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Upcoming Meetings & Events |
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News and Announcements Our Facebook page is being retired, but we still have a Facebook Group Poll Results: We asked you whether Sen. Schumer should step down as Senate Minority leader. 184 of you responded and 150 (82%) said yes.
More on this soon.
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Wednesday, March 26 at 7PM&Saturday, March 29 at 5PM Screening of "Preconceived" |
THERE ARE OVER 30 ANTI-ABORTION CENTERS IN OUR STATE. DOES THAT SHOCK YOU? WANT TO LEARN MORE? |
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 6:30 pm welcome drinks | 7 PM Screening | 8:15 PM Panel Discussion
All proceeds benefit Reproductive Equity Now* and our efforts to combat the deceptive practices of these centers
Featuring: Carrie Baker, J.D., Ph.D., Scholar, Lawyer, Journalist & Activist Jenifer McKenna, Sr. Advisor at Reproductive Health and Freedom Watch, co-founder of California Women's Law Center The Parlor Room: 32 Masonic St, Northampton, MA 01060
Individual tickets can be purchased at tiered levels for $250, $100, $50 and $25 each. .
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Saturday, March 29th, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Join the Amherst Young Feminist Party, Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, and the Amherst College Women’s & Gender Center for a free community screening of Preconceived, a film on the harms of crisis pregnancy centers.
Following the screening, hear from esteemed panelists on advocacy efforts to fight back against crisis pregnancy centers, including Jenifer McKenna, co-author of Designed to Deceive.
at the Friedmann Room (Room 200) in the Keefe Campus Center at Amherst College |
The Protecting Vulnerable Communities Team is asking for your action |
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Protect our immigrant family, friends, and neighbors!
Hello all! The Immigration Subcommittee of the Protecting Vulnerable Communities Team is asking for your action on 3 MA bills to protect our immigrant family, friends, and neighbors: The Act would limit voluntary police and court involvement in civil immigration matters, protect basic rights, and keep law enforcement agencies focused on public safety. The Act would create a funded statewide program to provide no-cost immigration legal defense to immigrants in Massachusetts who are at imminent risk of deportation, especially those held in federal immigration detention. The Act would prohibit contracts between ICE and MA law enforcement and would prohibit MA sheriffs from renting beds in our county jails to ICE for use as detention beds.
Fact sheets on each of these bills can be found at the Mass. Immigration and Refugees Advocates Coalition (MIRA) website here.
We need to make calls (or send emails) to our MA reps and senators urging them to co-sponsor all of these bills. If you live in the districts of those legislators who have not yet co-sponsored any of these bills, PLEASE CONTACT THEM AND URGE THEM TO CO-SPONSOR ALL 3 BILLS.
PLEASE ALSO spread the word by asking 3 friends or family in these districts to also make these calls.
WESTERN MA STATE LEGISLATORS WHO HAVE NOT YET CO-SPONSORED SCA/ILDA/DND (AS OF 3/18/2025): THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS! |
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STATE SENATORS: John Velis: 617-722-1415 Paul Mark (YES for SCA, not ILDA or DND) 413-464-5635, 617-722-1625
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STATE REPRESENTATIVES: NATALIE BLAIS: 413-362-9453 HOMAR GOMEZ: 617-722-2800 x7304 AARON SAUNDERS: 617-722-2320 SUSANNA WHIPPS: 617-722-2090 PATRICIA DUFFY (YES for DND, not SCA or ILDA): 617-722-2013 |
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WESTERN MA LEGISLATORS WHO HAVE ALREADY CO-SPONSORED ALL 3 PRO-IMMIGRATION BILLS (SCA/ILDA/DND): PLEASE THANK THEM! |
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REP. MINDY DOMB: Hampshire. 413-335-1362, 617-722-2877 REP. LINDSAY SABADOSA: 413-270-1166, 617-722-2304
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SEN. JO COMERFORD: 413-367-4656 , 617-722-1532 SEN JAKE OLIVEIRA: 617-722-1291 SENATOR ADAM GOMEZ (617) 722-1660 |
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Volunteer to Protect Vulnerable Communities |
Whether you have time, skills, or resources to share, there are many ways to make a meaningful impact. This is a working document and not a definitive list—if you know of other opportunities or resources, please reach out to us at community.solidarity.wma@gmail.com. Please use this link to access the list and find ways to get involved: |
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Republicans in Congress have introduced the extreme anti-voter Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R. 22/S.128 and declared it among their top priorities. This bill would hinder millions of eligible Americans from registering to vote by requiring citizens to present a birth certificate or passport in person to register.
Five Democratic US Representatives voted for the SAVE Act in July 2024. We want to make sure they don't make that mistake again. It's coming up for a vote in a week or so. Let's put pressure on those Representatives to change their vote. |
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New Issue Oriented Teams &
Ongoing Tactic Based Teams |
You can find a full list of our teams on the teams page of our website.
( NOTE: If the email links on the teams page don’t work, right click the email address and choose “copy email address” from the menu. You can then open a new message and paste the email address into the To: field. If that doesn’t work, please use this form to send your message.) |
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Thursday, March 27 from 5:30-7:30pmET Phonebank for a Fair WI State Supreme Court! |
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Trump and his fascist & billionaire enablers continue to trample on our democracy, intent on driving us to despair and submission.
They don't know us.
We may well be terrified, horrified, outraged - but we are also taking a breath, seeing the multitude around us also breathing and standing.
And we are mobilized and organized and focused - to Block, Delay, Expose. And win.
One of the many places we can win right now is in the critically important Supreme Court race in Wisconsin!
Join us as we call voters in Wisconsin to give them the information and inspiration they'll need to elect Judge Susan Crawford to the State Supreme Court, thereby maintaining that court's newly won liberal majority. (Newly won, thanks to activists like YOU!)
We'll be using an autodialer, so your personal phone number remains private, there's a full training at the beginning of the meeting, and lots of support throughout - so, join us!
Here's some information if you like to prep ahead of time: Jill Underly (candidate for School Superintendent) talking points
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After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. |
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File a FOIA Request with DOGE From Rep. Jamie Raskin |
Today I filed a formal demand for access to my personal data obtained by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk. I encourage all U.S. citizens to join me in doing the same.
Elon Musk should have been more careful in what he wished for, Theodore. DOGE recently dodged lawsuits about its seizure of citizens’ personal data by telling courts that it is a legitimate government agency entitled to extract this information. What Elon Musk apparently did not realize is that this statement triggers DOGE’s obligation to comply with citizen demands to see and—if need be—correct their personal information under the Privacy Act. It also allows every citizen to find out what other agencies or outside parties have been made privy to our information.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has issued an injunction commanding DOGE to comply with citizen requests under the Freedom of Information Act. FOIA encompasses the Federal Privacy Act of 1974, which entitles any citizen to access personal information held in any U.S. government records system.
Click this link to fill out the Privacy Act request form and mail it in directly to DOGE. This newly recognized federal agency, which has been systematically accessing government computer data systems, now has an obligation to respond to specific information demands from any of the 340 million U.S. citizens who exercise their legal right to defend their privacy and establish the security of their personal information.
I can’t wait to see what DOGE has been doing with all of our data, and I can’t wait to see what the courts will do if DOGE refuses to comply with the District Court’s injunction.In a democracy, as opposed to a dictatorship, assuming the powers of government carries real burdens and obligations for our officials as well as the benefits and riches the billionaires routinely seek out.
I hope you will join me in this unfolding monumental struggle for transparency and the rights of the people. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to fill out this form. With gratitude and solidarity, and nothing but great high hopes for America,
Jamie Raskin |
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No Kings! Weekly Standouts - I91 Overpasses |
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Come join like-minded folks to demand that Trump, Musk, and the Republican-led Congress stop their unconstitutional power grab and the cruel destruction of our federal government.
It has been AMAZING to see the enthusiasm the last three Tuesday's overpass standouts have generated - in the signs and banners and flags and energy with which you've all shown up, and motorists' honking and waving and thumbs-upping, too!
Please come out whether or not you have a sign or banner or flag. The more people the better! |
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Holyoke March 23, 25, April 1st, 8th 4-6pm 9 Mtn. Park Rd |
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Monday, March 24 5-6 PMStandout in Support of the US Fish and Wildlife Service |
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Location: intersection of MA Rt. 9 & MA Rt.116 Hadley, MA 01035 (parking in Staples parking lot)
Standout holding signs close to the location of the Hadley Fish and Wildlife Service building, to protest the ruthless cutting of this organization whose essential work protects wildlife, open spaces and the environment. |
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April 5 National Hands Off Demonstration |
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Hands Off! is an all-in moment for the pro-democracy, pro-worker movement—a demand, a warning, and a rallying cry that responds to the primary reasons for our mobilization: Trump and Musk's illegal power grab is a crisis we must stop. Trump, Musk, and congressional Republicans are gutting services, raising prices, and racing towards slashing Medicaid, Social Security, and more. Trump, Musk, and congressional Republicans are on this path of destruction for the benefit of their billionaire allies.
On March 19, two weeks after standing up for Boston’s immigrants in Congress and one week after Boston became a sanctuary city for the LGBTQ+ community, Mayor Wu addressed the city: “No one tells Boston how to take care of our own, not kings, and not presidents who think they are kings… God save whoever messes with Boston.” We agree.
On April 5, We the People of Massachusetts will march in #Boston. Because we will always be a sanctuary against tyranny. Because we will protect our neighbors, no matter where they were born or their race or gender or sexuality. Because we will never bow to tyrant kings. Because in the words of Boston’s mayor: “If you come for one of us, you will get all of us.”
On April 5, We the People of Massachusetts will come together to tell the tyrants in DC:
Hands Off Boston! Hands Off Massachusetts! Hands Off America!
Because We the People means everyone, and #Massachusetts is fighting back.
IN-SLWM, in collaboration with other Western MA grassroots groups, is going to Boston! Let's answer Senator Markey's call to have a HUGE, IMPACTFUL showing on the Common & City Hall - MA was a leader once before in ousting a mad king - time for us to do it again! |
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As you're aware, there's been a flurry of activity and the pace is not likely to slacken. To keep everyone informed of the latest actions an events our new Protests Team has dedicated itself to keeping our Mobilize page up to date. |
If you click around and have trouble getting back to our page, follow these steps: In the menu at the top, second button from the left, click Filters. In the box titled Near type in 01060 Scroll down and click Apply Filters
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IN-SLWM’s Facebook Presence |
For some time now, IN-SLWM has maintained both a Facebook Page and a Facebook Group. Anyone can join the Page as a follower, but folks have to ask to join the Group, which is considered private. We have decided to close and delete our Page, for a few reasons: Posting to the Page is supposedly limited to its administrators, but we’ve found that numerous other people or groups are posting to it, to the point that the Page is loaded with junk posts that have no connection to IN-SLWM and messages that are irrelevant to our work. We don’t know how they gain access or how to prevent them from posting. One of our admins who regularly posts IN-SLWM announcements, along with commentaries from Substack and other sources, has recently been prevented from posting anything to the Page. We don’t know why it’s happened or how to fix it. There’s no particular reason to maintain both the Page and the Group. It means every announcement or other information has to be posted twice to be sure that all of our Facebook users see what we’d like them to know. And the Group doesn’t have the junk post problem that the Page does.
We will keep the Page open through Friday, April 18th, to give everyone currently accessing it time to move to our Group and/or join our mailing list. Eventually, we want to leave the Zuckerverse entirely. We have a presence on Bluesky and we’re exploring other social media platforms.
If you don’t know if you’re on the Page, look at the top. If you see the words “Private group” below our name, you’re on the Group. If you don’t see those words, you’re on the Page.
Followers of the Page will no longer see the daily commentaries. To continue seeing them, you can use the link on our website under the Resources tab or use this direct link. To join our mailing list, fill out this form. To join our Facebook Group, go to this page and hit the Join button.
If you need help or have any questions about this change, please contact us at info@in-slwm.org.
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ICYMI - Videos From the Archive |
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USEFUL LINKS
RESOURCES
CHOP WOOD, CARRY WATER That Zen saying is also the name of a daily email from activist and Substack columnist Jessica Craven. On weekdays she offers a bunch of actions for subscribers to take, such as phoning senators and representatives – often with different scripts for Democratic and Republicans – about issues needing their attention. On the weekends, she highlights items from the news that are encouraging, under the headline “Celebrate This!” Here’s the link to her substack page.
SPEAKING OF FACEBOOK…If you’re not already subscribed to our Facebook Group, consider joining! We share daily commentaries from a long list of authors, including Heather Cox Richardson, Robert Hubbell, and Robert Reich; announcements of our public Zoom meetings; and opportunities for action. To join our Facebook Group click here. Both receive all IN-SLWM announcements and the daily Richardson posts. |
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You received this email because you subscribed to our list. You can unsubscribe at any time. Mountain Laurel Path Florence Massachusetts 01062 United States of America |
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