CALL TO ACTION #682: Women’s Reproductive Rights Rally in Medford; Ballots Due Today; Don’t Keep Silent! (May 21, 2019)

National “Women’s Reproductive Rights” Flash Rally
Noon Today, May 21, at Vogel Plaza in Medford

ORD2 Indivisible and the Southern Oregon Women’s March will host a flash rally Tuesday as part of a national protest of the extreme abortion laws recently passed in Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, Ohio and Texas.

The event will begin at noon at Vogel Plaza in Medford.

This day of action comes at a critical juncture in the fight for reproductive freedom and justice. Anti-choice politicians are pushing laws that infringe on personal decisions that should be left to women and their doctors. The threat to women’s reproductive freedom is compounded by Donald Trump’s stacking of the Supreme Court and federal judiciary with justices who are hostile to Roe v. Wade.

Background:

  • Last Tuesday, Alabama’s Senate passed a total abortion ban, which will send doctors to prison for up to 99 years and is explicitly designed to overturn Roe v. Wade. And before the bill’s ink was even dry, Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed it into law, saying it is the “best opportunity” for Roe v. Wade to be revisited.
  • Days ago, Georgia’s governor Brian Kemp signed into law a bill that makes abortion illegal before many women even know they’re pregnant, could throw doctors in jail, and could lead to women being investigated for a miscarriage.
  • Also this week, Missouri’s Senate passed a bill that bans abortion at nearly every stage of pregnancy.
  • Meanwhile, Ohio is considering legislation that would put politicians between a woman and her doctor in potentially life-threatening situations — and that was after already passing one of the most restrictive bans in the country.
  • This legislative session, the Texas legislature considered a bill that would threaten women seeking an abortion with the death penalty. Republican leaders in the legislature actually gave this bill a hearing, legitimizing the draconian and dystopian proposal.
  • Just this year alone, nearly 30 bans on abortion have been introduced, passed, or signed into law in statehouses around the country.

Thousands of people are expected to stand up for women’s reproductive rights in cities and towns across the country on Tuesday. The events are sponsored by a coalition of organizations including Indivisible, NARAL Pro-Choice America, the ACLU, EMILY’s List, MoveOn, Women’s March and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.


*** Voting Alert***

 Ballots must be delivered by 8 pm TODAY!  No time to mail them; please take your completed ballot directly to a ballot box. Click here for the Oregon ballot drop box locator.

Vote for every office in every election. 

Your Vote MATTERS!

Click here to check the status of your ballot.

Please be sure that you and every registered voter you know participates! Oregon makes voting so easy there is absolutely no excuse for sitting out any election and letting others determine how your government will be formed.


SENATOR MERKLEY, SPEAK OUT!

AMERICA IS ON FIRE!


Dear Senator Merkley,

Until now, your position to “leave (impeachment) up to the House” has justified your silence. But after Mueller, after McGahn, after Deutsche Bank, after an unending list, after five children die in cages, you must demand the House begin impeachment proceedings.

Mueller documented just a few of Trump’s impeachable offenses. If Trump is left without restraints, he will likely:

  • Finish neutering Congress
  • Name another Supreme Court Justice
  • Start a war with Iran and/or Venezuela
  • Incite white supremacists to greater violence
  • Further undermine truth-tellers at the FBI and in the media
  • Declare the 2020 election results “fake” and refuse to leave office

And there will be other, unimaginable tragedies.

If we don’t speak up now, we will be responsible for that future.

Please speak up for an impeachment inquiry. Use your platform to fight Barr’s lies. Use the Senate floor to read the Mueller report. Read it aloud in front of the White House.

Do everything you can to stop Trump.

Martin Luther King said: “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”


**ACTION ONE: CALL OUR SENATORS**

SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR SENATORS WYDEN AND MERKLEY:

“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [town/city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because . . .

We need the Senator to speak up, loudly and often, to demand that the House begin impeachment proceedings. The time for leaving this to others is over.

Thank you.”

SENATOR RON WYDEN

Portland: (503) 326-7525, DC: (202) 224-5244
Salem: (503) 589-4555, Eugene: (541) 431-0229
Medford: (541) 858-5122, Bend: (541) 330-9142
La Grande: (541) 960-7691
https://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/

 

SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY

Portland: (503) 326-3386, DC: (202) 224-3753
Salem: (503) 362-8102, Eugene: (541) 465-6750
Medford: (541) 608-9102, Bend: (541) 318-1298
Pendleton: (541) 278-1129
https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/


**ACTION TWO: CALL COMPLICIT GREG WALDEN**

SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR WALDEN:

“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [town/city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because. . .

We demand that Greg Walden honor his oath of office and speak up, loudly and often, to demand that the House begin impeachment proceedings. The time for leaving this to others is over.

Through his actions and inactions, Greg appears to fully support Trump, regardless of how much damage Trump is doing to our democracy and world stability. Let him know that we are still here, that we will be working to flip his seat BLUE — #2020StartsNow!

Thank you.”

COMPLICIT GREG WALDEN

DC (202) 225-6730, Medford: (541) 776-4646
Bend (541) 389-4408, La Grande (541) 624-2400
https://walden.house.gov/contact-greg/email-me

 


**ACTION THREE: BE AN ACTIVIST**

Visit the ORD2 Indivisible Event Calendar on a regular basis to keep updated on our local activities. Participate with us as often as you can.

Call to Action: Women’s Reproductive Rights Rally – Medford
TODAY, May 21 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/call-to-action-womens-reproductive-rights-rally-medford/

Non-ORD2 Indivisible Sponsored Event: Town Hall, Senator Jeff Golden and Representative Kim Wallan – Medford
May 25 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/non-ord2-indivisible-sponsored-event-town-hall-senator-jeff-golden-and-representative-kim-wallan-medford/

Non-ORD2 Indivisible Sponsored Event: US Senator Ron Wyden Town Halls – Douglas County and Coos County
May 25 @ 11:30 am – 5:00 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/non-ord2-indivisible-sponsored-event-us-senator-ron-wyden-town-halls-douglas-county-and-coos-county/

Non-ORD2 Indivisible Sponsored Event: US Senator Ron Wyden Town Halls – Brookings

May 26 @ 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/non-ord2-indivisible-sponsored-event-us-senator-ron-wyden-town-halls-brookings/

Non-ORD2 Indivisible Sponsored Event: US Senator Ron Wyden Town Hall – Grants Pass
May 28 @ 9:30 am – 11:00 am
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/non-ord2-indivisible-sponsored-event-us-senator-ron-wyden-town-hall-grants-pass/

SUBMIT EVENTS TO BE ADDED TO THE ORD2 INDIVISIBLE EVENT CALENDAR
Help us keep current with our event postings.  https://ord2indivisible.org/submit-your-event/

SOURCES:

Twitter, Justin Amash thread, May18, 2019: “2. President Trump has engaged in impeachable conduct.”   https://twitter.com/justinamash/status/1129831615952236546

REAL CLEAR POLITICS MAY 7, 2019: SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN: TIME TO BEGIN IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP, “THIS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS”
HTTPS://WWW.REALCLEARPOLITICS.COM/VIDEO/2019/05/07/WARREN_TIME_TO_BEGIN_IMPEACHMENT_PROCEEDINGS_AGAINST_PRESIDENT_TRUMP_THIS_IS_NOT_ABOUT_POLITICS.HTML

NY TIMES MAY 20, 2019: “TRUMP’S POSITION ON THE MUELLER REPORT IS LEGALLY RIDICULOUS — AND DANGEROUS”
HTTPS://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/2019/05/20/OPINION/TRUMP-MUELLER-REPORT.HTML

WASHINGTON POST, MAY 20, 2019: “SCHIFF: AMASH CRITICISM NOT ENOUGH TO PUSH TRUMP IMPEACHMENT”
HTTPS://WWW.WASHINGTONPOST.COM/POLITICS/SCHIFF-AMASH-CRITICISM-NOT-ENOUGH-TO-PUSH-TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT/2019/05/19/BCEE1D14-7A63-11E9-B1F3-B233FE5811EF_STORY.HTML?UTM_SOURCE=REDDIT.COM&UTM_TERM=.C2463B681BC3

The Atlantic, May 2019: “What Congress Can Do When Trump Appointees Defy It”
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/fining-william-barr-congresss-best-option/589798/