Build on the momentum of this weekend’s massive protests by calling your members of congress with a blunt message: Trump’s behavior in the first several days of his presidency — from his belligerent inauguration speech to his petty and dishonest squabbling about crowd sizes — indicate that he is dangerously unfit and temperamentally unsuited to be president.
His plunging popularity and the massive size of the Women’s Marches against him represent a clear vote of no confidence in him from the general public.
We need to treat Trump like the failed president he will inevitably be. And we need to convince our elected representatives to do the same.
Tailor your message depending on which party each of your elected representatives belong to.
If they are Democrats (or independents who caucus with Democrats):
Find out if they boycotted the inauguration. (Here’s what I think is a fairly complete list of congresspeople who boycotted; no Senators joined in, AFAIK.) Thank them if they did; express your disappointment if they didn’t.
Urge them to stop treating Trump like a legitimate president, and to block every single thing he puts forward from this point onward. Urge them to vote no on every single one of Trump’s cabinet picks.
If they are Republicans:
Tell them that you think Trump is too dangerous and erratic a person to run the country — and have their hands on the nuclear codes. Note that Trump’s popularity is crumbling and his inauguration weekend was a disaster. The sooner they break with Trump, the less Trump-stink will cling to them once his presidency inevitably implodes.
Tell them to start by voting against Trump’s cabinet picks. (You might mention one or two picks you find especially unfit and/or reprehensible. See my #ResistTrump posts about his various picks for more info.)
Obviously, tailor your message however you want; these are just suggestions that I think will help carry the message of the Women’s March into the world of practical politics.
You can find the name and contact info for your representative here, and for your senators here.
See my posts here and here for information and advice on how to make your calls and emails effective. If making these sorts of calls is tough for you, here’s some advice on calling politicians if you have social anxiety.
We’ve got the momentum on our side. Let’s not lose it!
You can also fax your representatives here: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php
Apparently, a call is better than a fax, but a fax is better than an email… in terms of the weight they assign them in most offices. (This sounds pretty arbitrary, but most people seem to agree.)
I’ve been doing all 3 if I have the time. If you can’t get through to the DC office, call the senator or representative’s local office. 🙂
It sickens me how Trump’s bullshit is being treated as business as usual. Somehow I thought the blatant violations of ethics would raise a few eyebrows, even among conservative congressmen. Of course I also believed that conservatives congressmen had integrity.
Also, unrelated to this post but I can’t not post this: https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/01/23/alt-right-event-seattle-devolves-chaos-and-violence-outside-truth-twisting-inside
Fuck milo and his ‘alt facts’, a protestor outside his hatespeech event was SHOT, he’s trying to flip the script.
Not really OT; the gag rule is back.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/jinamoore/trump-just-slapped-an-anti-abortion-rule-on-foreign-aid?utm_term=.bfp7lAxlrP#.bfp7lAxlrP
This man is so vile, he doesn’t even have the inventiveness to come up with new horrible ideas.
Ahh shit.
I’ll go one better, Weatherwax. For certain horrible values of “better”.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/586
H.R.586 – To provide that human life shall be deemed to begin with fertilization.
This is worthy of a #ResistTrump article, I think. Also, worthy of a lot of screaming.
Georgians, it’s your turn up at bat. Here’s the guy who introduced this horrible bill:
https://hice.house.gov/
Excuse me, time to go take care of that screaming.
It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this.
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/lotr/images/1/1e/Rohancharge.jpg
The day after the Woman’s March. The one that brought millions to the streets across the entire world. It’s hideous, but the Republicans can push it through. It’s unconstitutional, but the Supreme Court’s divided. It’ll mean misery for millions, but the carrion-feeders will have something to crow about.
Democrats, you have a fucking job to do. It’s go time, assholes. Here’s where we see whether you have what it takes to fight this home-grown despot. God help us all of you don’t, because I dread to think of what’ll happen otherwise.
I’m much more in the mood to take the 40 Ronin with me than the Armies of the West right now.
@Moocow
A video of the shooting:
https://youtu.be/VJGhZdmg1b0
@Scild
Holy mother earth. What the everliving fuck? I hope PZ chimes in again with his info about how complicated “at fertilization” is to even define biologically.
I’ll start sending used menstrual products directly to the white house for inspection to determine if fertilization occurred. If that’s a life then an investigation must go into any death, no?
Don’t forget to report them in your tax deductions as dependents.
The Republicans don’t care about the actual science. The time for using rational discourse is quickly coming to an end. They’ve got an endless supply of “alternative facts” to disregard anything they’re told, and have the political means to push through what they want if the Democrats don’t fight like hell. You’re the last line of defense, Dems. Don’t screw this up.
Addendum: PZ and the gang at FTB need financial help to defend themselves against a litigious asshole; if you can, hop over to Pharyngula and give’m a hand. Even if it’s just sharing a link to their story and the GoFundMe. Which is here.
I . . . don’t even know what to say. It seems like overnight the US has gone from the country I spent my childhood in to a dangerous dictatorship.
@Scildfreja
Holy hell, it’s impossible to articulate just how much these people hate women, isn’t it? And they’re puzzled why we march. Is it because they don’t understand how we are responding in a measured and peaceful manner? Here’s the answer; we’re adults, not toddlers (no disrespect to actual toddlers, just those aping toddler behaviour after their fifth birthday).
Just… Yuck.
I guess it’s time to incorporate my uterus so the GOP will leave it the fuck alone.
Then there’s this: https://mic.com/articles/165980/trump-plans-to-eliminate-25-violence-against-women-grant-programs-as-way-to-cut-spending#.8WunSRokR
This is getting really scary. We need to fight.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-anti-police-atmosphere_us_588258f8e4b070d8cad23d7d
I did call my GOP Rep’s office today. And had all the coherence and aplomb of an Alsatian after a head-swap operation and blathered mostly something about ‘this man is bad don’t go with him’, but gosh darn it, given how much I dread phones, I DID IT.
I also emailed Sens. Feinstein and Harris on my concerns. I think much better in text, sadly. But damn it, I did it.
I’m trying to use this to make myself feel better about all the feces coming down the turnpike regarding the Tangerine Tiny-handed Toddler Turdmuffin.
@Banananana dakry
Good for you. Good for all of us for not giving up altogether. Every little helps (even if it’s hiding under the duvet today; there’s still tomorrow).
Good job, @dakry! If you think you do better in text, maybe try writing your thoughts first, then phone and just read what you’ve written? Not sure if that’ll really work for you, but maybe it’ll help. I always write things out before I make a serious call at least.
no kiddin’, @kupo. Here’s the short list:
H.R.595 – To amend the Federal Reserve Act to reform the Federal Reserve System.
a.k.a. let’s make sure #NoDAPL doesn’t happen again.
H.R.594 – To establish the Securities and Derivatives Commission in order to combine the functions of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission in a single independent regulatory commission.
a.k.a let’s make sure our regulatory bodies are as small, inefficient and corruptible as possible.
H.R.589 – Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act
a.k.a. let’s make sure our shitty big-business science secretary has an easy time cutting funding to anything that doesn’t provide an immediate economic payoff. (This one actually has the bill submitted and it’s not terrible, but in the hands of the current appointees it’s as terrible as the rest)
H.R.590 – Advanced Nuclear Technology Development Act of 2017
a.k.a. let’s solve the energy crisis by building a whole bunch of fucking nuclear power plants, ’cause that’s never caused problems. Not sure at the verbiage of this one, but it sounds like they’re talking about licencing them? As in, nuclear power provided by private companies?
Fuck these guys
So media any chances of saying that these things are bad and will screw over millions of americans? No? You’re going to instead either ignore it or pretend there’s validity in them? I really hope that those democrats that killed the bill to allow people to get medication from Canada don’t end up facilitating this because certain parties are offering more campaign money.
January 20 has ex post facto been declared
NATIONAL DAY OF PATRIOTIC DEVOTION
Here’s the PDF
Yes, it’s real. Trump’s inauguration day has been renamed the NATIONAL DAY OF PATRIOTIC DEVOTION.
Can self issued medals for bravery or executions by anti-aircraft fire be far behind?
Two links I found today, one OT, one a bit more OT for this thread.
The OT link (TW for rape): https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/01/23/father-son-duo-accused-of-rape-wants-only-law-book-that-truly-matters-at-trial-the-bible/?utm_term=.4e1cb4576ce7
Almost afraid to ask what laws in the Bible they think they’re going to use in their defense here. O.o I mean, the Bible is lots of things both good and bad, but not a good reference for laws governing modern society.
The more OT link: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a8624356/inauguration-deploraball-hillary-clinton-911-video/
Yes, the guy who filmed Clinton’s stumble at the NY 911 memorial was hailed as a hero by the good folks running the DeploraBall. And yes, the guy really does think he did a good thing for the US by doing that.
Ugh. >.<
@Scildfreja
In retrospect I probably should have written it down– it’d have certainly been more coherent. Sometimes, though, I need to mentally sidle up on something I need to do and then jump on it while it’s not looking lest I get cold feet. It’s not the prettiest plan, but this time it got something done. Better results next time.
God damn, but I hate calling people. Especially when my brain’s full of fuzz.
@redsilkpheonix
Those guys had better be really sure they won’t be found guilty; I’m pretty sure Old Testament biblical law calls for rapists to be stoned to death.
@dakry, brains don’t work very well when they’re full of stress and anxiety hormones, that’ll totally make you fuzzy. That’s okay! You got through it anyways! And I bet next time will be easier, and you’ll feel better afterwards. Jump on it if that’s what it takes! You can do it \o/
@Scildfreja
Actually I was still half asleep, as well, vampire sleeping hours. I would have waited to wake up, but that wouldn’t have made it any easier and just would’ve given me an excuse to procrastinate. I just would’ve felt worse if I’d procrastinated myself into not doing it. 😀 Thank you.