thisfinecrew | Check In 23 June

Here in the comm, it's been quiet for the last couple of weeks. No ongoing actions were posted during that time, but thanks -- as always -- to those who did make posts. And you can check out our tags if you're currently looking for activities to get involved in.

As everyone seemed to really enjoy reading about what people were doing in the comments to the last check-in post, let's do that again! If you're already taking action, tell us about it and we can applaud you -- and maybe get inspired to get involved with your causes as well.

So, what have you all been up to in the last week or are planning to get involved in next week?

Poll #22251 The Week

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 11

View Respondents

This week, I...

View Answers

called my one senator
3 (27.3%)

called my other senator
3 (27.3%)

called my representative
2 (18.2%)

called my governor
2 (18.2%)

called my state reps
1 (9.1%)

sent a postcard/email/letter/fax
6 (54.5%)

attended a town hall
0 (0.0%)

donated money to a cause
6 (54.5%)

attended an in-person activist group
2 (18.2%)

participated in phone/online training
0 (0.0%)

went to a protest
1 (9.1%)

signed up for alerts
1 (9.1%)

worked for a campaign
2 (18.2%)

did textbanking/phonebanking
0 (0.0%)

took care of myself
6 (54.5%)

not a US citizen but worked in solidarity in my own community
2 (18.2%)

did something else
0 (0.0%)

committed to action in the coming week
2 (18.2%)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What can we do directly to help the children in the concentration camps?

So far I've come across this thread on Twitter which seems to be sourcing the NYT article on the camps: ‘There Is a Stench’: No Soap and Overcrowding in Detention Centers for Migrant Children

It boils down to
1. Call your Senators and Congresspeople to demand congressional hearings.
2. Financially support non-profits on the ground in Texas

Annuciation House
Al Otro Lado
Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project
International Refugee Asylum Project
RAICES

Edited (fixing links, html grr!) 2019-06-23 14:20 (UTC)

A few days ago,

cattitude mentioned something he'd seen on Twitter, about a specific health insurance tactic to stop people from getting mental health care, by listing non-existent psychiatrists in their networks so the would-be patient would be frustrated and give up without ever finding care the insurer would have to pay for. (He mentioned this because I'd spent an annoying amount of time in April and May trying to find a psychiatrist.)

There's a proposed bill in Massachusetts, H.913, which would outlaw this bit of fraud; the legislature's website says both my (generally excellent) legislators are co-sponsoring it. I sent a quick email thank-you to both, and got an answer, saying "I know that Somerville residents are deeply engaged in the public policy issues of the day, but the range and depth of community concerns is always a marvel. Thanks for paying attention, and thanks for your advocacy."