94 DAYS TO THE ELECTION
THE SUPREME COURT GAVE TRUMP DANGEROUS WINS, WE NEED TO RESTORE JUSTICE
ACTION ONE: CALL YOUR SENATORS
SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR WYDEN AND MERKLEY:
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because the Supreme Court’s actions this term will be especially harmful to Blacks and immigrants. The Court left DACA vulnerable, put the lives of people of color at great risk with the death penalty decision and its inaction on qualified immunity. We can fundamentally strengthen fairness for all by passing the “John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.”
CALL SENATOR MERKLEY
CALL SENATOR WYDEN
ACTION TWO: CALL YOUR HOUSE REPS
Not sure who your U.S. Representative is? Find out here.
SAMPLE SCRIPTS FOR REPRESENTATIVES:
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because the Supreme Court’s actions this term will be especially harmful to Blacks and immigrants. The Court left DACA vulnerable, put the lives of people of color at great risk with the death penalty decision and its inaction on qualified immunity. We can fundamentally strengthen fairness for all by passing the “John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.”
CALL SUZANNE BONAMICI (OR-01)
CALL GREG WALDEN (OR-02)
CALL BLUMENAUER (OR-03)
CALL PETER DEFAZIO (OR-04)
CALL KURT SCHRADER (OR-05)
ACTION THREE:
Oregonians are joining with activists across the country to power a landslide Democratic victory in November 2020, from the state house to the Senate to the White House. Here’s how you can get involved
- Call Arizona voters on Thursdays – training at 5pm, calling begins at 5:30. https://swingleft.org/group/indivisible-oregon
- Write letters to voters with Swing Left and Vote Forward. Saturdays 12-2pm. https://swingleft.org/group/indivisible-oregon
- Write postcards to Voters of Color with Reclaim Our Vote. Sundays 3-5pm.
- https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJArdOyprTspE9PjIVWfpLsGbIL5lZpzOwYK
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BACKGROUND:
The Supreme Court handed liberals surprising, but narrow, wins on abortion, DACA and Trump’s assertion that he’s above the law. Blacks and immigrants fared more poorly.
It left untouched qualified immunity, which shields police from prosecution for misdeeds occurring during dangerous, split second confrontations. Black Lives Matter and others charge that it leaves victims, especially minorities, without remedy for extreme police brutality.
The Court (5-4) revived the death penalty after a 17-year moratorium. Within a week, four men were put to death. While they were all white, this ruling will most impact people of color, the largest population on death row.
On immigration the Court:
- found Trump’s attempt to end DACA, which protects 700,000 people from deportation, “arbitrary and capricious,” he just needed a better legal justification to succeed.
- permitted Trump to deny citizenship or green cards to immigrants using public assistance, like food stamps or Medicaid.
- refused to condemn the Administration’s practice of quickly deporting asylum seekers following a brief hearing by ICE and requiring them to pursue their cases from Mexico.
To somewhat counterbalance this racism, Congress should immediately pass the “John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.” It would be an appropriate eulogy for the Civil Rights hero.
SOURCES:
NY Times, June 29, 2020: Louisiana Abortion Law Struck Down by Supreme Court – The New York Times
NYTime, June 18, 2020: Trump Can’t Immediately End DACA, Supreme Court Rules – The New York Times
NYTimes, July 9, 2020: How a Conservative Supreme Court and Trump’s Appointees Declared Their Independence – The New York Times
WaPo, July 12, 2020: Opinion | Think this was a liberal term at the Supreme Court? You probably missed some cases. – The Washington Post
NPR June 25, 2020: Supreme Court Sides With Trump Administration In Deportation Case : NPR
NYT, June 25, 2020: Supreme Court Says Rejected Asylum Seekers Have No Right to Object in Court – The New York Times
CBS News, June 15, 2020: Supreme Court rejects cases challenging qualified immunity for police officers – CBS News
NPR, June 15, 2020: Supreme Court Will Not Reexamine Qualified Immunity For Police : NPR
Federal Capital Habeas Project, October 2019: Federal Death Row Population By Race | Federal Capital Habeas Project
The Hill, July 7, 2020: Executing four white men won’t erase death penalty racism | TheHill
