremist abortion bans, please contact AT&T today to lodge a complaint, asking them to stop meddling with our lives by sponsoring politicians who want to keep people pregnant without support, powerless to top them and with bounties on their heads. Politicians have NO idea how a pregnancy effects a body, from physical injuries, disabilities and death to the economic impact of a lifetime. They also have no idea how the menstrual cycle works and have made it painfully aware that they think six weeks is enough time for people with periods--which are often erratic, especially during stressful times like these--to not only know they're pregnant but to receive an abortion. Enough. Call AT&T and tell them to stop funding the destruction of our lives. A script is provided in the link.

Other important actions this week:

Sign to stop giving cops qualified immunity.

Stand with Starbucks workers who want to unionize. Watch their video, give if you like and share the campaign.

Sign to expand the Supreme Court and help neutralize the radical right-wingers Trump appointed who are also helping to further these extreme bans.

What actions do you have to share this week? Post them in the chat.

 

 

Klat Categories: 
Politics

Support Abortion Rights

Share how you're fighting to protect abortion rights.

Now that we know abortion rights are all but dead in Texas and every red state--including mine--is likely to soon follow suit, we need to work harder than ever to protect our bodily autonomy from the fascist white supremacists working so hard to keep us silent and powerless. We're not powerless and we certainly aren't going to be quiet! Right now, there are people...

Organizing marches for abortion rights on October 2

Flooding the Texas report website to make it harder for them to put bounties on pregnant peoples' heads (Seriously, why don't they just pray instead of enacting laws? That's what they do in response to guns killing actual babies and kids!). I love TikTokers!

Contacting their senators and representatives as often as possible. Unfortunately that's not working in my state, where we are not only gerrymandered the the moon and back but also represented by a senator who lied about his address and doesn't. Even. Live. Here. We still have to keep calling and voicing opposition. 

What are you doing where you live to combat this tyranny? Share your actions in the chat and keep it up. Every single ones of us need to fight this tooth and nail, day and night.

 

Klat Categories: 
Politics

Save Ernest Johnson

The MO Supreme Court voted unanimously to kill a man with an intellectual disability

Ernest Johnson is on death row in Missouri. He has an IQ of 67. It is against the law to execute someone with an intellectual disability like Ernest but Missouri's Supreme Court unanimously thinks it's okay. Former members of the court have spoken against this heinous ruling yet the court is going to allow the state sanctioned murder of Ernest on October 5.

Ernest isn't the first man to not receive adequate representation from the legal system, and he's certainly not the first Black man with a disability to face execution. He will likely not be the last, either, unless we fight against this cruelty and demand the law be upheld. Executions of people with intellectual disabilities are unjust and illegal. The court must uphold its own laws.

Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty have a script you can use to call Governor Parsons and ask him to grant Ernest clemency. Please call (573) 751-3222 as often as possible and use this script:

“Hi, my name is __ & I live in [city and zip code]. I am calling to ask Governor Parson to grant clemency to Ernest Johnson, who is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 5th, 2021. Ernest has an intellectual disability, and should not be executed."

Be sure to sign this petition as well, and share any actions, vigils and other ways to help in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Politics

Biden Administration Addresses Trans Kids

A welcome message, but school climate needs a strong change

The Biden Administration just issued a statement supporting LGBTQIA students, promising to support youth, keep them safe and investigate any harassment or discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender. The statement contains instructions for filing complaints in multiple languages and ensuring that as many people as possible have access to protection and safety.

This is incredibly heartening news. It's long overdue and having an administration that not only supports and celebrates trans youth but hires trans officials is wonderful. That said, so much school climate needs to change to help kids actually be safe in the first place. The Equality Act needs to be passed. Schools need to stop pushing bathroom and sports bans and gender needs to be taught as an infinite spectrum rather than the binary it's taught in many schools. 

Please share this video to help everyone access the info but keep that pressure on your elected officials to support LGBTQIA youth. Share the ways your community has supported youth in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Education

Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act

Almost 30 voting restriction laws have been enacted in 2021

It's 2021 and politicians are STILL trying to restrict people's right to vote. The country is 245 years old (as the United States, anyway) and we have to wonder... has it really changed? Rich white men continue to try to keep anyone unlike them from obtaining even a little power. The poll tax may be illegal but the 28 laws restricting voters enacted are certainly in the same vein.

The Supreme Court made it easier than ever to restrict voting rights, carry out gerrymandering and cheat in politics all around, disenfranchising the most vulnerable voters while giving rich people even more power. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act would restore our protections from these ridiculous SCOTUS rulings and stop both voter suppression and gerrymandering. 

Click here to ask Congress to pass the act and be sure to share it with everyone you know. Then post your actions for the week in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Politics

Twitter Bans Green

But it's only temporary

During times of incredible upheaval and stress, the world needs more even-keeled, trustworthy leaders more than ever. It needs leaders who listen to (and believe in) science, who support all of their citizens no matter their beliefs, and who don't, you know, bully teenagers who've been victims of gun violence. Oh, Marjorie Taylor Greene. You're so... you.

Green was just temporarily banned from Twitter for... being herself. This time she was spreading more anti-vaccine lies that could get people killed if they listen to her. She is absolutely unbelievable, or would be if we didn't just witness four years of this blatant extremism in our highest office. Twitter made the right call but we need so much more than this. We need Greene out of office for good before she hurts more people.

If you agree, be sure to sign this petition. Have any other actions to share this week? Share them in the chat!

Klat Categories: 
Politics

Eviction Ban Extended for Some Areas

More is still needed to protect people from losing their homes

After public outcry, pressure and CDC recommendations, President Biden has extended the ban on evictions for another sixty days for areas impacted by Covid-19. It will still expire in October, and while the move is a helpfu one for assisting families facing hardship right now, it doesn't give them the means to address the hardship itself.

The Biden Administration needs to do more for people during this pandemic. Cori Bush, a Congresswoman from my home city, went to push for the ban on evictions while Congress went to recess, refusing to go home until it was addressed. All along she's also been pushing for monthly payments as well as student loan forgiveness, both which would significantly help Americans affected by the pandemic. These are two concrete solutions that could have a lasting impact.

What else does the Biden Administration need to do to support Americans right now? Share your thoughts in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Politics

The Biggest Theft In America

Learn about civil forfeiture and other crimes

Every day I read about current events and racist issues in America in the Anti-Racism Daily email. You can subscribe and learn so much every day--including ways to take action. This email included information about civil forfeiture, which occurs when police seize property and then either keep or sell it. This happens all of the time, even when someone isn't charged for a crime, and results in much more property loss than generic shoplifting, yet we let them get away with it. In 2014, for example, the amount of property stolen via burglary actually totaled less than the $4.5 billion of property that police seized in civil forfeiture!

White collar crime also amounts to much more damage than shoplifting or burglary, and it even impacts more people. We've discussed before how mind-boggling it is that white collar criminals make decisions that result in the loss of thousands of lives yet won't ever sit on death row like a poor person who may or may not have killed another person. The FBI says that white collar crime amounts to more than 98% more theft than street crime, yet they get away with it.

Check out more about civil forfeiture and white collar crime at the link and be sure to take action. Do you know of other places we can find anti-racist actions? Share them in the chat. Have you been affected by civil forfeiture or white collar crime? Feel free to discuss those in the chat as well.

Klat Categories: 
Politics

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