Sunday, February 10, 2019

Baltimore Activist Alert -- February 11 - 14, 2019


20] Lobby Congress stopping a war with Iran – Feb. 11 - 14
21] Dirty Dozen List Revealed – Feb. 11
22] Help Ban Brain-damaging Chlorpyrifos – Feb. 11
23] FINAL VOTE: Baltimore Clean Air Act – Feb. 11
24] Fight for a Raise Lobby Night – Feb. 11
25] Honest Conversations on Immigration -- Feb. 11
26] Get the Money Out conference call – Feb. 11
27] Examine the legacy and trajectory of the Iranian revolution -- Feb. 12
28] Peace Vigil – Feb. 12
29] No Drone Research DEMO – Feb. 12
30] Montgomery County Regional Monthly Meeting – Feb. 12
31] See the film DUCK SOUP – Feb. 12
32] Extinction Rebellion DC Chapter Public Meeting – Feb. 12
33] Baltimore Community Convening: Lobby Night Training – Feb. 12
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20] – RSVP to lily@codepink.org if you’d like to join CODEPINK from Mon, Feb. 11 to Thurs., Feb. 14 in Washington, D.C. to advocate for peace with Iran in Congress.

21] – On Mon., Feb. 11 at 11 AM to 1 PM, get over to 2019 Dirty Dozen List Reveal Event, hosted by National Center on Sexual Exploitation at 440 1st St. NW, 440 1st St. NW, Suite 840, WDC 20001.  IF YOU CAN'T JOIN IN-PERSON, WATCH LIVE ONLINE! No corporation should profit from or facilitate sexual exploitation.  Unfortunately, many well-established brands, companies, and organizations in the USA do. Since 2013, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation has published an annual Dirty Dozen List to name and shame the mainstream players in the country that perpetuate sexual exploitation—whether that be through pornography, prostitution, sexual objectification, sexual violence and/or sex trafficking. The Dirty Dozen List is an activism tool that gives back power to individuals who want a voice in the culture. People can participate by taking easy online actions, from sending emails to sharing social media messages.

In today’s world, corporations drive our culture. They influence how people communicate, how they dress, and what information they receive. When a company makes a positive change to stop promoting sexploitation, it has a ripple effect that influences countless lives.  The Dirty Dozen List has a track record of uniting thousands of individual actions and targeting them to create monumental changes, such as policy improvements at Google, Hilton Worldwide, Verizon, Walmart, and the Department of War.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1546203248848547/.

22] - Come to the Lobby Night on Mon., Feb 11 from 4:45 to 8 PM to help Ban Brain-damaging Chlorpyrifos. The Maryland Smart on Pesticides Coalition is organizing this event. REGISTER at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0fCiPuQV8z-uLMM6tKSLMC59fk-hAAmoFYUrl3mqpqSfXUg/viewform. Meet at the Asbury United Methodist Church, 87 West St., Annapolis 21401.  FOOD will be PROVIDED, including vegetarian and gluten-free options.  The training will last one hour, and then lobby teams will disperse for meetings and to drop off informational packets in legislative offices.

You may remember under the Obama administration, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientists urged a chlorpyrifos ban after finding that there were no safe tolerance levels for humans, and that chlorpyrifos damages the nervous system. The insecticide is also linked to cognitive and motor decline in children who are exposed through drinking water, and to memory decline in farm workers. In addition, chlorpyrifos is associated with dizziness, nausea, preterm births, and lowered IQ scores.  In his first act as administrator, after consulting with Dow Chemical’s top executive, former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt reversed the position of EPA’s scientists, leaving in place the existing food tolerance levels for the pesticide. Dow produces chlorpyrifos.

23] – On Mon., Feb. 11 from 5 to 6 PM, come to the FINAL VOTE: Baltimore Clean Air Act, hosted by Clean Air Baltimore Coalition at City Hall, 100 Holliday St., Baltimore 21202. Support the final City Council vote on the Baltimore Clean Air Act! The polluters are running scared. Council needs your support! Please call or email Council President Young (410-396-4804 or CouncilPresident@baltimorecity.gov) and your District Councilmember and ask them to please support the Baltimore Clean Air Act. Find your council member's info here: www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/council-members.  THANK those who already voted yes, which is all councilmembers EXCEPT Schliefer, Costello and Pinkett. Visit www.cleanairbmore.org/cleanairact for more info! Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/2300421533528644/.

24] – On Mon., Feb. 11 from 6 to 9 PM, join the Fight for a Raise Lobby Night, hosted by AFSCME Maryland in the Maryland House of Delegates, 6 Bladen St., Annapolis 21401. THIS LEGISLATIVE SEASON, REFUSE TO SETTLE FOR LESS BECAUSE THE PEOPLE ARE COUNTING ON US!  Gov. Hogan has proposed a 3% COLA for July of 2019.  In 3 of the last 4 budgets submitted by Gov. Hogan, there were NO step increases.  The State of Maryland has a SURPLUS of over $500 million. IF YOU REFUSE TO SETTLE, COME TO ANNAPOLIS!  AFSCME members need to stand together. Make your voice heard and stand up for working families in Maryland.  Rides available from Eastern Shore, Western MD and Baltimore. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/594593917633867/.

25] – On Mon., Feb. 11 from 6:30 to 8 PM, get involved in an Honest Conversations on Immigration hosted by the Latino Racial Justice Circle.  There will also be a meeting on Mon., Feb. 18 at 6:30 PM and on Mon., Feb. 25 at 6:30 PM.  These meetings will be at 528 E. 22nd St., Baltimore 21218-5405.  The Latino Racial Justice Circle (LRJC) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) will hold a series of community dialogues on religion, race and immigration at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Baltimore. The goal is to promote mutual understanding and collaboration between immigrants and people born in the United States.  Registration is required and free. Contact Dr. Felipe Filomeno at filomeno@umbc.edu.

  This project is made possible by a grant from Maryland Humanities, through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the Honest Conversations do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Maryland Humanities. See https://www.facebook.com/events/949827501875178/?event_time_id=949827505208511.

26] – Join the Get Money Out of Maryland Teleconference on Monday, Feb. 11 from 8:30 to 9:30 PM.  Call 605-475-6711, code 1136243#.  Work only on brainstorming ideas for participation in the upcoming General Election.

27] – On Tues., Feb. 12 from 9 AM to 4 PM, go to a conference that aims to examine the legacy and trajectory of the Iranian revolution and its impact on a tumultuous region at the Atlantic Council, 1030 15th St. NW, 12th Floor (West Tower Elevator), WDC. The Islamic Republic of Iran will mark the 40th anniversary of the overthrow of its pro-Western monarch, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, after a popular revolution. During the past four decades, Iran has faced a variety of pressures, both internal and external, and will be marking this anniversary in an atmosphere of renewed sanctions, domestic protests and uncertainty about US policy in the Middle East.  For questions, email Masoud Mostajabi at MMostajabi@AtlanticCouncil.org. See https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/events/upcoming-events/detail/irans-revolution-turns-forty.

28] –  Each Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, the Catholic Peace Fellowship-Philadelphia for peace in Afghanistan and Iraq gathers at the Suburban Station, 16th St. & JFK Blvd., at the entrance to Tracks 3 and 4 on the mezzanine.  The next vigil is Feb. 12.  Call 215-426-0364.

29] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 33rd & North Charles Sts. The next vigil will be on Feb. 12 from 5 to 6 PM. Contact Max at mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net or 410-323-1607. 

30] -  On Tues., Feb. 12 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, the  Montgomery County Regional Monthly Meeting participants will hear the report from the Environmental Justice Task Force, Housing Task Force, and discuss the regional, state and national organizing of the PPC:NCMR. The meeting will be at the County Council Office Building Cafeteria, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville 20850. Visit https://actionnetwork.org/events/maryland-poor-peoples-campaign-legislative-demands-news-conference-2?source=direct_link&.

31] – On Tues., Feb. 12 at 6:30 PM, check out the film DUCK SOUP at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1502 W. 13th St., Wilmington, DE. The film is considered one of the greatest comedy masterpieces of all time. It stars the Marx Brothers, with Groucho Marx as Rufus T. Firefly, who becomes dictator of Freedonia. His inept regime bumbles into war with neighboring Sylvania while Harpo and Chico Marx are spies. The loony dictatorship, warped religion and pointless warfare are a comic relief to the dictatorships, warped religion and pointless warfare of today. See http://depaceminterris.org/pacem-in-terris-2019-winter-film-series/.

32] -- On Tues., Feb. 12 from 7 to 9 PM, attend the Extinction Rebellion DC Chapter Public Meeting at 1241 Evarts St. NE, WDC 20018-3710. XR DC will be holding an open public meeting at the beautiful Code Pink House - a short walk from the Rhode Island Metro Station on the Red line in NE DC. Some light snacks and beverages will be served. Strategize to create weekly disruptions as well as working on other long-term projects for the group. If you're interested in sharing your time, skills, or experience with us, please join!  Check out https://xrebellion.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/events/733544453698040/?notif_t=plan_user_invited&notif_id=1549677762316666.

33] – On Tues., Feb. 12 from 7 to 9 PM, there is a Baltimore Community Convening: Lobby Night Training, hosted by Jews United for Justice at the Bolton Street Synagogue, 212 W. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore 21210.  Feeling energized about JUFJ’s advocacy during this year’s legislative season? Come to JUFJ-Baltimore’s next Community Convening! Get ready to engage our legislators in Annapolis on Lobby Night. Learn about the issues JUFJ is supporting, work in teams to form arguments, and do some role playing to practice talking with our representatives.  As Rabbi Hillel showed us, many of the issues we face are deeply complicated, AND we can still find a core value at the heart of that complexity. When asked to summarize the Torah while standing on one foot, Rabbi Hillel said “That which is hateful to you, do not do to another.” Sign up at https://jufj.org/event/baltimore-monthly-community-convening-lobby-night-training/.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs

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