"Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it toward others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world." - Etty Hillesum
Thank Rubio for Standing Against the Big Lie
Although Senator Marco Rubio rarely represents our views, this week he spoke out in a way that deserves our thanks and encouragement. As Republicans in both the US House and Senate work to block the creation of a bipartisan, independent Commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection, Rubio was one of only 7 GOP senators to express a willingness to at least consider joining the House in authorizing such an investigation. "If we can have a serious examination of the events leading up to, occurring, and in the aftermath of that day, we should do it,” he said. “We need to learn as much as we can.” It will take 10 Republican votes and all the Senate Democrats to win Senate approval for the Commission.
At a moment when Republicans across the country are doubling down on the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump, a credible, bipartisan examination of the events of January 6 is important to restoring faith in our electoral process.
Please write or call Senator Rubio today to thank him for this week's statement and urge him to support this investigation when it comes to a Senate vote perhaps as soon as this week. It took courage last January for him to certify the votes that elected Joe Biden president. It will take courage now to stand against Senator McConnell and the majority of GOP Senators who are doing their best to downplay and dismiss the events of last January.
BAM's Letter to Editor Group Is Off to a Great Start!
If you're looking for a way to reach out and influence others in our community, consider joining BAM's new Letters to the Editor group. The aim is to share the work of communicating regularly with local media on issues we care about. Kudos to Nancy Staats and Heather Montanye, whose letters refuting the Big Lie, and supporting the logic of vaccine passports ran successively in each of the last two editions of the Beaches Leader. (See page 5 in both cases.) If you're interested in joining this group of articulate progressives, email Nancy to learn more.
Help Us Decide: When/How Do We Meet In Person?
With Adele Grage due to reopen in June, the BAM Board is meeting soon to map our plans for when and how to offer in-person meetings once again - and what role Zoom might play in our future gatherings.
This is your last chance to weigh in on these decisions. Please take just a minute to answer two questions and let us know your preferences. All answers will be anonymous so feel free to express yourself in detail.
How Can We Fight Voter Suppression?
Florida's Senate Bill 90 has been signed into law, prompting a blizzard of lawsuits. If you aren't already a member of groups like Common Cause, League of Women Voters, and the Black Lives Matters Fund, consider a donation to support their legal challenges.
In addition, prepare to get busy here in Florida. The new law complicates the process of using Vote by Mail, but it does not make voting impossible. Here in Duval County, close to 50,000 voters' Vote by Mail status would have expired this year even without the new law. One simple and necessary step toward preparing for 2022 is to help them renew their registrations. Then we'll go on to register new Vote by Mail users, and new voters. Stay tuned for details. And if you want to help devise and run this work, please email us now and let us know what you can do and when.
Bình luận