1-9-2023 Newsletter

 

PRESIDENTIAL CITIZENS MEDAL: IDEALS INTO ACTION

President Biden honored 15 Americans with the Presidential Citizens Medal at a White House ceremony on Friday for their roles protecting democracy with their lives and honor during the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Watch the PBS video of the ceremony here. The Lincoln Project has a lovely brief video showing each of the honorees. The honorees are law enforcement officers who held back the mob even at the cost of their health and even their lives, people like Daniel Hodges, Michael Fanone, Harry Dunn, Caroline Edwards, Aquilino Gonell, Eugene Goodman, Howard Liebengood, Jeffrey Smith, Billy Evans, and Brian D. Sicknick. Those defending democracy were the election workers who protected our system even at the cost of their jobs, their safety, and their peace of mind, people like Ruby Freeman, Shaye Moss, and Albert Schmidt. They were elected officials who refused to cave to pressure to throw the election, people like Jocelyn Benson and Rusty Bowers. "It is fitting that we remember the heroes of January 6, including the many people who weren’t at the White House that day but who stayed at their posts and did their jobs as election officials, volunteers, observers, and many other of the tasks that allow the millions of citizens of a giant federal democracy to govern themselves. But the events today on Capitol Hill and the ceremony at the White House are reminders that the threats to our constitutional order have not vanished, and that we cannot magically wish them away." -- Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, January 6, 2023 Names and descriptions of honorees from Heather Cox Richardson. Top photo from Pete Marovich, New York Times. From left in the bottom photos: President Biden presents the medal to Ruby Freeman, a Georgia election worker targeted by Rudy Giuliani, and then to the parents of Office Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who died of injuries sustained defending the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

INCO COMMUNITY MEETS THURSDAY You are invited to our first INCO Community Meeting this Thursday, January 12, via Zoom. After that, we'll meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month via Zoom. These monthly get-togethers will fold in the Astoria, Warrenton, and South County Community Group meetings. We’d love ALL INCO Indivisibles to join in.   Thursday, January 12, via Zoom 6 pm - Social time  6:30 - 7:30  INCO Community Meeting    What will we talk about?  •    We’ll check-in with each other about what’s happening in our municipalities - Cannon Beach, Seaside, Gearhart, Warrenton, and Astoria.  •    We’ll have a COIN (Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network) update. INCO is one of dozens of Indivisible groups in Oregon.  •    We’ll talk about relevant county, state and national issues that need our attention.   Use the same Zoom link to attend each monthly meeting. It will be in every INCO newsletter. Not getting the weekly INCO newsletter on Monday mornings? Sign up here.  You can save this evergreen Zoom link:    INCO Community Meeting 2nd Thursday of each month: 6pm social; 6:30pm - 7:30pm meeting Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87835618044  Meeting ID: 878 3561 8044 One tap mobile +12532050468,,87835618044# US +12532158782,,87835618044# US (Tacoma)  If you have questions, contact Bebe Michel at littlebylittle4change@gmail.com   We look forward to talking with you Thursday.  Your INCO Leadership Team, Mary Beth Cottle, Ken Potter, Laurie Caplan, Eric Halperin, Carmen Hammersmith, Cheryl Conway, Beeb Ashcroft, and Bebe Michel

STAY ENGAGED IN 2023: THE THREAT CONTINUES THERE ARE NO OFF YEARS Friday was the 2nd anniversary of the insurrection at the US Capitol. The insurrection continues, with  promoters, funders, and leaders of the insurrection serving in the US Congress. They promote their anti-democratic white Christian nationalist agenda and seek to degrade and destroy the institutions, policies, and ideals of good governance. "As 2023 begins, we see the next phase of Republican chaos before our eyes. The spectacle of 20 MAGA-aligned Republicans blocking the election of a House Speaker is just the beginning. Kevin McCarthy, if he survives, will give up everything to the most extreme elements of his conference (more than 50% of which voted against certifying the 2020 election.) Congressional Republicans, the MAGA media bubble, “America First” front groups and their allies will not slow down as we approach the 2024 election."  -- Reed Galen, The Lincoln Project With your help, INCO will continue to defend democracy by opposing authoritarianism, bigotry, and corruption.

It's not just the Oath Keepers getting prison terms. Check out this report in the New York Times about prosecutions and prison time for insurrectionists. Helpful graphics, too.

Kudos to Indivisibles and other activists around the country! As Indivisible says,  Democrats and other liberals expanded "our majority in the Senate, passed definitive legislation like the Respect for Marriage and Inflation Reduction Acts, and showed MAGA extremists that we will not sit idly by and allow their brand of repugnant fanaticism to become the norm." The work continues, and we will persist! Check out the 2023 Practical Guide to Defeating MAGA. It highlights what's at stake - responsible and accountable governance vs. absurd "investigations" and definite threats from  insurrectionists, election deniers, and other Congressional Republicans.  "[The GOP] is controlled by incompetent liars and power-hungry sycophants. They have forced out anyone in their ranks who would stand up for our democracy. They played with fire, and now we're all getting burned." -- Senator Ron Wyden We encourage you to check out Indivisible's goals and strategies.

"There are no small matters in war." People are comparing the New Year speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the greatest of Winston Churchill's World War 2 speeches. If you missed it in last week's newsletter, click this link to watch the New Year greetings of President Zelensky. Robert Hubbell says about this speech, "But this speech is truly extraordinary. It is so extraordinary, it will make you a better person for having listened to it. I guarantee it!"

HAPPENINGS Thursday, January 12 - INCO Community Meeting, via Zoom. Social time at 6 pm; meeting is 6:30-7:30 pm. All INCO members are invited to attend. We meet the 2nd Thursday of each month. Link to join Zoom meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87835618044  Meeting ID: 878 3561 8044 One tap mobile +12532050468,,87835618044# US +12532158782,,87835618044# US (Tacoma)

INSIGHTS Hope has two lovely daughters, anger and courage. Anger so that what must not be will not be and courage so that what can be will be.   --St. Augustine

Comments, news, and photos to INCO at incoregon@gmail.com.  Resources and other information at www.incoregon.org and www.indivisible.org. Encourage others to sign up for the INCO newsletter at our website or here. Look for the INCO column in Hipfish Monthly. We're on Facebook, too. INCO Weekly Newsletter       January 9, 2023