Call your senators to oppose ICE funding
Jan. 25th, 2026 08:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rydra_wonghttps://www.tumblr.com/leebrontide/806670334696767488/actually-im-gonna-disagree-a-smidge-with-ops
With magnificent advice if your senator is a Republican:
Actually, I’m gonna disagree a smidge with OPs excellent post here.
I ALSO want those of you in red states screaming at your Senators. And I want you to pretend to be a lifelong republican when you do it. Yell about community and what-about-the-children and “this isn’t what I voted for why are spending billions on this when eggs still cost a million dollars” and yell about shooting a mom on the way from school one week and a nurse who treats veterans the next. About kidnapping a little boy right off the school bus and disappearing him across state lines. About ICE harassing police and law abiding citizens. About how they kidnap 3000 with no warrant and almost all of them are citizens. Call ICE agents every variant of “thug” and “lawless” that you can think of. Tell them you saw the videos and know ICE is lying and think you’re all too stupid to notice. Say you don’t want your government smashing peoples windows and carrying people off and saying they don’t need warrants. About gassing a minivan full of kids and an infant in the hospital.
If they tell you it’s fake you tell them your aunt lives here and is seeing it and has given up the Republican Party forever.
Tell them you didn’t want to believe what those Democrats said about Republicans and feel mad and ashamed and betrayed to see this.
Cause even Republicans here are PISSED OFF.
And every Republican elected in MN knows their party is fuuuuucked as far as MN goes. You can see even many of them posting begging for this to be over.
Your job is to put that fear into YOUR Republicans before this comes to your door.
Remember, you can call after hours to leave a message, and you can email if the phone is too much.
Please encourage others to join you.
With magnificent advice if your senator is a Republican:
Actually, I’m gonna disagree a smidge with OPs excellent post here.
I ALSO want those of you in red states screaming at your Senators. And I want you to pretend to be a lifelong republican when you do it. Yell about community and what-about-the-children and “this isn’t what I voted for why are spending billions on this when eggs still cost a million dollars” and yell about shooting a mom on the way from school one week and a nurse who treats veterans the next. About kidnapping a little boy right off the school bus and disappearing him across state lines. About ICE harassing police and law abiding citizens. About how they kidnap 3000 with no warrant and almost all of them are citizens. Call ICE agents every variant of “thug” and “lawless” that you can think of. Tell them you saw the videos and know ICE is lying and think you’re all too stupid to notice. Say you don’t want your government smashing peoples windows and carrying people off and saying they don’t need warrants. About gassing a minivan full of kids and an infant in the hospital.
If they tell you it’s fake you tell them your aunt lives here and is seeing it and has given up the Republican Party forever.
Tell them you didn’t want to believe what those Democrats said about Republicans and feel mad and ashamed and betrayed to see this.
Cause even Republicans here are PISSED OFF.
And every Republican elected in MN knows their party is fuuuuucked as far as MN goes. You can see even many of them posting begging for this to be over.
Your job is to put that fear into YOUR Republicans before this comes to your door.
Remember, you can call after hours to leave a message, and you can email if the phone is too much.
Please encourage others to join you.
How To Help If You Are Outside Minnesota
Jan. 21st, 2026 03:29 pmrydra_wongA post by Naomi Kritzer:
https://naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/how-to-help-if-you-are-outside-minnesota/
This also has advice on how to start preparing for if and when this shit comes to your home state.
(If you are in Minnesota: https://naomikritzer.com/2026/01/19/how-to-help-twin-cities-residents/ )
https://naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/how-to-help-if-you-are-outside-minnesota/
This also has advice on how to start preparing for if and when this shit comes to your home state.
(If you are in Minnesota: https://naomikritzer.com/2026/01/19/how-to-help-twin-cities-residents/ )
Fandom Trumps Hate 2026
Jan. 21st, 2026 07:16 amrydra_wongTheir calendar is here -- creator sign-ups open on the 26th Jan:
https://fandomtrumpshate.dreamwidth.org/53196.html
Their list of non-profits they're supporting is here:
https://fandomtrumpshate.dreamwidth.org/53468.html
(Mods, could we have a "fund-raising" tag please?)
https://fandomtrumpshate.dreamwidth.org/53196.html
Their list of non-profits they're supporting is here:
https://fandomtrumpshate.dreamwidth.org/53468.html
(Mods, could we have a "fund-raising" tag please?)
call RFK Jr. about vaccine access
Aug. 7th, 2025 09:27 amredbirdIf anyone wants to call RFK Jr. to complain about him not funding vaccines, the phone number is 202-690-7000. I called during office hours (8:30-5 Eastern time) and got voicemail. The message asked for a phone number, and claimed someone would call me back.
If anyone wants a script, my message was:
My name is Vicki Rosenzweig. I’m calling from Boston, to demand that the secretary restore funding for MRNA vaccines. He must make the fall covid and flu boosters available to everyone. I’m immune-compromised, and my safety depends on my family being vaccinated and not giving me a virus. My phone number is [your number here]
Edit as appropriate.
If anyone wants a script, my message was:
My name is Vicki Rosenzweig. I’m calling from Boston, to demand that the secretary restore funding for MRNA vaccines. He must make the fall covid and flu boosters available to everyone. I’m immune-compromised, and my safety depends on my family being vaccinated and not giving me a virus. My phone number is [your number here]
Edit as appropriate.
redbirdThe FTC is inviting public comment about gender-affirming care for minors, and alleged deception by providers. They are blatantly looking for attacks on gender-affirming care, but every unique comment posted may slow down whatever crap they're planning here.
Personalizing these comments is good, even if it's just "I'm writing from Boston."
I'm posting at the request ofminoanmiss. If anyone has a good script or talking points, I'd be delighted to add them to this post.
Personalizing these comments is good, even if it's just "I'm writing from Boston."
I'm posting at the request of
minoanmiss. If anyone has a good script or talking points, I'd be delighted to add them to this post.Good Trouble Lives On
Jul. 17th, 2025 10:07 amgingicatToday!
You can attend a virtual rally:
https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/event/803723/
Good Trouble Lives On: Virtual Rally happening today at 6pm Eastern/5pm Central/4pm Mountain/3pm Pacific and you can join us here: https://www.youtube.com/@WeArePeoplePowerUnited/streams No worries if you are late or can't make it, we will share the video as well.
You can attend a virtual rally:
https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/event/803723/
Good Trouble Lives On: Virtual Rally happening today at 6pm Eastern/5pm Central/4pm Mountain/3pm Pacific and you can join us here: https://www.youtube.com/@WeArePeoplePowerUnited/streams No worries if you are late or can't make it, we will share the video as well.
Ideas to block the current bill
Jul. 2nd, 2025 11:23 amfabrisseThere are 17 medical professionals in the current House of Representatives. 11 are Republicans. Trying to argue on most issues with the bill is difficult with such a tight deadline, but the one item most people -- including Congressional Representatives -- are reacting to negatively is the closure of Rural and Regional hospitals. This should be a negative for all of the Republicans, but the ones who understand what lack of medical provision can do should be especially ripe to listen, perhaps even be persuaded.
I live in Georgia. Rich McCormick is Georgia District 6, and I live in District 1. But he's more likely to respond to someone from the same state, especially if he has Senate or Gubernatorial ambitions in the future.
The list I found is through The Patients Action Network. If you are in a District with one of these Republican representatives, particularly if they specialize in Emergency or Family medicine, start calling and/or emailing. If you are in the same state, email them and let them know you have a long memory if they're thinking of statewide offices.
In the meantime, send support to the few Republicans in the House who have already voted against it and continue to oppose it. At the very least, let's make them miss their deadline for vacation.
I live in Georgia. Rich McCormick is Georgia District 6, and I live in District 1. But he's more likely to respond to someone from the same state, especially if he has Senate or Gubernatorial ambitions in the future.
The list I found is through The Patients Action Network. If you are in a District with one of these Republican representatives, particularly if they specialize in Emergency or Family medicine, start calling and/or emailing. If you are in the same state, email them and let them know you have a long memory if they're thinking of statewide offices.
In the meantime, send support to the few Republicans in the House who have already voted against it and continue to oppose it. At the very least, let's make them miss their deadline for vacation.
New York Action Item
Mar. 19th, 2025 05:35 pmlightbirdAccording to an article in today's Gotham, NY Governor Hochul is pushing a last minute mask ban in state budget talks. If you live in New York, I urge you to contact her office, as well as your state reps, assembly member, and councilmember.
There's a form you can use to contact Governor Hochul here.
You can also call (518) 474-8390 during business hours.
COVID is still circulating and cases of other serious illnesses like measles are on the rise, and masks are one of the best ways to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.
When I contacted the office I emphasized that a mask ban:
* risks public health and safety
* is discriminatory
* and called out her suggestion that "some people use masks to conceal their face while committing a crime" in context of protests and that peaceful protesting is legal and that protesters have the right to protect their health
There's a form you can use to contact Governor Hochul here.
You can also call (518) 474-8390 during business hours.
COVID is still circulating and cases of other serious illnesses like measles are on the rise, and masks are one of the best ways to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.
When I contacted the office I emphasized that a mask ban:
* risks public health and safety
* is discriminatory
* and called out her suggestion that "some people use masks to conceal their face while committing a crime" in context of protests and that peaceful protesting is legal and that protesters have the right to protect their health
redbirdI copied most of this from siderea's journal, there's a lot more detail in her post:
AMERICANS WITH DEMOCRAT SENATORS,
tl;dr: call them TODAY, tell them you absolutely expect them to shut down the government by voting against the continuing resolution bill if the GOP doesn't provide massive concessions, and maybe even then.
And whatever position they take, take it to social media immediately and make sure everyone you can reach knows it. Especially if they agree. [I think this assumes you talk to a staffer rather than leaving voivemail.]
There's a script about the CR at 5calls.org, but it says to tell your senator to ask for concessions in the CR, and it doesn't look like any such concessions would be worth much.
Slightly longer explanation:
The GOP has enough votes to pass the CR bill in the House, but will need at least seven Democrats to vote for it for it to pass.
The CR bill is not hugely bad, in and of itself. But if it doesn't pass, the government shuts down.
Shut it down.
The prevaling sentiment on r/fednews – a Reddit sub for federal employees – in favor of a shutdown. "This is the only leverage the Dems have. If they don’t use it we are all toast"
siderea's journal, there's a lot more detail in her post:AMERICANS WITH DEMOCRAT SENATORS,
tl;dr: call them TODAY, tell them you absolutely expect them to shut down the government by voting against the continuing resolution bill if the GOP doesn't provide massive concessions, and maybe even then.
And whatever position they take, take it to social media immediately and make sure everyone you can reach knows it. Especially if they agree. [I think this assumes you talk to a staffer rather than leaving voivemail.]
There's a script about the CR at 5calls.org, but it says to tell your senator to ask for concessions in the CR, and it doesn't look like any such concessions would be worth much.
Slightly longer explanation:
The GOP has enough votes to pass the CR bill in the House, but will need at least seven Democrats to vote for it for it to pass.
The CR bill is not hugely bad, in and of itself. But if it doesn't pass, the government shuts down.
Shut it down.
The prevaling sentiment on r/fednews – a Reddit sub for federal employees – in favor of a shutdown. "This is the only leverage the Dems have. If they don’t use it we are all toast"
mxcatmoonWe Have Work to Do!
Cliff Cash is a comedian who has taken up the cause and is posting short videos about protests and other events that are going on. He was at the February 5th protest (in his state of North Carolina). I found his video in the link above helped turn my discouraged mood into a renewed energy to fight. He talks about not letting fear get the best of us, and that this presidency is not strong, it's only using fear to pretend it is. Also, in the description he added a list of actions and resources, including the following:
Boycott the companies that support fascism. Use “goodsuniteus” app.
Sign up for the general strike at generalstrikeus.com
Get prepared for a weeklong economic strike where we don’t spend any money.
I hope this is helpful. If not, mods are free to delete.
Sign up for the general strike at generalstrikeus.com
Cliff Cash is a comedian who has taken up the cause and is posting short videos about protests and other events that are going on. He was at the February 5th protest (in his state of North Carolina). I found his video in the link above helped turn my discouraged mood into a renewed energy to fight. He talks about not letting fear get the best of us, and that this presidency is not strong, it's only using fear to pretend it is. Also, in the description he added a list of actions and resources, including the following:
Boycott the companies that support fascism. Use “goodsuniteus” app.
Sign up for the general strike at generalstrikeus.com
Get prepared for a weeklong economic strike where we don’t spend any money.
I hope this is helpful. If not, mods are free to delete.
Sign up for the general strike at generalstrikeus.com
petraFor everyone who is trying to figure out what to do about the Department of Government Efficiency getting Treasury data access, I have two suggestions.
I was inspired by![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
qqueenofhades to write to my AG. I used that user's suggested template, which is available here or below:
( Qqueenofhades's template for writing to your AG )
( What I wrote to my representative & senators, which is separate )
Mods, can we get a "department of government efficiency" tag? Thank you!
I was inspired by
( Qqueenofhades's template for writing to your AG )
( What I wrote to my representative & senators, which is separate )
Mods, can we get a "department of government efficiency" tag? Thank you!
rydra_wongThis is the bill that would allow the Secretary of the Treasury to unilaterally strip non-profit status from any organization they want to label as "terrorist supporting" -- with no requirement for evidence, and no recourse other than organizations getting 90 days to somehow prove their innocence (proving a negative always being a fun game), so basically any non-profit they want to kill:
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/hr-9495-bill-threatening-nonprofits-passes-house/
https://www.rightsanddissent.org/news/defending-rights-dissent-condemns-passage-of-h-r-9495-charity-killer/
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/house-bill-trump-power-target-nonprofits-1235161151/
The vague language in the bill could be used against nonprofits that support Palestinian rights, reproductive rights, and environmental protections.
“The danger is much broader than just groups that work on foreign policy,” Ryan Costello, policy director at the National Iranian American Council Action, told The Intercept. “It could target major liberal funders who support Palestinian solidarity and peace groups who engage in protest. But it could also theoretically be used to target pro-choice groups, and I could see it being used against environmental groups.”
https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
The ACLU have a script if you want something to borrow from:
https://action.aclu.org/send-message/dissent
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/hr-9495-bill-threatening-nonprofits-passes-house/
https://www.rightsanddissent.org/news/defending-rights-dissent-condemns-passage-of-h-r-9495-charity-killer/
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/house-bill-trump-power-target-nonprofits-1235161151/
The vague language in the bill could be used against nonprofits that support Palestinian rights, reproductive rights, and environmental protections.
“The danger is much broader than just groups that work on foreign policy,” Ryan Costello, policy director at the National Iranian American Council Action, told The Intercept. “It could target major liberal funders who support Palestinian solidarity and peace groups who engage in protest. But it could also theoretically be used to target pro-choice groups, and I could see it being used against environmental groups.”
https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
The ACLU have a script if you want something to borrow from:
https://action.aclu.org/send-message/dissent
more postcard signups available
Sep. 24th, 2024 11:13 amhermionesviolinFor anyone who missed signups from Postcards to Swing States: A Progressive Turnout Project Initiative, I just got an email from them:
I suspect it is still true that you can add a note with the number of postcards you want (in increments of 25) if you don't want to do 200 (the minimum number on the drop-down menu).
Sign-ups for postcards are back open as we make a final push for 40 million postcards to rally Democrats to vote! We will likely send you postcards for a competitive US House district or Florida, though we have some additional voter lists for swing states and Ohio. If you aren't willing to write to voters for whatever list we send you, please do not sign up.
The mailing dates for these final orders are between Oct 24 and Oct 29. We'll ship the postcards as quickly as possible.
There's also an option to opt-in to write postcards to persuadable seniors about the importance of voting for Democrats in order to protect social security from Republican proposals to cut this vital program.
Please note: You will be responsible for providing Postcard Stamps, which are currently $0.56. We'll mail you free postcards, along with voter lists and instructions with proven message options.
I suspect it is still true that you can add a note with the number of postcards you want (in increments of 25) if you don't want to do 200 (the minimum number on the drop-down menu).
azurelunaticSo the US doesn't have federal heat protections for workers; OSHA is trying to change that. Request for comment is now open, until the end of December.
This form is a streamlined version of the official one, with some suggested text, but submits to the official form: https://act.seiu.org/a/federalheatregcomments?ms=social
It has a link to the official site: https://www.regulations.gov/document/OSHA-2021-0009-4761 where you can download the whole shebang, which is Long: 3,173 kb of very light HTML, for those of us who can remember calculating fanfiction length by text file size rather than word count.
There are various Requests for Comments scattered throughout the document that you can use to focus your thoughts into something potentially more useful than just "yes this is good and necessary, and while it may not be complete it is important to get basic heat protections for as many workers as possible"; you can search the document for "Requests for Comments" and I believe find them all that way.
(via![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ladybusiness)
This form is a streamlined version of the official one, with some suggested text, but submits to the official form: https://act.seiu.org/a/federalheatregcomments?ms=social
It has a link to the official site: https://www.regulations.gov/document/OSHA-2021-0009-4761 where you can download the whole shebang, which is Long: 3,173 kb of very light HTML, for those of us who can remember calculating fanfiction length by text file size rather than word count.
There are various Requests for Comments scattered throughout the document that you can use to focus your thoughts into something potentially more useful than just "yes this is good and necessary, and while it may not be complete it is important to get basic heat protections for as many workers as possible"; you can search the document for "Requests for Comments" and I believe find them all that way.
(via
ladybusiness)semiellipticalWriting postcards and letters is one way to help get out the vote for US elections. hermionesviolin posted here last month about Postcards to Swing States, which is a great campaign, but they have completed their sign-ups for this year.
So if you are looking for other opportunities to write to US voters, or if you signed up for Postcards to Swing States and want to write while waiting for those postcards to arrive, consider the organizations below. I have written for all of them over the last several years; the variety of messages and styles has helped me maintain my motivation to reach out to voters.
I listed supplies needed in case that is helpful; check out the websites for full instructions.
Center for Common Ground / Reclaim Our Vote
“Fighting for Voting Rights and Mobilizing Voters of Color.”
Uses messages that are respectful and culturally sensitive, and includes personalized, local voting information
Supplies needed:
Postcards to Voters
“Friendly, handwritten reminders from volunteers to targeted voters giving Democrats a winning edge in close, key races coast to coast.” Write for a variety of campaigns, both large and small. You’re usually instructed to mail the postcards immediately so you can feel accomplished right away.
Supplies needed:
Vote Forward
Add a personal, heartfelt message to get-out-the vote letters targeting voters in swing states.
Supplies needed:
If you have other organizations or campaigns to recommend, please comment!
hermionesviolin posted here last month about Postcards to Swing States, which is a great campaign, but they have completed their sign-ups for this year. So if you are looking for other opportunities to write to US voters, or if you signed up for Postcards to Swing States and want to write while waiting for those postcards to arrive, consider the organizations below. I have written for all of them over the last several years; the variety of messages and styles has helped me maintain my motivation to reach out to voters.
I listed supplies needed in case that is helpful; check out the websites for full instructions.
Center for Common Ground / Reclaim Our Vote
“Fighting for Voting Rights and Mobilizing Voters of Color.”
Uses messages that are respectful and culturally sensitive, and includes personalized, local voting information
Supplies needed:
- Order and use only their postcards.
- Postcard stamps.
- Not absolutely necessary, but very helpful: access to a printer for printing labels with local voting information.
Postcards to Voters
“Friendly, handwritten reminders from volunteers to targeted voters giving Democrats a winning edge in close, key races coast to coast.” Write for a variety of campaigns, both large and small. You’re usually instructed to mail the postcards immediately so you can feel accomplished right away.
Supplies needed:
- Postcards: provide your own, either from their Etsy store or any other source with suitable designs. You can even use pre-stamped postcards from the USPS; very cost-effective.
- Postcard stamps.
Vote Forward
Add a personal, heartfelt message to get-out-the vote letters targeting voters in swing states.
Supplies needed:
- Access to a printer for printing letters.
- Envelopes and stamps.
If you have other organizations or campaigns to recommend, please comment!
hermionesviolinI recently signed up for the email list for Postcards to Swing States: A Progressive Turnout Project Initiative, and got an email from them just now: "We have resumed sign-ups for our postcard program to rally Democrats to vote in 56 competitive US House districts!"
Their email notes:
Edit: I posted in a local Discord to see if other people wanted some of the postcards I'm ordering and someone said:
Sign up below to write postcards to rally Democrats in competitive House districts to vote on Nov 5. We'll mail you free postcards, voter lists and instructions with three message options (expect to receive them within 2-4 weeks).It looks like the smallest number of postcards you can order is 200, so you may want to recruit some friends to help -- though even if it takes 4 weeks for you to get your postcards, that's still about 2 months to write them (you mail them soon before the election so they're fresh to encourage voting).
You'll provide the postcard stamps and mail the postcards on October 24.
Competitive House districts in Presidential and Senate battleground states are already covered by our statewide postcard program. Sign-ups for that program will resume no later than August 5.
Their email notes:
Finally, please pick from one of the proven messages on the instructions that we send with your postcards. They will be far more effective at helping Kamala Harris and other Democrats than a message that mentions her or threats to democracy. For this program with cards that will arrive close to the election in November, we're following the most effective strategy to rally Democrats to vote. More than 15 years of research from leading progressive data-driven organizations proves that messages focused on voting are far more effective at increasing Democratic turnout than those that are partisan. See our research and more on this and other topics at our FAQ page or watch our webinar from June that explains our data-driven approach.
Thanks for all your activism!
— Postcards to Swing States Team
Progressive Turnout Project is the largest voter contact organization in the country. Our mission: Rally Democrats to vote. We design, test, and execute specialized voter turnout programs targeting inconsistent Democratic voters in the most competitive elections up and down the ballot.
Edit: I posted in a local Discord to see if other people wanted some of the postcards I'm ordering and someone said:
i would also like to do some postcards. also though someone i follow on mastodon shared a link to this postcard campaign with the note:Edit2: And someone else said, "I think i was doing ~50 a week in 2020? It'd take somewhere between 30-60 mins. I did them on lunch breaks. If that's a useful metric."If you want to write postcards to voters but find the minimum of 200 to be undoable, you can request a smaller number! Just select 200 when you submit your order and then let them know the actual amount you want (in multiples of 25 such as 100) in the "drop us a note" field.
tanaquiIf you use non-Dreamwidth social media and are looking for memes to share to explain what's in Project 2025 (and just how bad it is), this site has a good selection:
https://project2025truth.com/
(Credit to whoever posted this over at FFA's dedicated US Politics post!)
https://project2025truth.com/
(Credit to whoever posted this over at FFA's dedicated US Politics post!)
sathariI thought this might be relevant to some of our interests in the wake of today's news: link to donate to VP Harris' presidential campaign.
ETA thanks to folks in comments:minoanmiss also recommends contacting the DNC to encourage them to make her the official nominee, and philomytha let us know that US citizens who are overseas can contribute through the linked site if they give their passport number. Thanks so much!
Further ETA from comments: quoting our wonderful modtanaqui: "If you have time rather than money to donate, take a look at https://events.democrats.org/
If you click on the filter button near the top of the page, you can search for events that are local, GOTV, canvassing/phonebanking or ADA accessible."
Andminoanmiss would like to credit petra for the idea of contacting the DNC. (This is probably my last update to this post, so that newer ideas can go in new posts and more people can see them.)
ETA thanks to folks in comments:
minoanmiss also recommends contacting the DNC to encourage them to make her the official nominee, and philomytha let us know that US citizens who are overseas can contribute through the linked site if they give their passport number. Thanks so much!Further ETA from comments: quoting our wonderful mod
tanaqui: "If you have time rather than money to donate, take a look at https://events.democrats.org/If you click on the filter button near the top of the page, you can search for events that are local, GOTV, canvassing/phonebanking or ADA accessible."
And
minoanmiss would like to credit petra for the idea of contacting the DNC. (This is probably my last update to this post, so that newer ideas can go in new posts and more people can see them.)
