Friday, March 30, 2012

Justice

As Trayvon Martin's family marches for justice on Saturday in Sanford, FL, keep up the call for justice online by changing your profile pic to a "million hoodie" photo.

Rep. Bobby Rush wearing his hoodie for justice for Trayvon Martin at the U.S. Capitol

[Representative Bobby Rush]

Share Your Hoodie Photo

Dear MoveOn member,

Wearing a hoodie on the House floor.

That got Representative Bobby Rush thrown out on Wednesday, even as he quoted from the Bible on justice and the end of oppression.1

Rep. Rush is one of millions calling for justice for Trayvon Martin, a young black man in a hoodie, gunned down last month in Sanford, Florida. Trayvon's killer, George Zimmerman, still hasn't been arrested—and the wheels of justice can't turn until he is.

Tomorrow in Sanford, MoveOn members will join Trayvon's family, the NAACP, SEIU, and other allies in a march for justice. And across the country, we can show our solidarity with Saturday's march by taking a picture of ourselves with a hoodie and making it our profile picture on Facebook and Twitter.

This campaign began with a cry for justice from Trayvon's parents, and grew online through huge petitions (including one by MoveOn member Maria Roach) and a massive response on social media from celebrities and millions of everyday people standing against racism and racial profiling. So, while Trayvon's family keeps the pressure on in the streets of Sanford, we need to keep up the pressure online, where this campaign grew into a national movement.

Click below to make your stand for Trayvon (and don't worry—we have handy instructions on how to change your Facebook or Twitter profile pic):

Join the march for justice online by changing your profile picture for Trayvon.

George Zimmerman followed Trayvon, a young black man in a hoodie, because he looked "suspicious."2 Zimmerman made an unjustified assumption about who Trayvon was, and that assumption led to Trayvon's death. That's why we have to keep the pressure on the system to make sure justice is served.

We've partnered with the creators of MillionHoodi.es, along with the NAACP, ColorOfChange, and other allies to make this online solidarity movement huge, with hundreds of thousands of us posting our hoodies photos in social media—and making them our profile picture.

But in order to be effective, people need to see hoodie photos everywhere they look online. So click below to change your profile pic and join the millions of other hoodies online for Trayvon Martin on Saturday.

Join the million hoodie movement for justice for Trayvon by changing your profile photo for Saturday's march.

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Mark, Elena, Ryan, and the rest of the team

P.S. If you don't have a Facebook or Twitter account—don't worry. You can upload your hoodie photo and post it online through a handy tool on MoveOn's site, and it will go online through Flikr too. Just click here to become part of one million hoodies.

Sources:

1. "Bobby Rush, Illinois Congressman, Thrown Off House Floor For Wearing Hoodie (VIDEO), The Huffington Post, March 28, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273640&id=38305-10220574-NnAGzQx&t=5

2. "The Curious Case of Trayvon Martin," The New York Times, March 16, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273641&id=38305-10220574-NnAGzQx&t=6

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 30, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Stop smearing Trayvon Martin

MoveOn member Maria Roach delivering a petition for justice for Trayvon Martin to the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.

I started a SignOn petition calling for justice for Trayvon Martin. Now I'm writing a letter to the editor of my newspaper calling for an end to racial profiling. Please join me.

Write Your Letter

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

On Monday, I went to the Department of Justice in Washington to deliver more than 500,000 petition signatures calling for justice for Trayvon Martin.1 I've never been more proud, and you all made it possible. 

But when I got back, I saw the beginnings of a smear campaign against Trayvon that made my heart ache yet again.2 It took me back to that first sleepless night after I heard about Trayvon's death. 

That's because many of the smears against Trayvon's character are based on the same racial profiling that got him killed. Irresponsible members of the media like Geraldo Rivera3 are making the same unjustified assumption about Trayvon that George Zimmerman did the night he got out of his SUV with a loaded gun—that a young black man is automatically guilty of crime and wrongdoing. For his parents, it's like Trayvon's being victimized all over again.

So I got right back to my computer to write a letter to the editor of my newspaper to stand up for Trayvon and his family in the media. Letters to the editor are one of the most widely-read parts of the newspaper. They can reach a large, diverse audience, including public officials who monitor them closely to follow the public's views.

By acting together again, we can drown out the voices behind this hurtful and harmful smear campaign if all of us write letters saying that Trayvon Martin isn't dead because of his past, but because he was racially profiled, followed, and killed. This type of profiling has to stop if we're ever going to get justice for Trayvon or prevent this tragedy from happening again.

Don't let them make Trayvon a victim yet again. Write a letter to the editor of your paper.

Trayvon's mother said, "They killed my son, and now they're trying to kill his reputation."4 I can't imagine the burden of having to bury a son. But enduring attacks on his name at the same time? That's even more unbearable. 

There have been events for Trayvon like mine, as well as rallies and vigils all over the country in response to his death. But on top of being in the streets, we need every person who reads a newspaper or magazine or website to know Trayvon's story. We need them to know the real reason that he was killed: because of how he looked and what he was wearing.

I got involved because Trayvon reminded me of my own sons. This movement has grown because I wasn't the only person who could relate and who decided to raise their voice about this tragedy. Our voices are needed more than ever, as forces in the media try to distract us from the racial profiling that caused Trayvon's death with more racial profiling about his life.

Send a letter to the editor saying that no one should be profiled and suffer Trayvon's fate.

Thanks for standing up for justice.

–Maria Roach

Sources:

1. "Trayvon Martin: One month after Martin's death, local outrage grows," WJLA.com, March 26, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273503&id=38155-10220574-dAAUCcx&t=4

2. "What Everyone Needs To Know About The Smear Campaign Against Trayvon Martin (1995-2012)," ThinkProgress, March 26, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273504&id=38155-10220574-dAAUCcx&t=5

3. "Geraldo Rivera sort of apologizes for Trayvon Martin hoodie remarks," latimes.com, March 27, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273505&id=38155-10220574-dAAUCcx&t=6

4. "Trayvon Martin's mother accuses police of smearing his reputation," The Telegraph, March 27, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273506&id=38155-10220574-dAAUCcx&t=7

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 28, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Starbucks

Dear MoveOn member,

We thought this message from our friends at SumOfUs was important enough to pass along.


Dear Friend,

Starbucks stuck its neck out to publicly support the right of all people to marry, regardless of the gender of their partner.

Now it is under attack by the ironically named, ultra-conservative "National Organization for Marriage."1 Already more than 20,000 NOM members have pledged to boycott Starbucks, and NOM is even threatening to run ads against Starbucks in 55 countries.

Let's blow the right wing out of the water by getting more than ten times as many consumers to thank Starbucks for standing up for gay marriage.

Join us in showing our support for Starbucks by signing our giant Thank You card. If 200,000 of us sign it, we'll deliver it to Starbucks executives to give them moral support to keep standing up for equality.

NOM is targeting Starbucks because the company recently stood up publicly to support gay marriage legislation in their home state of Washington.2 When it passed, the bill's lead sponsor said that support from business convinced moderate legislators to vote for it. Without support from companies like Starbucks, the gay marriage law might have failed.3

Now, if Starbucks backtracks because of opposition, then it will set the gay rights struggle back to a time when big corporations couldn't come out and support gay people for fear of public backlash. Even worse, it will embolden anti-gay activists to target other companies that support gay rights, and serve as a lesson to other companies to stay out of the fight for equal rights entirely.

Starbucks isn't perfect—and in the future we'll probably be asking them to improve their policies on other issues. But it's a big deal when a giant multinational corporation with no particular connection to the gay community realizes that there are real business benefits—from better employees to happier customers—to standing up for progressive ideals. And we can't just criticize corporations when they do bad. We also want to encourage them when they do good.

Let's show that supporting equal rights is good business. Click here to add your message to our Thank You card:


Thanks for everything you do!

–Claiborne, Kaytee, and the rest of us

P.S. Breaking News: NOM had a strategic memo released against their will this week, where they plainly state their goal of  driving a "wedge between gays and blacks."4 They even wanted to delay Latino "assimilation" so they could make "support for marriage a key badge of Latino identity—a symbol of resistance to inappropriate assimilation."5 Driving wedges between people and groups is NOM's stock in trade. That's why this isn't just about Starbucks, it's about standing up against these divisive tactics. Click here to thank Starbucks.

Sources:

1. "Anti-gay marriage group wants Starbucks boycott," The Seattle Times, March 21, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273206&id=38067-10220574-g6AIOCx&t=4

2. "Starbucks supports gay marriage legislation," The Seattle Times, January 24, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273207&id=38067-10220574-g6AIOCx&t=5

3. "Business playing key role in U.S. drive for gay marriage," The Montreal Gazette, March 22, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273208&id=38067-10220574-g6AIOCx&t=6

4. "Top 10 Highlights From NOM's Race-Wedging, Donor-Hiding, Victim-Playing Confidential Strategies," ThinkProgress, March 27, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273455&id=38067-10220574-g6AIOCx&t=7

5. Ibid.


The text above was written by SumOfUs, not by MoveOn staff, and they are responsible for the content. It's part of a new effort to pass on critical updates from other progressive groups. SumOfUs didn't pay for this—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list. This email was sent through the MoveOn system, so your personal contact info was kept private.
 

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 27, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, March 26, 2012

My two sons look like Trayvon

Millions are calling for justice for Trayvon Martin. On the one-month anniversary of his killing, help grow the movement fighting the racial profiling that led to his death by sharing this powerful video.

Watch the Trayvon Video
Dear fellow MoveOn member,

I'm a MoveOn member and a mother, and my two sons look like Trayvon Martin.

As parents, we all have to warn our children about the dangers of the world—strangers, bullies, which streets not to walk down. But there's a special pain in explaining to my sons the suspicion and dangers they face, simply by being young black men.

One month ago today, Trayvon Martin was walking through a gated community in Florida with nothing more than an iced tea and a bag of skittles. But being a young black man in a hoodie made him "suspicious" to George Zimmerman, who got out of his SUV, tracked Trayvon down, and shot him dead.1

On that terrible day, my special pain and fear as a parent became very urgent ... and very real. Racial profiling is a sickness in the soul of our nation. It limits our promise. It divides us. And one month ago, it robbed Trayvon Martin of his life.

Trayvon's story is already inspiring millions in the call for justice and an end to racial violence. It also moved writer/activist Kevin Powell, Akila Worksongs, Jasiri X and the folks at MoveOn and ColorOfChange to record a new powerful video "A Song for Trayvon." Please watch it and share it with your family and friends to inspire more people to join this growing movement:

http://moveon.org/SongForTrayvon?id=38004-10220574-q3pKevx&t=2

When my husband shared the news about Trayvon, my eyes welled with tears. I pictured my own two boys innocently walking home, just like Trayvon, and then never seeing them again—never hugging them. It was more than I could bear.

That's why I started a SignOn petition calling for justice for Trayvon. It's been signed by more than 500,000 MoveOn members, and I'm delivering it to the Justice Department today. Already, the public pressure from us and our allies is making a difference.

The Justice Department, the State of Florida, and the FBI have launched new investigations, a new state prosecutor has been appointed, and a grand jury date has been set.2 But we need to keep building the call for justice. And we do that by making sure each and every American knows Trayvon's story.

Click here to watch and share a powerful video about the injustice done to Trayvon Martin.

Thank you for standing up for Trayvon.

–Maria Roach

P.S. Today, vigils and rallies are taking place around the country to mark the one-month anniversary of Trayvon's death. To find an event near you, go to http://vigilsfortrayvon.tumblr.com/ or check on Twitter using #vigils4trayvon.

P.P.S. Writer/activist Kevin Powell, who helped pull 500 people together in Brooklyn yesterday for the "A Song for Trayvon" event, has written a stirring and reflective piece for The Guardian on "Trayvon Martin and the fatal history of American racism." Check it out here.

Sources:

1. "Trayvon Martin: Zimmerman was not following Neighborhood Watch 'rules,'" Chicago Tribune, March 24, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273396&id=38004-10220574-q3pKevx&t=5

2. "Calls for justice rage on a month after Trayvon Martin's killing," CNN, March 26, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273406&id=38004-10220574-q3pKevx&t=6

"Obama: Shooting death of Trayvon Martin a 'tragedy,'" Newsday, March 23, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273398&id=38004-10220574-q3pKevx&t=7

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 26, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Fwd: The 99% in Inwood

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

My name is Billie Knighton, and I'm one of nearly 800 people nationwide who have signed up to host 99% Spring nonviolent direct action trainings during the week of April 9-15.

I want to make sure you saw this email because I understand there's still no training planned anywhere near Inwood and I'm hoping you can step up and volunteer.

Hosting a training is actually fun, and you'll get all the support you need to pull it off. I'm working closely with other local groups here in Wichita and feel like I'm really helping give progressives around here a chance to get involved—I hope people in your area get the same chance.

Can you step up an host a training in Inwood?


Thank you.

Billie Knighton, Wichita, KS.

Our movement is about to do something unprecedented: train 100,000 people over the course of just one week in nonviolent direct action. Nearly 800 trainings are already planned, but we still need volunteers to host a 99% Spring action training in Inwood. Can you host a training during the week of April 9-15?

Host a Training
Dear MoveOn member,

What happens next for the 99% movement is up to each of us. We can let it fade away, or we come together to bring it back bigger and stronger than ever this spring.

Right now, groups all over the country—inspired by the everyday heroes of Occupy Wall Street—are planning for a 99% Spring in America. It's an opportunity to build on last year's momentum with a massive campaign of bold nonviolent direct actions to confront the 1% nationwide.

That's why during the week of April 9-15, in small towns and big cities all across America, we're working with our allies to bring 100,000 people together for an unprecedented national movement-wide training on how—following in the footsteps of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—we can take nonviolent direct action this spring to challenge the 1%.

So far the response has been pretty amazing. Nearly 800 training events are already set up, and we've seen a huge surge of MoveOn members stepping up to host events—much more than anyone expected. But we still need volunteers in Inwood who can step up to coordinate a training. Can you sign up to host a local 99% Spring action training?

Yes! I'm interested in hosting a training during the week of April 9-15.

From the labor movement to the struggle for civil rights, we have an incredible shared history in America of everyday people using the power of nonviolent direct action to create change when our country needed it the most.

Last year the courage and moral clarity that we saw from the protests at the Capitol in Wisconsin to Occupy Wall Street followed in that tradition—and forced America to finally talk about economic inequality and just how badly our system is broken.

But we need a whole lot more of that kind of courageous action if we're going to create meaningful change. That's the vision for the 99% Spring, and it all starts with this massive, ambitious plan to train 100,000 people in the theory and practice of nonviolent direct action.

Can you help by hosting a 99% Spring action training in Inwood?

Yes, I can host!

Anyone can host a training—you can have just a handful of people in your living room or you can find a local community center, place of worship, campus, or public space for a larger event. We'll follow up with all the details and provide the support and guidance you'll need to coordinate an event. We'll also help you connect and collaborate with other local 99% Spring volunteers and groups.

MoveOn members who want to see the 99% movement grow have already committed to coordinating events. But we don't have enough space yet to provide trainings to all 100,000 people. As 5 million progressives, we have a unique ability to help our movement hit that goal and grow even stronger.

Thanks for all you do.

–Lenore, Robin, Elena, Ryan, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

Launch your own MoveOn-style campaign - and sign up other members to get involved. Start a petition on SignOn.org


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 23, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Bill O'Reilly is nervous

The new ad staring MoveOn members is lighting up the national news and we need to keep it on the air. Check out the ad and help keep up the fight against the GOP's war on women.

Chip in $5

Dear MoveOn member,

Have you seen it?

It's the ad starring five courageous women from the MoveOn community taking on Republicans for their radical and dangerous views on women.

So far it's been on Hardball, The Last Word, CNN, ABC World News, and more.1 Incredibly, it was even praised by a Fox News analyst on The O'Reilly Factor: "As a Republican, while I don't like it, I actually think it is a hard-hitting and will be a highly effective ad."2

Why is it effective? Because it shows American women the danger of a Republican victory for their health and rights. And even Bill O'Reilly knows "it is likely that American women will be the deciding factor in the presidential election."3 But our expert media buyers tell us it can only be effective if more people see it.

Can you stand behind the five women MoveOn members in this ad by keeping their voices on the air? Can you help stand up for all American women by contributing to the fight against the GOP's war on women? 

Yes, I can contribute $5.

The brave women who appear in this ad are throwing the words of Rush Limbaugh, Rick Santorum, and others back in their faces—helping to expose their archaic views. Three of these women shared their reasons for putting themselves on the line to bring women's voices to the debate on women's health.

Katherine: "I'm outraged that there is even an argument about insurance coverage for female contraception, much less the right to contraception itself."

Ann: "Lack of reproductive choice has been at the heart of multiple generations of premature death, trauma, and suffering in my family."

Michelle: "As the mother of a 3-year-old daughter, it is my duty to protect and fight for HER rights and her future."

Katherine, Michelle, and Ann are part of a nationwide movement standing up against the GOP's war on women. All of them need your support to continue the fight.

Can you contribute $5 to help fight against the war on women?

Together, MoveOn members and other progressives helped stop Congress from redefining rape and the Komen foundation from defunding Planned Parenthood.4 Now with this ad and more we'll keep fighting back against the Republican war on women.

Thanks for all you do.

–Elena, Joan, Stephen, Marika, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. Hardball with Chris Matthews, MSNBC, March 14, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273110&id=37726-10220574-odATOBx&t=6

The Last Word with with Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC, March 14, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273112&id=37726-10220574-odATOBx&t=7

Erin Burnett Outfront, CNN, March 13, 2012

ABC World News, March 17, 2012

2. "MoveOn.org ad hits GOP for waging a 'war on women,'" Fox News, March 15, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273045&id=37726-10220574-odATOBx&t=8

3. "MoveOn.org ad hits GOP for waging a 'war on women,'" Fox News, March 15, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273045&id=37726-10220574-odATOBx&t=9

4. "House GOP Caves On Redefining Rape Bill," Mother Jones, February 3, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=272762&id=37726-10220574-odATOBx&t=10

"Komen Reverses Decision on Funding Planned Parenthood," Bloomberg, February 14, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=273018&id=37726-10220574-odATOBx&t=11


Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 22, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The 99% in Inwood

Our movement is about to do something unprecedented: train 100,000 people over the course of just one week in nonviolent direct action. More than 500 trainings are already planned, but we still need volunteers to host a 99% Spring action training in Inwood. Can you host a training during the week of April 9-15?

Host a Training
Dear MoveOn member,

What happens next for the 99% movement is up to each of us. We can let it fade away, or we come together to bring it back bigger and stronger than ever this spring.

Right now, groups all over the country—inspired by the everyday heroes of Occupy Wall Street—are planning for a 99% Spring in America. It's an opportunity to build on last year's momentum with a massive campaign of bold nonviolent direct actions to confront the 1% nationwide.

That's why during the week of April 9-15, in small towns and big cities all across America, we're working with our allies to bring 100,000 people together for an unprecedented national movement-wide training on how—following in the footsteps of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—we can take nonviolent direct action this spring to challenge the 1%.

So far the response has been pretty amazing. More than 500 training events are already set up, and we've seen a huge surge of MoveOn members stepping up to host events—much more than anyone expected. But we still need volunteers in Inwood who can step up to coordinate a training. Can you sign up to host a local 99% Spring action training?

Yes! I'm interested in hosting a training during the week of April 9-15.

From the labor movement to the struggle for civil rights, we have an incredible shared history in America of everyday people using the power of nonviolent direct action to create change when our country needed it the most.

Last year the courage and moral clarity that we saw from the protests at the Capitol in Wisconsin to Occupy Wall Street followed in that tradition—and forced America to finally talk about economic inequality and just how badly our system is broken.

But we need a whole lot more of that kind of courageous action if we're going to create meaningful change. That's the vision for the 99% Spring, and it all starts with this massive, ambitious, plan to train 100,000 people in the theory and practice of nonviolent direct action.

Can you help by hosting a 99% Spring action training in Inwood?

Yes, I can host!

Anyone can host a training—you can have just a handful of people in your living room or you can find a local community center, place of worship, campus, or public space for a larger event. We'll follow up with all the details and provide the support and guidance you'll need to coordinate an event. We'll also help you connect and collaborate with other local 99% Spring volunteers and groups.

MoveOn members who want to see the 99% movement grow have already committed to coordinating events. But we don't have enough space yet to provide trainings to all 100,000 people. As 5 million progressives, we have a unique ability to help our movement hit that goal and grow even stronger.

Thanks for all you do.

–Lenore, Robin, Elena, Ryan, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 20, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Justice for Trayvon Martin

Below is an email from Maria Roach, a MoveOn member who created a petition at SignOn.org that is getting a lot of attention and may be of interest to you. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.


Dear MoveOn member,

Seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed while walking home from a convenience store on the evening of February 26. The shooter, George Zimmerman, was the neighborhood watch captain. Zimmerman, a 200-pound 28-year-old with a history of violence, claimed self defense, even though Trayvon Martin had no criminal history and nothing more than candy and an iced tea in his hands. 

It's a deep injustice that George Zimmerman remains free. That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, which says:

George Zimmerman's shooting of Trayvon Martin, an African American teenager, reveals a history of racism in Sanford, Florida, that has stubbornly refused to die. Weeks after the shooting, the Sanford police department is slow to release details of the shooting and, more surprisingly, has not arrested George Zimmerman, a man who has a history of violence. 

We urge you to sign this petition to protect private citizens from gun violence and inept law enforcement. Florida's Attorney General Pam Bondi must step in and provide justice for Trayvon Martin, his family, and the community.

Will you sign the petition? Click here to add your name, and then pass it along to your friends:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=272971&id=37516-10220574-iZEWiCx&t=2

Thanks!

–Maria Roach

The text above was written by Maria Roach, not by MoveOn staff, and MoveOn is not responsible for the content. This email was sent through MoveOn's secure system, and your information has been kept private.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

Launch your own MoveOn-style campaign - and sign up other members to get involved. Start a petition on SignOn.org


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 19, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

5 days

Dear MoveOn member,

There are only five days left until one of the most important congressional primaries of the year.

It's progressive champion Ilya Sheyman vs. conservative Brad Schneider in this suburban Chicago district, and it's coming down to the wire. To send a true progressive to Congress, we've got to mobilize MoveOn members to get out the vote.

Our programmers have just finished a new version of our calling tool that allows you to call MoveOn members in Ilya's district and sign them up to volunteer for the campaign. We're hoping you can help us launch this new program and put Ilya over the top.

This is one of the most important pieces of our election plan for this year and we need Ilya supporters to test it out. Calling is easy, and you'll be making a real difference putting Ilya on the path to victory.


If you've ever called MoveOn members during one of our previous campaigns, you know how much fun it can be. Your fellow MoveOn members are good folks, and many will appreciate your call. You can practice reading through the calling script, and then start calling MoveOn members.

Here's what other MoveOn members who've made similar calls in the past have said about it:

"A great experience all around—I have worked on MANY campaigns, and done a LOT of phone banking, but your scripts and materials were really excellent."—Theresa L.

"Had a great time and really feel we made a difference."—Cecily K. 

You don't need to know anything special—our phone tool will walk you through the process and give you all the info you need. However, you will need to be able to be on the phone (land line or cell phone) and the Internet at the same time.

If you have any questions, the link below includes answers to frequently asked questions and a way to email other MoveOn members for help. Go ahead, click the link now to join us and get started calling for Ilya. 


Thanks for all you do.

–Daniel, Nash and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 15, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

First step toward fair taxes

MoveOn Council Delivers Bush Tax Cuts Petition to Obama 2012 HQ in Chicago

MoveOn members in Chicago calling for the president to make corporations pay their fair share.

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

My name is Dave Moore, and I'm the new volunteer MoveOn Council Coordinator in Chicago.

Getting the president to fight hard for the middle class and working people like me is incredibly important. That's why I joined the Council and signed both MoveOn petitions calling on President Obama to veto any extension of the Bush tax cuts for the 1%.

We asked for it, and we got it. The Obama administration is now on the record saying that they won't extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.1 Ending these giveaways is a critical first step to making sure that millionaires and billionaires start paying their fair share in 2013.

I delivered the signatures of 250,000 MoveOn members to the Obama reelection campaign headquarters in downtown Chicago to thank him for this commitment, and at the same time to ask him to oppose lowering the corporate tax rate.2 

We can make this veto commitment stick by showing the president that regular Americans support it. It'll convince him to keep fighting for the 99%, and it will show people the tremendous power we have when we take action together. So we've got to make sure that as many people as possible share this victory with their friends and family on huge social networks like Facebook.

Click here to tell friends and family about our big progressive win.

We won this important victory, but this ain't over—not even close. The 1% have highly-paid lobbyists to rig the tax game in their favor. At the end of this year, they will fight tooth-and-nail to keep their elevated status, not caring who they step on. We've got to stand together to fight them back at every turn.

We need a tax plan for the 99%, not more tax giveaways to bankers and big corporations. So I'm gonna keep marching, signing and sharing petitions, and getting my friends and neighbors involved in campaigns to make sure everyone pays their fair share. I need you to do the same—for me, your fellow MoveOn members, and the whole country.

Spread the good news about the Bush tax cuts victory today. We have to share the victories we win, which will propel us to even bigger ones in the battles to come.

Share this progressive victory and inspire more people to be part of the next fight.

This work is important to me because so many systems in this country exist to take the work and wealth of the 99% and systematically funnel it to the very richest among us. If we don't stand up to them, we will see more and more inequality in our country. My hope is that others will join in the movement toward equality of rights and opportunity.

Thank you,

–Dave Moore

Sources:

1. "'Taxmageddon' looms at end of payroll tax holiday," The Washington Post, February 18, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=271504&id=37203-10220574-RObtbEx&t=3

2. "Local protest at Obama campaign office," abc7chicago.com, February 28, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=272202&id=&id=37203-10220574-RObtbEx&t=4

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 14, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Chellie Pingree says "Thank you MoveOn members"

Dear MoveOn member,

As you may have heard, earlier this week progressive champion Chellie Pingree announced that she would run for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives rather than the U.S. Senate seat in Maine vacated by Republican Olympia Snowe.

It was a tough decision for her. Really tough—especially given the outpouring of support and encouragement she received from MoveOn members. 

To say thank you to MoveOn members for the thousands of petition signatures and over $300,000 that you pledged to support a possible Senate campaign—and to make sure you know the fight is not over, she recorded this video. Click here to watch.



Thanks for all you do.

–Julia, Adam, Steven, Elena, and the rest of the team

P.S. Here's a longer speech Chellie gave at a reception in Portland, Maine, for her constituents who encouraged her to run for Senate. If you have a few more minutes, it's well worth watching.

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 10, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, March 9, 2012

What TV won't tell you about the civil rights movement

This spring, we're working with groups nationwide to do something huge: give 100,000 people the kind of nonviolent direct action training that helped Rosa Parks and so many others transform the civil rights movement. Can you donate $5 to help make it happen?   

Chip in $5!
Dear MoveOn member,

When Rosa Parks refused to leave her seat and launched the Montgomery bus boycott, it wasn't just a spontaneous decision. She'd been trained in nonviolent direct action at a place caller the Highlander Center. And the brave folks who organized the freedom rides and the lunch-counter sit-ins had similar training.

Now, from the Wisconsin workers who took over their state capitol to Occupy Wall Street, there's a movement stirring in America focused on the massive inequality that's destroying our country. And it's once again using direct action to change the conversation. To help the 99% movement succeed, we want to kick off the spring by training 100,000 people in nonviolent direct action, in the spirit of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks—and pave the way for a wave of progressive, nonviolent direct action like the country hasn't seen in 50 years.

Our goal this spring is to provide the same kind of nonviolence training that transformed the civil rights movement—but at a scale no one's ever dreamed of.  

If we can train enough people, the 99% Spring could be filled with the kind of bold, highly visible, compelling acts of peaceful direct action and civil disobedience that made the civil rights movement impossible to ignore.

We launched the 99% Spring a couple weeks ago, and there are already hundreds of folks working frantically to make it happen. We've already committed to chip in $100,000 to help groups nationwide get all this off the ground and we're asking every MoveOn member to dig deep and help cover the cost. Can you donate $5?

Yes, I can donate $5 to help launch a national wave of nonviolent direct action.

In the last few weeks, we've seen an amazing response to this idea. A huge army of volunteers from unions, community organizations, and environmental groups, alongside local MoveOn volunteers, are preparing to host trainings in hundreds of cities and planning massive protests nationwide. Students are organizing for spring mobilizations on campuses everywhere.

We've got a plan to help make sure all of this happens on a scale that's impossible to ignore. We're working with movement leaders and cultural figures to spread the word online and in the media. We're recruiting everyday people, who have never done anything like this before, to join trainings in union halls, churches, living rooms, and community centers all over the country. We're mobilizing nationwide to bring big new crowds to campaigns everywhere using nonviolence to confront corporate greed, fight back against the foreclosure crisis, and more. And then, on Tax Day, we're ramping up fast for a huge day of direct action all across the country to send an unmistakable message to Washington.

From Occupy Wall Street to the most important moments of the civil rights movement—the freedom rides, the Montgomery bus boycott, the lunch-counter sit-ins—peaceful direct action has turned the tables on the powerful and changed the course of history. This spring, millions of us could do it again. But we need your help to lay the crucial groundwork over the next few months.

Can you chip in $5 to help create a 99% Spring?

https://civ.moveon.org/donatec4/99spring.html?bg_id=hpc5&id=36892-10220574-EBOohex&t=3

Thanks for all you do.

–Lenore, Robin, Marika, Joan, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

334,682 people like us on Facebook. Can you help us get to a million? Like us on Facebook


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 9, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Next week: Help me save our homes

President Obama can throw underwater homeowners a lifeline and help millions keep their homes. Can you host an event on Thursday, March 15, to help save Inwood homes?  

Host an event!

Dear MoveOn member,

My name is Lisa F., and I'm a MoveOn member in Philadelphia. For years, I lived the American Dream: I had a successful career and became a proud homeowner. Then, like millions of Americans, I saw the economic collapse turn my dream into a nightmare.

After I lost my job and could no longer afford my monthly mortgage payment with Freddie Mac, I applied for a loan modification. But they repeatedly denied my application due to "missing paperwork." And more recently, I almost lost my home because a call agent made a 35-cent error when processing my payment.

It makes no sense for Freddie Mac to sabotage homeowners like me. The housing crisis caused the economic collapse, and it's time Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae worked for, not against, millions of homeowners. But they're not going to do it on their own. 

That's why it's so important that we take action now. Can you organize a simple rally in Inwood next Thursday, March 15 to Save Our Homes?

Yes, I can lead an event!

President Obama has the power to change this—by forcing government-run Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to help homeowners reset their mortgages to the current value of their homes. That's why on Thursday, March 15, thousands of people will rally and deliver petitions to Obama for America campaign offices asking the president to throw underwater homeowners a lifeline. In places where there aren't OFA offices, we'll gather in front of Wall St. bank branches, city centers, and homes facing foreclosure.

Being able to afford my home would mean I could sleep at night and not worry where I'll go if I lose my house. And since 60% of mortgages are held by Fannie and Freddie, millions of hardworking Americans could be helped if the president takes immediate action. I'm lucky enough to still be in my home, and it's time we come together to make sure no one else loses theirs. Hosting an event is easy—MoveOn will provide you with the petitions and other support materials.

But there still isn't an event near you.

Can you organize an event next Thursday to make sure your community's voice is heard?  

Yes, I can lead an event on Thursday, March 15!

Thanks for all you do. 

–Lisa F., MoveOn member

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 7, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

CORRECTION: Want to become a 99% trainer?

Dear MoveOn member,

The dates listed in the original version of this email were incorrect. The regional training for trainers events will take place March 24-25, not March 22-23. Click here to sign up:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=272319&id=36726-10220574-3GwMTIx&t=1

–Lenore


Hundreds of 99% Spring action training events are already planned nationwide, but we need more people to step up and volunteer to serve as trainers. It's fun and easy—all you have to do is sign up to attend a regional training for trainers event in your area March 24-25. Can you volunteer? 

Become a Trainer!
Dear MoveOn member,

Inspired by the everyday heroes of Occupy Wall Street, this spring people everywhere are getting ready for a surge of action to confront the 1%.

To prepare, dozens of groups from across the progressive movement are starting with an unprecedented and ambitious goal for the 99% Spring: to train 100,000 people in nonviolent direct action, in the spirit of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks.

So far, the response has been huge. We're just getting started and already local organizations and volunteers nationwide have set up more than 400 trainings from April 9-15.

Now we need to find people who can volunteer to become trainers and help lead all those events. You've participated in MoveOn events in the past, and so we wanted to offer you this fun chance to to meet other passionate people committed to building our movement, learn new skills, and put them to use right away.

If you're interested, you can learn to be a 99% Spring nonviolence trainer by signing up to attend a regional training for trainers event in your area the weekend of March 24-25.

Click here if you can volunteer to become a trainer for the 99% Spring.

We'll follow up with the details about the regional event closest to you. We're looking for teachers, organizers, PTA parents—anyone who loves working with people. It's a big plus if you have previous experience as a trainer, but it's not required. You don't have to plan your own training event or worry about logistics or turnout—you can help just by becoming a volunteer trainer in your area.

We're looking for people who can attend an in-person training for trainers on March 24-25 and who are also able to volunteer to act as a trainer at a 99% Spring action training during the week of April 9-15.

If you'd like to volunteer, please click here to sign up:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=272319&id=36726-10220574-3GwMTIx&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Lenore, Robin, Carrie, Elena, and the rest of the team

MoveOn.org Civic Action is hosting the online event registration process for the 99% Spring action trainings but is not responsible for the content or programming of the trainings or for the planning or organization of any specific actions. The 99% Spring is a collaborative effort between many organizations to train over 100,000 Americans in the basics of nonviolent direct action—not an electoral campaign.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 6, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Want to become a 99% trainer?

Hundreds of 99% Spring action training events are already planned nationwide, but we need more people to step up and volunteer to serve as trainers. It's fun and easy—all you have to do is sign up to attend a regional training for trainers event in your area March 22-23. Can you volunteer? 

Become a Trainer!
Dear MoveOn member,

Inspired by the everyday heroes of Occupy Wall Street, this spring people everywhere are getting ready for a surge of action to confront the 1%.

To prepare, dozens of groups from across the progressive movement are starting with an unprecedented and ambitious goal for the 99% Spring: to train 100,000 people in nonviolent direct action, in the spirit of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks.

So far, the response has been huge. We're just getting started and already local organizations and volunteers nationwide have set up more than 400 trainings from April 9-15.

Now we need to find people who can volunteer to become trainers and help lead all those events. You've participated in MoveOn events in the past, and so we wanted to offer you this fun chance to to meet other passionate people committed to building our movement, learn new skills, and put them to use right away.

If you're interested, you can learn to be a 99% Spring nonviolence trainer by signing up to attend a regional training for trainers event in your area the weekend of March 22-23.

Click here if you can volunteer to become a trainer for the 99% Spring.

We'll follow up with the details about the regional event closest to you. We're looking for teachers, organizers, PTA parents—anyone who loves working with people. It's a big plus if you have previous experience as a trainer, but it's not required. You don't have to plan your own training event or worry about logistics or turnout—you can help just by becoming a volunteer trainer in your area.

We're looking for people who can attend an in-person training for trainers on March 22-23 and who are also able to volunteer to act as a trainer at a 99% Spring action training during the week of April 9-15.

If you'd like to volunteer, please click here to sign up:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=272319&id=36718-10220574-eTLSqkx&t=3

Thanks for all you do.

–Lenore, Robin, Carrie, Elena, and the rest of the team

MoveOn.org Civic Action is hosting the online event registration process for the 99% Spring action trainings but is not responsible for the content or programming of the trainings or for the planning or organization of any specific actions. The 99% Spring is a collaborative effort between many organizations to train over 100,000 Americans in the basics of nonviolent direct action—not an electoral campaign.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on March 6, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.