Baltimore Activist Alert -- September 9, 2020

30] Send letters to key voters in critical states – Sept. 9

31] Gardening to Feed our Neighbors – Sept. 9

32] Food Pantry Pick-up – Sept. 9

33] Food Rescue – Sept. 9

34] Join Dorian Warren and Katrina vanden Heuvel -- Sept. 9

35] Extradition, Elections, Extinction of Press Freedom – Sept. 9

36] Absent but Needed, Palestinian Vision for the Future – Sept. 9

37] Going solar allows you to save money – Sept. 9

38] Stand Up America has adopted a Vote Forward campaign -- Sept. 9

39] Burma’s Path to Genocide – Sept. 9

40] Impact of the atomic bombs – Sept. 9

41] Medicare for All – Sept. 9

42] The Battle for Michigan – Sept. 9

43] 40th Anniversary of the Plowshares 8 Peace Witness – Sept. 9

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30] –  The Chesapeake Climate Action Network has a goal of sending 20,000 letters to key voters in critical states in this most important election.  It is looking for 19 people in Maryland to commit to writing 100 letters to meet this goal. If you spend fifteen minutes a day, you can get to 100 letters in 20 days.  Sign up to write letters to voters in critical states: https://votefwd.org/ccanactionfund.

31] – On Wed., Sept. 9 from 10 AM to 3 PM, be at Farming Hope: Gardening to Feed our Neighbors, hosted by Maryland Presbyterian Church and North Baltimore Presbyterians - Ministry Group. This is happening at Rockrose City Farm, 3800 Clipper Road, Baltimore 21211. You’re invited to garden this summer to help feed people experiencing food insecurity. Derrick Weston from the Mission team at Ashland Presbyterian Church, and staff member at Hope Springs, will be gardening at the Rockrose City Farm, located at 3999 Clipper Road, Baltimore, MD, 21211. Folks will gather each Wednesday through Sept. 30. All of the food grown will be donated to various food pantries in our area. Please be in contact if you would like to volunteer. This is a great socially distanced, outside activity, but please bring a mask, and water. Derrick can be reached at Dweston@HopeSprings.org or 410-443-5867.  Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/261101788435840/?event_time_id=261101811769171.

32] –  On Wed., Sept. 9 and Thurs., Sept. 10 from 11 AM to 1 PM, there is a Food Pantry Pick-up at Saint Wenceslaus Roman Catholic Church, 2111 Ashland Ave., Baltimore 21205. The Lucielle Fitzgerald Outreach Center is open to provide food to those in need.  Due to COVID-19 concerns, please come to the handicapped entrance on Duncan St. This will continue until Dec. 21 and 22. Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/304615223866431/?event_time_id=304615230533097.

33] – On Wednesdays, at noon, get with a Food Rescue at Umar Boxing, 1217 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21217-3535.  This will continue through Nov. 11. Bring a bag, take delicious, high quality, and nutritious free food! Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/446288255935427/?event_time_id=446288312602088.

34] – Join Dorian Warren, president of the Center for Community Change, and Nation editorial director and publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel on Wed., Sept. 9 at noon EDT for a critical discussion about how to organize the power of people most marginalized by injustice. Visit https://secure.everyaction.com/Blkvbhh5TUiWUtyG69n6xg2?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=nation-event-warren&sourceid=1063231&ms=EMM090320201A&utm_content=EMM090320201A.

Tickets are $10 for this crucial discussion about organizing, politics, and a new consensus of what is possible ahead of the most important election of our lives.  All proceeds directly support The Nation's journalism. If you have any questions, email fundraising@thenation.com.

35] – Join in on Wed., Sept. 9 at 1 PM ET for a JULIAN ASSANGE EVENT: Extradition, Elections, Extinction of Press Freedom.  Panelists Daniel Ellsberg, James Goodale, and Christopher Hedges will discuss the latest developments in the extradition hearings for WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange. Assange appeared for his extradition hearing on September 7 in London, and this undertaking is expected to last three weeks. He has been held since April of 2019 in Britain’s high-security Belmarsh prison since he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London on April 11, 2019.  The Pentagon Papers whistleblower Ellsberg is scheduled to give testimony on Assange’s behalf. James Goodale was The New York Times counsel during The Pentagon Papers period and he convinced them to publish the Papers, because the First Amendment protected the Times from prosecution.  They will be joined by author and journalist Christopher Hedges as they discuss the threat to press freedoms if Assange is extradited to the US.

The panel discussion, which will be followed by question and answer with the press and others will be held via Zoom. To register for the panel discussion RSVP or for more questions contact: malacykilbride@gmail.com.  To support this event, you can make a donation! The organizers do not want this to be limited to the choir; as they firmly believe journalists who have not been supportive of Assange need to recognize what is at risk for a Free Press  Professionals were hired to help make this event happen. It is hoped that this event will encourage more coverage of the trial especially by the US Press. To donate, email Malachy Kilbride at malachykilbride@gmail.com.

36] – Jim Zogby wrote his Washington Watch column "Absent But Needed, Palestinian Vision for the Future." on why a new Palestinian vision for the future is sorely needed.  Register to receive the dial-in information for the Zoom call on Wed., Sept. 9 from 2 to 2:30 PM ET at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEpduCgpzgjEt1tNZH00Pg9zme38zVPo-7Z?emci=8ea456f5-d9f1-ea11-99c3-00155d039e74&emdi=8ad8ab09-e4f1-ea11-99c3-00155d039e74&ceid=389907.

37] – Going solar allows you to save money and take control of where your electricity comes from. More than that, it benefits everyone, even those who don’t have solar.  Despite these truths, monopoly utilities and their allies are waging a smear campaign against solar. They’ve spent millions of dollars trying to convince the public that rooftop solar increases costs for non-solar users. You may have heard this called the “cost-shift”.  Join in on Wed., Sept. 9 at 2 PM ET and learn from two national experts how you can fight back against the cost-shift myth.  RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_11OMn9mhRIOfJ48jMzL_uA.

38] – Stand Up America has adopted a Vote Forward campaign. Now, with 56 days until Election Day, it’s time to sit down and craft letters to your adopted voters. This is your chance to make it clear just how much is at stake in this election. To help with the writing process and to get excited about turning out the vote, join a letter writing party on Wed., Sept. 9 at 3 PM ET.  At this virtual gathering, discuss what gets us fired up about voting and brainstorm the best ways to put that into writing. Questions will be answered you might have about the process and logistics. RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/standupamerica/event/316159/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=actionkit.

39] – From Citizens to Outsiders: Burma’s Path to Genocide will be heard on Wed., Sept. 9 from 3 to 4 PM ET.  Join HIAS for a virtual tour of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s new online exhibit “Burma’s Path to Genocide,” and learn how the Rohingya, a religious and ethnic minority in Burma, became targets of a sustained campaign of genocide starting in 2016. Hear from a former political prisoner and Rohingya activist, receive an update on the current situation, and find out how you can help. Advanced registration required at https://www.hias.org/get-involved/events/citizens-outsiders-burmas-path-genocide.

40] – Survival, Resilience & Legacy: The Impact of the Atomic Bomb on Three Generations takes place on Wed., Sept. 9 at 6 PM ET.  This Online Event includes a conversation with Ray Matsumiya & Yoshino Matsumiya. Join the live talk: https://vimeo.com/454848735 https://vimeo.com/454848735.  The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 devastated 4.7 square miles of the city and killed over 140,000 people. As the city rebuilt, it adopted and nurtured a remarkable culture of peace that impacted every facet of its society.  This talk will explore the impact of Hiroshima's atomic bombing.  See http://masspeaceaction.org/event/survival-resilience-legacy-the-impact-of-the-atomic-bomb-on-three-generations/?emci=ac924c53-3bf1-ea11-99c3-00155d039e74&emdi=8ba42b7e-3ef1-ea11-99c3-00155d039e74&ceid=269591.

41] – Join a webinar to learn more about the basics of Medicare for All and get your questions answered. Health care is very confusing as it is, and I know a lot of people have heard of Medicare for All or single-payer, but may not know what it is or how it works.  This Medicare for All 101 webinar is geared toward beginners to learn more about our current system and answer their questions about reform.  To choose a date and time, RSVP here: https://act.medicare4all.org/signup/mfa-101-webinars/.  The available dates are as follows: on Wed., Sept. 9 at 7 PM ET, Tues., Sept. 15 at 6 PM ET and Thurs., Sept. 24 at 7 PM ET. Can’t make any of these dates? Send an email to info@medicare4all.org and you will be ensured that you will get what you need to get started! 

42] – On Wed., Sept. 9 form 7 to 9 PM, The Battle for Michigan, hosted by Profs and Pints. Tune into this Online Event at https://www.crowdcast.io/e/michiganpolitics.  This is a look at politics in a key swing state, with David Dulio, professor of political science and director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Oakland University. In 2016 Donald Trump shocked many by breaking down the much-talked about “Blue Wall” that included states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania on his way to an Electoral College victory. In 2020, those states will likely again be key to both major party candidates for president.

Join David Dulio, an expert on Michigan politics, as he revisits key elements to Trump's razor-thin statewide victory there in 2016 and examines key dynamics at play in 2020. He’ll discuss data from 2016, including turnout and vote share, which shows the importance of differences in Michigan’s political geography and the impact of key strategic decisions made by the candidates’ campaigns. The talk will examine a fascinating area in Michigan that was exceedingly important in 2016 and promises to be again in 2020: Macomb County, home to many members of the key voting bloc known as “Reagan Democrats.” Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg first coined the term based on in-depth research in Macomb County after the 1980 and 1984 elections, and the voter population that was key to Reagan’s victories in Michigan came back with a vengeance in 2016, helping Trump capture the state. They’ll be courted by both Trump and Biden in 2020, and could be deciding forces yet again. Ticket: $12. This talk will remain available in recorded form. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/349476982878584/.

43] – Commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Plowshares 8 Peace Witness on Wed., Sept. 9 from 7 to 9 PM ET.  The Plowshares 8 were Fr. Carl Kabat, Elmer Maas, Phil Berrigan, Molly Rush, Fr. Dan Berrigan, Sr. Anne Montgomery, John Schuchardt and Dean Hammer. This Witness took place on September 9, 1980 when they entered the GE plant in King of Prussia, PA, and hammered on nuclear missile nose cones.   Virtually, reflect with Molly Rush, Dean Hammer and John Schuchardt. Check out http://masspeaceaction.org/event/commemorate-the-40th-anniversary-of-the-plowshares-8-peace-witness/?emci=ac924c53-3bf1-ea11-99c3-00155d039e74&emdi=8ba42b7e-3ef1-ea11-99c3-00155d039e74&ceid=269591.

To get the link on Zoom, contact Joyce Rothermel at rothermeljoyce@gmail.com.  To view the film of the Plowshares 8 trial, go to YouTube at https://youtu.be/kUph8GWFupE.

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