Baltimore Activist Alert -- December 7 - 8, 2020

20] Get out the vote in Georgia -- Dec. 7 – 8

21] Get out the vote in Georgia -- Dec. 7 – 8

22] Get out the vote in Georgia -- Dec. 7 – 8

23] Explore how elites galvanize people for war -- Dec. 7

24] Join a discussion on Michele Flournoy -- Dec. 7

25] Our Revolution Weekly National Organize to Win Call -- Dec. 7

26] Get Money Out of Maryland – Dec. 7

27] Hear Oxfam President and CEO Abby Maxman -- Dec. 8

28] Park Bench Chat – Dec. 8

29] What is happening in Hong Kong? – Dec. 8

30] Strike for the Common Good-- Dec. 8

31] Protest JHU’s weapons research – Dec. 8

32] Sierra Club's annual "Lobby Night” – Dec. 8  

33] Progressive Maryland meeting – Dec. 8

34] Free Them All -- Dec. 8

35] Connecting Faith, Climate, and Justice -- Dec. 8

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20] – Make Calls for Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.  The presidential election may be over (Donald Trump’s refusal to concede notwithstanding), but control of the US Senate hangs in the balance, pending the results of two runoff elections in Georgia, the nation’s newest battleground state. Early voting starts December 14, and Special Election Day is January 5, 2021. The Sierra Club will be making phone calls in support of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, whose races could determine the fate of President-Elect Biden’s ambitious green agenda. Sign up to call Georgia voters at https://www.mobilize.us/sierraclubbattleground/event/272291/?utm_source=insider&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter. The available times are Mon., Dec. 7 from 3 to 6 PM and 6 to 9 PM EST and on Tues., Dec. 8 from 3 to 6 PM and 6 to 9 PM EST.  The calls will continue through Tues., Jan. 5 from 6 to 9 PM EST.

21] – The New Georgia Project is organizing volunteers to make calls to Georgia voters EVERY DAY through Election Day. Click here to sign up for a phone banking shift (or three) to help get out the vote in Georgia: https://www.mobilize.us/dailykos_2/event/363868/?link_id=1&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-wanna-make-mitch-mcconnell-utterly-irrelevant-heres-how-2&email_referrer=email_1012290&email_subject=who-controls-the-senate-is-coming-down-to-georgia-please-be-able-to-say-you-did-all-you-could-to-help-us-win-rsvp,  Make calls on Mon., Dec. 7 and Tues., Dec. 8 from 5 to 8 PM ET.  The calls will continue.

22] – The more voters in Georgia this January, the better. The Southern Poverty Law Center is working to ensure that turnout in the upcoming runoff elections is just as high as in the record-breaking November election – or even higher. Will you help? There are two virtual phone banking events to help assist get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts in Georgia.  The first, the Georgia Absentee Voting Power Hours, is on Mon., Dec. 7 from 6 to 7 PM ET. Sign up at https://action.splcenter.org/a/december-7th-splc-power-hour-virtual-phone-bank.  The second one is on Wed., Dec. 9 from 6 to 7 PM ET. Sign up at https://action.splcenter.org/a/december-9th-splc-power-hour-virtual-phone-bank.

23] – You're invited to join on Mon., Dec. 7 from 7 to 8:30 PM for a special webinar with Yale Magrass and Charles Derber, authors of Glorious Causes, to explore how elites galvanize people for war and bring them to adopt political-economic identities which contradict their rational self-interest.  For example, why did poor White Southerners, few of whom might ever own slaves, fight in the bloodiest war up to its time to protect the right of a few thousand to own vast plantations with hundreds of slaves? How did the Nazis gain control of one of the most developed countries in the world, not with a promise of personal prosperity, but “discipline, fidelity, and honor?” How did workers abandoned after the New Deal come to identify with the neoliberal Reaganist elites who exploited them?

   To register for the Zoom link for GLORY - The Deadliest Drug, contact Greta at greta@worldbeyondwar.org. In the wake of a global pandemic, abandoned industries, decaying infrastructure, deteriorating environment, and a declining standard of living, the 99% are offered the promise that they can merge with the glorious American democracy, the "beacon" for the rest of the world, even if this democracy is ruled by an oligarchy. Soldiers can be convinced to kill and die for freedom - the freedom of Exxon-Mobil to invest anywhere in the world.

24] – Join a discussion on Michele Flournoy and why she should not become the next U.S. Secretary of Defense [sic]. Flournoy's record includes emphatic support for the failed and tragic military surge in Afghanistan, troops on the ground in Syria, military intervention in Libya. She has opposed a ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and her approach to China is potentially catastrophic, having called for a boost in spending on cyberwarfare and drones, as well as more troop deployments to the South China Sea to conduct roving war games near two nuclear powers -- China and North Korea. Join us for a conversation about why Flournoy should not become the next Secretary of Defense and the efforts underway to block her nomination or confirmation.  The panelists include Medea Benjamin.  Join on Mon., Dec. 7 from 8 to 9 PM either as a participant via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83255054589 or by watching it live on CODEPINK’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSTEGsYwuvPpwjtIufg7gzA. CONTACT Ariel Gold at ariel@codepink.org or 510-599-5330.

25] – Join the Our Revolution Weekly National Organize to Win Call on Mon., Dec. 7 at 8:30 PM EST to learn about breaking progressive wins in Georgia and Illinois and get the latest update on what’s happening on Capitol Hill from Rep. Jamie Raskin! Join the call here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/993867009.  Or go to the Facebook event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/806447073112122/?event_time_id=806447079778788.

26] – Join the Get Money Out of Maryland Teleconference on Mon., Nov. 30 from 8:30 to 9:30 PM.  There are two ways to join the conference: Dial 1 929 205 6099, and then use meeting ID: 512 862 260. Or Click on your device if you have downloaded the app from Zoom. The focus will be on organizational sign-ups, public relations, and logistics for lobbying in Annapolis.

27] - Be sure to register for Oxfam President and CEO Abby Maxman's year-end virtual chat on Tues., Dec. 8 at noon or later at 8 PM Et. This will be a unique opportunity to meet Abby, hear her personal reflections on the moments of change that have shaped the year, and share your hopes for the future. Your support for Oxfam is a crucial part of its ongoing fight to solve the root causes of poverty in the US and around the world. Go to https://oxfam.zoom.us/webinar/register/5816019979912/WN_ecwTi7IATIO1n8jM13kdbA?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101900591&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8p_W0_LUvNAet0f2BypikVSSbpoQ1V_R_F1kbLh8AFw2UXxAsIo5sDq8BhUCqSqnr2k_cHve1Gk1GPvz58V2o9S9dQPL9O_Tb8oCRbWvMUHC2e1IY&utm_content=101900591&utm_source=hs_email.

28] – Join the Trust for Public Land for a virtual conversation on Tues., Dec. 8 at 2 PM ET for a Park Bench Chat with corporate and advocacy leaders to discuss addressing social inequalities through philanthropic investments in communities, brand positioning, and fostering more welcoming and inclusive environments outside, within the workplace, and beyond. Register here: https://tpl.zoom.us/webinar/register/7116050461582/WN_GHkWgGT9SkGg6Jk_i1olcQ.

29] – Join Amnesty International UK on Tues., Dec. 8 from 2 to 3 PM to hear about the state of human rights in Hong Kong in the midst of a government crackdown. Hear from Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Gwyneth Ho, who has been violently attacked by pro-government thugs and banned from standing for election to the legislative council.  Hong Kong's national security law criminalizes acts of “separatism, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign or external forces,” with offenses punishable by a minimum sentence of three years and a maximum of life imprisonment. At least 29 people have been arrested under the law since it was enacted.  

Gwyneth Ho is a Hong Kong activist and former journalist, whose video footage of a violent attack on pro-democracy protesters at the Yuen Long train station went viral around the world. In July 2020, following the introduction of a new national security law, Ho and other pro-democracy candidates were disqualified from running in the Hong Kong election, despite receiving the highest number of votes in the primaries. Brendan Hughes is a political reporter for Belfast Live and has written about the human rights situation in Hong Kong. Brendan will be chairing the Q&A. Sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/amnesty-international-lecture-the-crackdown-on-human-rights-in-hong-kong-tickets-129910785657.

30] –  On Tues., Dec. 8 from 4 to 5 PM ET, join the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and hear from the voices behind Strike for the Common Good.  This webinar will delve into education and union power in a new age of labor activism—including online organizing, anti-austerity movements, and pushing for racial justice in the classroom. Hear from Rebecca Kolins Givan, co-editor of Strike for the Common Good, as well as Jesse Hagopian, an educator and racial justice activist, who will share his story of direct action and organizing in Seattle. EPI Research Associate Sylvia Allegretto will discuss what workers can learn from teachers organizing and EPI Director of EARN Naomi Walker will moderate the discussion. Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_A8tVjmyLSC6xbw-9o_26pA?utm_source=Economic+Policy+Institute&utm_campaign=6dcb3b2380-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_10_02_06_32_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e7c5826c50-6dcb3b2380-59830565&mc_cid=6dcb3b2380&mc_eid=72ea77dbdd.

31] – There is a Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" at 33rd and N. Charles Sts. on Tuesdays from 5 to 6 PM. Contact Max at mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net or 410-323-1607.  You may consider contacting President Ron Daniels and telling him that the university should reject all military contracts, including those for killer drone and nuclear weapons research.  The president’s mailing address is Office of the President, 242 Garland Hall, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland 21218.  You can also reach his office by Phone: (410) 516-8068, Fax: (410) 516-6097 or email: president@jhu.edu.

32] – Join a virtual organizing session on Tues., Dec. 8 at 6 PM to learn how you can play an important role in supporting the Maryland Sierra Club's annual "Lobby Night(s)" in the General Assembly!  Our Lobby Night(s) is a BIG event hosted each year to fight for the passage of key bills that fight climate change and protect our health and environment. To participate in the Pre-Lobby Night(s) Leadership Orientation, contact Lindsey Mendelson at lindsey.mendelson@mdsierra.org or 301-277-7111.

33] – Progressive Maryland will bring its members, old and new, together on Tues.,  Dec. 8 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM for a Member Welcome Meeting. Share critical information for EVERY Progressive Maryland member, whether you have been fighting for just 3 months or for the past several  years. Note that this is a gathering only for our current members.  Not a member? Sign up to become a member of PM by following this link: https://www.progressivemaryland.org/join?utm_campaign=memo5nov2020&utm_medium=email&utm_source=progressivemaryland.  To sign up for the Member Welcome Meeting, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkcuqrqDkqGdUbZ_o2IEt05r9ducN2taBf?emci=24c4632f-822b-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid=.

34] - Join the #nowaytotreatachild campaign for a webinar on Tues., Dec. 8 at 8 PM ET.  Hear about efforts with work in the United States to release people from prisons, jails, and detention centers—and move toward a future without incarceration. Register for the webinar at https://nwttac.dci-palestine.org/nwttac_webinar_20201208?utm_campaign=dec_20_webinar_invite&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dcipalestine. Immigration activists, prison abolitionists, and those calling to defund the police are organizing across the country under the call to #FreeThemAll. The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), partners, and communities across the U.S. are coming together between Dec. 10 and 18 for AFSC's National Days of Action to #FreeThemAll. During the days of action, AFSC will hold protests at prisons, jails, detention centers, ICE offices, statehouses, and city halls to demand the immediate release of people from incarceration.

35] – On Tues., Dec. 8 at 7 PM ET, get with Connecting Faith, Climate, and Justice—a Virtual Conversation. Climate change does not exist as its own calamity—it is deeply interconnected with the inequities and injustices that pervade our society, both in the United States and globally. The Union of Concerned Scientists invites you to learn how the group has come to connect the call of faith with the need for action on climate change and racial justice. Register at https://secure.ucsusa.org/onlineactions/XZILm3qCskCkTlUtbnrFwA2?contactdata=M2YjlE%2fXAtB%2bB6M%2fVF54aFEvGdiYPNXLZhMD6WuMISHsIfBZiOLm6ph73cVfSG6pZygEoYTk0rFtSKXrrEhuY3L0LgrUkeCh%2bQQqEu%2bgoGQL%2fCMwR8x1FvkZKzb%2bsRuM4oUYtfK9mm%2bYMyL4BKZxUtNrfE4%2bbj5NgI8Px84NSBznC8q5dpRKCVGo%2f%2bo%2fjRbWXfHmZaNhDd2BXMBtnAUe%2b3ogrCA%2b2aIlrkGJY5ykOlCgmECauHYO7GNu34ocasi2rjbv1kUQ05O8HDeOs2EYEw%3d%3d&utm_campaign=email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email&emci=d1aadcef-3c2b-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=a01791c9-952d-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=1507036. Email events@ucsusa.org if you have questions.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Baltimore, MD 21212.  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