(no subject)
Dear Amy,
Nearly 4,000 teachers, parents, students and community members have already signed up to host house parties for great public schools next week - Wednesday, September 22nd - and tens of thousands of party-goers will be attending. With one week to go, we'd like to encourage you to join this National Mobilization for Great Public Schools, and help to ensure our children's education is finally given the priority it deserves.
It all begins next week, so please sign up to host or attend a party, or add your name to the petition calling on the President and Congress for full public school funding.
http://www.greatpublicschools.org
Across America, students sell candy bars to pay for school supplies, teachers organize blood drives to keep the doors open, young people write checks to big banks for their college education, and politicians are making big promises on the campaign trail. But in Washington, DC millionaires get tax breaks, while a leaked memo reveals the President's own plan to cut education funding in the first budget after the election.
This is clearly NOT the action needed to provide American students with first-rate educations. And the President's "No Child Left Behind" lip-service is not enough to meet the real-world needs of our schools and kids.
Next week, the National Mobilization for Great Public Schools will launch the largest-ever citizen-led fight for our public schools. Please join us by hosting a house party yourself, signing up to attend a party, or signing the petition to the President and Congress:
http://www.greatpublicschools.org
The Campaign for America's Future - along with MoveOn.org, the National Education Association and more than 40 allied groups - are joining forces to sponsor these community meetings across the country. And with our guidance and support, house parties promise to be a fun and easy way for people to make a difference for our children's education.
The only way that great public schools will become a REAL priority in Washington is when teachers, parents, students and citizens join together to demand that rhetoric is replaced with results. I urge you to join us next Wednesday as we kick-off this exciting movement for change, one living room at a time.
http://www.greatpublicschools.org
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Borosage, Co-Director
Campaign for America's Future
FCNL: Wear Your Vote 2004 Button on Tuesdays (9/16/04)
As Election Day is on a Tuesday, FCNL is marking every Tuesday until November 2 as a Vote 2004 action day. The first action is to wear FCNL’s Vote 2004 button on your shirt, jacket or bag this coming Tuesday, and every week, to encourage people to vote.
The buttons are great hooks for discussing voting with people. Wear yours, and keep extras handy to give out, when shopping, going to work, or attending community events.
We also have small stickers with the same message as the pins. They are approximately 1" x 2" in size and come in rolls of 500. They can be used in many ways to promote voting.
Put them on envelopes, particularly on a church or meeting mailing.
Leave strips of 10 in church or meeting house vestibules, along with FCNL vote materials.
Ask your local library to do a voting display with FCNL materials, including the free stickers. (We have had inquiries from several public and school libraries.)
Give them, along with voter registration forms, to social services staff who work with low income clients or others who are often overlooked as potential voters.
Ask local businesses to distribute them with voter registration forms. FCNL supporters have come across voter registration efforts in hair salons and a convenience store. Also ask them to display our Vote 2004 mini-poster in their window. Click here for the PDF file: http://www.fcnl.org/pdfs/vote2004/vote_poster.pdf
We also have bumper stickers that read "Build Democracy: Vote."
Since these items have been so popular, we stocked them in large quantities. Please order plenty! Go to http://www.fcnl.org/elections/materials.htm to order your supply.
Sometimes the simplest gestures are the most effective. Let’s get the word out: VOTE!
We need your help! Lifesaving effort to fight global poverty in danger!
America’s Millennium Challenge to fight global poverty and corruption is in danger. Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to cut requested funding by more than 50%.
YOU can help to save the Millennium Challenge!
America’s Millennium Challenge is an historic initiative to help the poorest countries fight poverty and corruption. It rewards democratic countries that use their own resources to fight poverty, and demonstrate a commitment to fighting corruption. Support for anti poverty programs such as this also helps the fight against AIDS because AIDS thrives in conditions of extreme poverty.
Unfortunately, two years after announcing this initiative, the Bush Administration has failed to get it fully up and running and fight for full funding. Because of this inaction, the House of Representatives cut Millennium Challenge funding in half. Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee cut even further.
Announcing the Millennium Challenge in 2002, President Bush said there are no second-class citizens in the human race, and he "carries this commitment in my soul."
Now it’s up to you to tell President Bush to live up to his commitment and save the Millennium Challenge.
Call 1-877-HOPE-USA (1-877-467-3872)
to be connected directly to the White House.
Tell President Bush you support the lifesaving Millennium Challenge.
For more information about the Millennium Challenge and what to say when you call, please click here.
Act now and lend your voice to the fight against global AIDS and poverty.
This message brought to you by DATA, a member of the ONE campaign .
Dear Amy,
This week, we asked you to help the Democratic Party -- and once again you delivered. Thanks to you, we have the resources to fight back against vile attacks from the Bush-Cheney campaign and to build the infrastructure that will get out the vote on Election Day.
On September 30, John Kerry will meet George Bush in the first presidential debate, and there will be no better way to watch John Kerry lay out his positive vision for America than with fellow Kerry-Edwards supporters. You can continue to help our John Kerry and other Democratic candidates by hosting a Debate Watch Party.
Invite your friends and even your entire community to be a part of this historic moment.
Sign up to host a debate party today by visiting:
http://volunteer.johnkerry.com
On the night that John Kerry accepted the Democratic nomination, more than 5,000 people hosted convention watching parties -(?-xism:-) a key part of launching our general election campaign. Help us kick off the last month of this campaign with an incredible showing of strength and Democratic unity.
Join the thousands of other Kerry-Edwards supporters already hosting parties around the country. CNN Crossfire host and Democratic strategist Paul Begala -- one of the architects of Bill Clinton's 1992 victory -- will join your party in an exclusive conference call. He'll give you the inside spin on the debate and discuss our strategy for victory as we close in on Election Day.
Help us make the national Debate Watch Party Day a success:
http://volunteer.johnkerry.com
Thank you,
Mary Beth Cahill
Campaign Manager
48 days 'til the election
Here's what you can do to stay involved in the campaign to elect a pro-choice president...
Devote September 18th to Defeating Bush!
What a difference a day can make - with your help! There are 50 million American women who are eligible but not yet registered to vote. This number is simply too high - especially this year. We're counting on you to help change all that. NARAL Pro-Choice America has teamed up with America Votes to declare Saturday, September 18th National Women's Election Action Day. Sign up to devote one day to getting Bush out of the White House and electing John Kerry.
Featured five pro-choice candidates
With the future of a woman's right to choose at stake, we are working around the clock to defeat George Bush and put John Kerry and John Edwards in the White House. Kerry and Edwards are not only 100% pro-choice, they will work to guarantee Americans access to quality health care, and they are committed to ensuring that Supreme Court nominees support the tenets of Roe v. Wade.
But even after we get John Kerry in the White House, his team is going to need strong pro-choice colleagues in Congress to promote the pro-choice vision of responsible sex education and increased access to birth control. Here are just a few of our other endorsed candidates in the upcoming elections:
California - Senator Barbara Boxer: Two-term U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer is one of Congress' fiercest supporters of a woman's right to choose.
Washington - Senator Patty Murray: Also a recipient of our 100% pro-choice rating, Patty Murray has repeatedly opposed efforts to strip away privacy and the right to choose since joining the Senate in 1992.
Alaska - Former Governor Tony Knowles: Alaska's former Governor and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate is a staunch supporter of a woman's right to choose, stem cell research, and protecting the Supreme Court.
Illinois - Barak Obama: Most people first noticed this pro-choice challenger when he gave his electrifying address at the Democratic National Convention. Although Barack Obama might have already won you over, you should know that his anti-choice opponent, Alan Keyes (a nationally syndicated conservative radio host who moved to Illinois to run for the U.S. Senate), has equated pro-choice people to terrorists. Hard to believe, but true.
Pennsylvania - Joe Hoeffel: Unlike his opponent, Republican U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, Democratic candidate Joe Hoeffel staunchly supports a woman's right to control her own health and reproductive options, and pledges to stand up against ideological right-wing judges who strongly oppose those rights.
Choice in the News
THE GOOD: Bush's federal ban struck down again... It's strike three for the Bush Administration and its crusade to impose the federal ban on abortion. A federal court in Nebraska declared the ban unconstitutional as it does not protect women's health. Of course, President Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft say they'll keep fighting until it's enacted into law - even if they have to go all the way to the Supreme Court.
THE BAD: Congress back in session and already up to no good... We're just a week into the legislative session, and anti-choice leaders in Congress are working to limit women's access to reproductive health care and even information.
THE UGLY: New Pro-Bush, Anti-Choice Ads on African-American Radio Reach New Level of Slime... This week, conservative 527 Americas PAC Campaign began airing ads on African-American radio stations in the Midwest that claim that pro-choice Democrats are supporting genocide: "Each year the abortion mills diminish the human capacity of our community by another 400,000 souls. The Democratic Party supports these abortion laws that are decimating our people, but the individual right to life is protected in the Republican platform. Democrats say they want our votes, why don't they want our children?" NARAL Pro-Choice America calls on the White House and the Bush Campaign to renounce these disgraceful ads entirely.
HERO/ZERO OF THE MONTH
HERO: REP. JERROLD NADLER & SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
This month we've got one bill and two heroes -- Rep. Nadler and Sen. Clinton are teaming up to protect women's medical privacy with their proposed Patients' Privacy Protection Act. In the wake of Attorney General John Ashcroft's outrageous subpoena of women's medical records this spring, Nadler and Clinton are sponsoring a bill that would ensure that our medical records remain private and that the doctor-patient relationship stays confidential.
ZERO: GEORGE W. BUSH
No surprise here - but what did the Bush Administration do to earn a spot on our Zero list this time? President Bush wants to double federal funding for "abstinence only" programs. These unproven programs censor information about contraception, have never been proven effective, and put young people at risk. We can still stop a funding increase on Bush's irresponsible policy, but we need you to take action today.
Protect the Rights of Women in Turkey
Dear Amy,
The Turkish Parliament is preparing to vote on an amended version of their Penal Code, which includes potentially strong protections for women fleeing family and community violence. However, the criminalization of adultery and other discriminatory provisions have also been added into the proposed revisions.
Take Action Now! Urge the Turkish government to abolish all gender-discriminatory articles of the amended Penal Code and to ensure its successful passage in an upcoming Parliamentary vote, and urge the Turkish government to actively enforce the Family Protection Law.
ACT NOW:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=11100
Want to do more? Here is something fun and creative to help women in Turkey. Turkish women's organizations use tulips in their campaigning to stop violence against women. In solidarity, Amnesty International is sending tulip petitions to Turkish embassies and consulates in the U.S. Find out to participate in the Origami Tulip Petition:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/stopviolence/pdf/origami_tulip_petition.pdf
Thank you defending women's rights.
Rosa Del Angel
Web Advocacy Associate
Online Action Center
Amnesty International USA
Dear Amy,
We are at one of the defining moments of this campaign -- one of those points we will look back on when we win. We will remember that George Bush and Dick Cheney tried to completely ignore reality -- and we will remember that we stood side by side and refused to let them get away with it.
George Bush and Dick Cheney wake up every morning with their fingers crossed, hoping the American people will ignore their miserable record, forget their trail of failures, and fear the future. But with your help, we are going to make sure that the American people see through their bluster and posturing, and see what a mess they have made.
Please make a contribution to the Democratic Party today:
https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html
George Bush and Dick Cheney have lost over a million jobs, made our health care crisis worse, and turned record budget surpluses into record deficits. They misled America into war, failed to plan for the peace, and are running up a $200 billion bill at the expense of America's middle class taxpayers.
And now they are acting like they are doing us a favor by standing for re-election. They even have the gall to tell the American people how risky it would be if we turned them out of office.
The biggest risk to America's future is four more years of Bush-Cheney's incompetence, misinformation, and ill intent.
Don't let Bush, Cheney and the Republican Party run away from their record. Send a "Don't yield an inch" contribution to the Democratic Party right now:
https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html
There are seven critical weeks left in this campaign. There will be moments when everything seems to be going our way -- and times when we will wish events were moving in a different direction. But we will never lose faith. We will never stop working for victory. And we will never yield an inch to our opponents.
Remember this: they are the ones who are hoping and praying that reality does not catch up with them by Election Day. We are the ones who are going to make sure that it does.
The rest of this campaign will be tough. But, we will be tougher. They will throw everything they have at us. But we will give as good as we get. And when the dust settles on Election Day, we are going to pull through to victory.
Thank you for all you have done to help me, John Edwards and other Democratic candidates. And, most of all, thank you for standing with us through thick and thin. Together, we will win.
Thank you,
John Kerry
Subject: Hager FDA appointment
President Bush has announced his plan to select Dr. W.David Hager to
head up the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Reproductive Health
Drugs Advisory Committee. The committee has not met for more than two
years, during which time its charter lapsed. As a result, the Bush
Administration is tasked with filling all eleven positions with new
members. This position does not require Congressional approval. The
FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee makes crucial
decisions on matters relating to drugs used in the practice of
obstetrics, gynecology and related specialties, including hormone
therapy, contraception, treatment for infertility, and medical
alternatives to surgical procedures for sterilization and pregnancy
termination. Dr. Hager is the author of "As Jesus Cared for Women:
Restoring Women Then and Now." The book blends biblical accounts of
Christ healing women with case studies from Hager's practice. His views
of reproductive health care are far outside the mainstream for
reproductive technology. Dr. Hager is a practicing OB/GYN who describes
himself as "pro-life" and refuses to prescribe contraceptives to
unmarried women.In the book Dr. Hager wrote with his wife, entitled
"Stress and the Woman's Body," he suggests that women who suffer from
premenstrual syndrome should seek help from reading the bible and
praying. As an editor and contributing author of "The Reproduction
Revolution: A Christian Appraisal of Sexuality, Reproductive
Technologies and the Family," Dr. Hager appears to have endorsed the
medically inaccurate assertion that the common birth control pill is an
abortifacient.
We are concerned that Dr. Hager's strong religious beliefs may color
his assessment of technologies that are necessary to protect women's
lives or to preserve and promote women's health. Hager's track record
of using religious beliefs to guide his medical decision-making makes
him a dangerous and inappropriate candidate to serve as chair of this
committee. Critical drug public policy and research must not be held
hostage by antiabortion politics. Members of this important panel
should be appointed on the basis of science and medicine, rather than
politics and religion. American women deserve no less.
Become a “Poll Watcher” to Help Stop Voting Rights
Violations on Election Day
Nine states nationwide are at “high risk” for voting rights violations such as excluding registered voters from casting their ballots.
Your state is not one of nine that are considered high risk, but you can still take action to help ensure that all legitimate votes are counted.
A coalition of groups is training volunteers to be Election Day “poll watchers” who will go to polling places, monitor what takes place there, and educate voters about their rights.
Traveling to another state is a huge ask, but making sure they don’t steal this election is that important. I get that this isn’t for everybody, but thousands of people are going to take up the challenge.
To participate, you’d need to vote early by absentee ballot and then fly or drive to your assigned polling place in another state for monitoring on Election Day. If you are an attorney, you may be able to staff the election fraud hotline set up to jump on problems as volun teers identify them.
To volunteer or learn more, visit www.electionprotection.org.
TrueMajority.org is teaming up with our friends at Working Assets, People for the American Way Foundation, and the Election Protection Coalition to put together this program that will work.
Yours in making sure every vote is counted,
Ben
There’s a long history of antidemocratic forces interfering with voters’ right to cast ballots. Here’s the kind of stuff that Election Protection volunteers will be taking action to prevent:
This summer, Representative John Pappageorge (R-Troy) of Michigan was quoted in the Detroit Free Press as saying, "If we do not suppress the Detroit vote, we're going to have a tough time in this election." African Americans comprise 83 percent of Detroit's population.
In South Dakota's June 2004 primary, Native American voters were prevented from voting after they were challenged to provide photo IDs, which they were not required to present under state or federal law.
Earlier this year in Texas, a local district attorney claimed that students at a majority black college were not eligible to vote in the county where the college is located. It happened in Waller County-the same county where 26 years earlier, a federal court order was req uired to prevent discrimination against the college's students.
In Kentucky in July 2004, Black Republican officials joined to ask their state GOP party chairman to renounce plans to place "vote challengers" in African American precincts during the coming elections.
In 2003 in Philadelphia, voters in African American areas were systematically challenged by men carrying clipboards and driving a fleet of some 300 sedans with magnetic signs designed to look like law enforcement insignia.
In 2002 in Louisiana, flyers were distributed in African American communities telling voters they could go to the polls on Tuesday, December 10-three days after a Senate runoff election was actually held.
In 1998 in South Carolina, a state representative mailed 3,000 brochures to African American neighborhoods claiming that law enforcement agents would be "working" the election and warning voters that "this election is not worth going to jail."