Baltimore Activist Alert -- December 20, 2023

30] Christian call-in for a ceasefire – Dec. 20

31] Senior Cohousing Q&A – Dec. 20

32] Palestine Solidarity Working Group – Dec. 20

33] Ceasefire now phone bank – Dec. 20

34] Preventing gun violence – Dec. 20

35] Reading Left Hand of Darkness – Dec. 20

36] Film American Fiction – Dec. 20

37] Criticizing Israel Isn’t Anti-Semitism – Dec. 20

38] Join DSA – Dec. 20

39] Defuse Nuclear War planning – Dec. 20

40] Common Cause "A Year in Review" – Dec. 20

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30] – Join the Christian call-in day for a ceasefire on Wed., Dec. 20. A number of faith groups are urging its members and supporters to take a moment to call the White House to ask President Biden to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to end the tremendous misery that is taking place. With more than 18,000 killed in Gaza so far – 70 percent of them women or children – ask President Biden to stop sending to Israel weapons such as bombs and tank rounds, because sending them clearly contradicts his call to protect the lives of civilians. Ask him instead to call for a ceasefire now. Click here for all the information you need to make a call on Wednesday: https://paxchristiusa.org/2023/12/15/dec-20-christian-call-in-day-for-ceasefire/

31] -- The Cohousing Association of the US <cohousingassociationofus@gmail.com> holds a Senior Cohousing Q&A, a monthly gathering on the 20th for the Cohousing Curious at noon ET.RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rduCgpjwiE9Yrxc0f6eFGYq1BAIcgTZ2S?_x_zm_rtaid=01962vrIQi-s0XK91BwuJA.1686412774280.c9885ef3669ee0d6dee9acd0084db8a1&_x_zm_rhtaid=323#/registration

32] -- Join the Pax Christi USA Palestine Solidarity Working Group on Wed., Dec. 20 at 6 PM ET. Everyone will get an update regarding work being done on an international, national and other levels by Pax Christi and allies to try to bring about a complete ceasefire as soon as possible. Share any successful work you may have been able to do in your state or region in these last few months regarding Gaza. Join the Zoom meeting at this link: https://cutt.ly/pal-mtg-dec

33] – The Working Families Party [reply@workingfamilies.org] is holding a Ceasefire Now phone bank on Wed., Dec. 20 at 3 PM ET.  Understand that the Palestinian people are distinct from Hamas, and the Israeli people do not represent the Israeli government's actions. The U.S. plays a role by providing military aid to Israel, and we must push for a permanent ceasefire.  Congress is set to vote on a bill that would send $14 billion in US taxpayer money and in US-made weapons to the Israeli military to support its brutal war. This is on top of the $3.5 billion we already send to the Israeli military every year. Israel’s bombing campaign and ground invasion have already killed at least 15,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, obliterated civilian infrastructure including schools and hospitals, and made entire cities uninhabitable.

  As more and more members of Congress come out for a ceasefire, there’s also growing momentum also to block any further military funding for Israel so long as its human rights abuses continue. There may be a vote in the Senate on such a provision as early as next week. Call your Senator and tell them you oppose US taxpayer dollars and US weapons being sent to the Israeli military to commit war crimes against Palestinian civilians. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/workingfamilies/event/589315/?utm_source=NatEmail-20231128&link_id=1&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&email_referrer=email_2128011&email_subject=join-the-phone-bank-to-stop-funding-the-war-in-gaza

34] – Are you a young person between 13 and 25 years old who is interested in taking action around preventing gun violence? On Wednesdays, including Dec. 20, from 6 to 7 PM ET, join a Team ENOUGH welcome session to learn more about the different ways you can engage.  Team ENOUGH is a youth-led program whose mission is to educate young voices about gun violence and mobilize them to take meaningful action against it. Supported by Brady United, it harnesses the expertise and experience of today’s youth to advance intersectional work across the country. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/425528/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_closest

35] – The Metro DC DSA [info@mdcdsa.org] wants you to know that the Reading Group on Le Guin’s Left Hand of Darkness will hold its initial meeting on Wed., Dec. 20 at 6:30 PM ET. RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/left-hand-of-darkness-reading-group?link_id=40&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-december-8-2023&email_referrer=email_2145979&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-december-15-2023

Read the book in weekly installments and discuss them on Zoom meetings, along with reading some other short fiction and queer theory, in pursuit of a better understanding of gender roles, gender radicals, gender variance, and all manner of queer stuff. A link to attend this virtual event will be emailed upon RSVP.  Email cowbellemoo@gmail.com.

36] –The Hip Hop Caucus [info@hiphopcaucus.org] on Wed., Dec. 20 at 6:30 PM is inviting you to a free Private Movie Screening of American Fiction at the Regal Gallery Place, 701 7th St. NW, WDC 20001.  AMERICAN FICTION is Cord Jefferson's hilarious directorial debut, which confronts our culture’s obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes. Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a frustrated novelist who is fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, Monk uses a pen name to write an outlandish “Black” book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain. RSVP at https://washingtondccommscreeningsamfc.splashthat.com/?link_id=4&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-free-private-movie-screening-this-wednesday-hosted-by-hip-hop-caucus&email_referrer=email_2148205&email_subject=free-private-movie-screening-this-wednesday-hosted-by-hip-hop-caucus

37] –The Committee for the Republic [events@committeefortherepublic.org] on Wed., Dec. 20 at 7 PM ET is hosting Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro who will address Criticizing Israel Isn’t Anti-Semitism. To virtually attend, go to https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ncRK-XdSTz6-ToRVzs4nMw#/registration

 Be startled if not unsettled. Israel uniquely asserts extraterritorial jurisdiction by extending national self-determination rights to non-citizens with no present or past connection to it. Israel is an outlier in claiming to speak for citizens of other countries, who are not expatriates and never plan on residing or even visiting Israel.  In contrast, non-Jewish Israeli citizens are subject to systematic discrimination. Israel uniquely stigmatizes disagreement with its national ideology – Zionism – as a form of racism (i.e., anti-Semitism). Zionists arrogate to Israel the right to define Judaism and Jewish identity—merging state and religion indistinguishable from Iran.

38] – Why You Should Join DSA / New Member Orientation will happen on Wed., Dec. 20 at 8 PM ET. Email info [at] mdcdsa.org. Curious about DSA? If so, this event is for you! You'll learn about DSA, and how you can get involved in the fight for a brighter future. You will find out about chapter's structure and campaigns, branches, and caucuses. This chapter covers the DMV area, including the District, Northern Virginia, and Montgomery County and Prince George's County in Maryland. RSVP for Zoom link at  https://actionnetwork.org/events/why-you-should-join-dsa-new-member-orientation-115?link_id=39&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-december-8-2023&email_referrer=email_2145979&email_subject=metro-dc-dsa-weekly-newsletter-for-december-15-2023

39] –The RootsAction Team [info@rootsaction.org] is preparing for Defuse Nuclear War, and will hold a prep session on Wed., Dec. 20 at 8 PM ET. Fill out a questionnaire: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1z6z9IgfX4KjAlEO7AUf9Lugww5Ad1FbDyVK0bLSpb1I/viewform?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=c482b211-3e2f-4d91-abdd-40ebf14ee79c&edit_requested=true

40] – Join Common Cause on Wed., Dec. 20 at 8 PM ET for an exclusive webinar, "A Year in Review." Take a journey through the year's triumphs and challenges, where seemingly impossible battles were turned into victories for democracy. From the successful challenge of lawless lawmakers in Moore v. Harper to a steadfast defense of democracy in statehouses across the country, Common Cause has been at the forefront of defending the principles that underpin our democracy. An unwavering commitment to justice led to Donald Trump's indictment, and a major hedge fund's attempt to take over local news was thwarted, ensuring diverse voices continue to be heard.

2023 was a banner year for Common Cause. Visit commoncause.org to join the webinar and continue the journey toward a more just and accountable democracy!

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, 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