6-26-23 Newsletter

 

"A MARVELOUS VICTORY" "To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places–and there are so many–where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future.    "The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."  -- Howard Zinn quoted in Jessica Craven; Chop Wood, Carry Water newsletter, June 22, 2022 "THE TRUTH TELLERS" Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on June 21, responding to the resolution introduced by Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and backed by MAGA Republicans to censure him in an effort to silence and intimidate him for holding Donald Trump and his allies accountable.  He began his remarks with this:  "To my Republican colleagues who introduced this resolution, I thank you. You honor me with your enmity.  "You flatter me with this falsehood. You, who are the authors of a big lie about the last election, must condemn the truth tellers, and I stand proudly before you.  "Your words tell me that I have been effective in the defense of our democracy, and I am grateful."  INCO urges you to watch the video of his speech HERE - you'll be inspired!   Full transcript of remarks here. SIGN UP FOR COIN'S SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE TEAM COIN member Tim Bailey has created a Social and Economic Justice Team for people who want to learn more about how to incorporate equality and diversity into our work. The focus of the team is to center a Race Class narrative into the mission of COIN and its local networks to align with the National organization. The group has been meeting on the second and fourth Mondays via Zoom from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. You can join by going here. WHAT DO POLLS TELL US? Don't panic, and don't celebrate either. Polls can provide information, but political analyst Simon Rosenberg advises us to regard them cautiously: "Polling only tells you where things are right now, and cannot predict what is going to happen in the election. This data is only relevant for today and could be different in a few weeks or even days based on events.  "In general, it’s important to not let any single poll drive your understanding of politics. Polls can err, and many have a 3-4 point margin of error built in so they are far more a sketch than a photograph. In this poll Biden is up 4, but with margin of error that could be 6-7 or 1-2. A common mistake folks make is to ascribe a greater degree of accuracy to a poll than the poll can deliver. The results are really a range, not an exact number. It’s a sketch, not a photograph. This is really important.  "Try to look at trends - how are things moving over time? That is often the most important data. In this poll we see movement for Trump in the GOP primary, and for Dems in the Congressional generic. This is important data." Simon interprets current polling in his Hopium Chronicles newsletter on Substack. TAKE A BREAK FROM WEEDING Americans must love elections because we hold elections throughout the year.  If you want to help elect progressives/liberals to office, expand voting rights, or support important issues, then check out Postcards to Voters. It's convenient activism you can do at home - and a nice break from your other summer activities. INSIGHTS    "If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: Thou shalt not ration justice." --Learned Hand, American jurist and judicial philosopher Indivisible defends democracy by opposing authoritarianism, bigotry, and corruption. 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      June 26, 2023 Website Email Twitter Copyright © 2023 INDIVISIBLE North Coast Oregon, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website or signed up at a community group meeting. Our mailing address is: *|766 Lexington Avenue, Astoria, OR 97103:HTML|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.