SOTU? Feeling Pelosi. Action Alert, February 23, 2023

beachesactivistmov
2 hours ago
4 min read

State of the Union: What Would Nancy Do?

Trump will give the first State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday, February 24th at 9 p.m. It will be carried live by all of the major broadcast outlets. While we would

normally consider it our civic duty to watch, we're feeling a little Pelosi. You will recall that during his first term, then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stood on the dias behind Trump and, following his speech in 2020, ripped up her copy in a burst of unspoken fury. Sigh. We know what is coming. To preserve our mental health --- and minimize his viewship numbers --- here are a few suggestions for what you can do instead:

Watch a political thriller. Notes LA Times Culture Critic Maureen McNamara, "This year...has seen a marked abundance of stories dealing with government scheming, corruption, incompetence and general mayhem...But the beauty of the political thriller is that there’s almost always someone able to fight back and ensure that justice prevails." Check out her 10 top picks.
Explore the Constitution. Does the Constitution have what it takes to keep up with modern America? Join Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! as he travels across the country on his motorcycle in search of where the U.S. Constitution lives, how it works, and how it doesn’t… how it unites us as a nation and how it has nearly torn us apart. Stream Constitution USA here.
Attend the "People's State of the Union." MoveOn.org and a host of other groups have put together an alternative event featuring progressive leaders, activists, and everyday Americans most impacted by Trump’s chaos at 8 pm Tuesday, opposite the SOTU. RSVP and get a link to tune in.
View the Democratic Rebuttal. Newly elected VA Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic rebuttal to Trump’s address immediately following his speech. CA Sen. Alex Padilla is also slated to give the Democratic response in Spanish. Watch on all the major networks.

Then join us on Wednesday morning as we read the top SOTU takeaways on our newsfeeds!

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Volunteer for JAX ACLU Raise Project

We are now recruiting volunteer legal observers to implement the ACLU RAISE initiative locally! Please consider participating in this important project.

The Rapid Response Alliance for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (RAISE) is a coalition formed by leaders in the human rights community, advocates, civil rights attorneys, and immigration law experts with decades of experience. The goal of this initiative is to ensure members of our community impacted by immigration enforcement and mass deportation are afforded all of their legal rights and due process, and are connected to mutual aid and other resources for themselves and their families.

RAISE includes two components: (1) a statewide Florida hotline (1-888-600-5762) that anyone can call for help or to report ICE/CBP immigration enforcement activities, and (2) a network of trained volunteer legal observers that monitor and document enforcement activities reported to the hotline. Our priority would be responding to reports at the Beach or nearby areas.

Help us build our network in Jacksonville by volunteering as a trained legal observer. As a legal observer, you will be responsible for:

Monitoring and responding to local reports of immigration enforcement activities,
Safely documenting these activities when possible, and
Providing this documentation to the ACLU/RAISE staff for follow-up.

Find out details and other ways you can help support the project here. Ready to volunteer? Training is not only offered to be a legal observer, it is required. If you're interested in that training, complete this form. Let us know if you have already completed the required online training, and we'll expedite your enrollment as a legal observer.

Join Singing Resistance Jax for

Community Sing this Weekend!

There was a full house at last week's inaugural gathering of Singing Resistance Jax!

If you missed it, join the group for the National Weekend of Action Community Sing! Saturday, February 28th at Riverfront Plaza (the site of the former Jax Landing), 10-11 am.

The group is gathering by the river to raise their voices for hope, justice, and community. No music experience is necessary, and all ages are welcome! Come early to find parking and bring chairs, blankets, and refreshments.

Lift your voice. Build community. Gather your courage. Follow the group on Facebook! Joyful resistance!

No Kings 3 Needs You!

Be a part of the biggest mass action in Jacksonville's history! We need your time, talent, and resources to make No Kings 3 even bigger and better on March 28th. We are aiming for 10,000 participants at multiple events, culminating in a march and rally downtown. Four things you can do right now:

Sign up here to participate and get more information and updates!
Volunteer! --- our priority right now is recruiting safety marshals and medical volunteers --- by signing up here.
Join the Peace Keepers, who we depend on to keep the event safe and secure. Complete this form for training on Saturday, February 28th from 3-5 pm. Contact us if you want to carpool from the Beach.
Donate here to help defray the costs of Jacksonville's event--- it will help us pay for equipment (sound system!), entertainment, and promotional activities.

NO KINGS is a nonviolent, peaceful national day of action and mass mobilization in response to the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration. We’re standing together against the abuses of power, cruelty, and corruption. On March 28, we gather to remind President Trump and his enablers: America has no kings!

Get Medicaid Expansion on the Ballot!

In the wake of cuts to Obamacare subsidies and the devastating impact on state residents, Florida Decides Healthcare has relaunched a push to get Medicaid expansion on the ballot in 2028. Find out more and request a petition using this online portal today. You'll receive a blank petition to sign and a stamped, addressed envelope to return it to campaign organizers. Please share this link with your family and friends!

Sign of the Week!

For some reason, we didn't get many middle fingers last Saturday at the Beaches Library protest. MAGA was flummoxed!

Join us next Saturday at 10 am and bring a donation (toiletries or canned goods)! It was a beautiful day to save democracy! Thanks to the Neptune Beach Coalition for organizing! RSVP here.