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Posts tagged to the bat fax

To the Bat Fax: Haranguing public officials on…Net Neutrality [a-fucking-gain]

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Net Neutrality is under siege again. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is making it easy for you to send your public comments to the FCC about why we need Net Neutrality. There’s a form letter, and a place for you to personalize it. All letters require name, address, and E-mail. They all become public record as part of FCC comments. Here’s what I wrote:  

Existing Net Neutrality rules based on Title II must stay in place. Freedom of information, freedom of expression, freedom of thought, and freedom of action are inextricably linked. Current Net Neutrality laws support the first, and, in turn, all of the other freedoms I listed. Killing Net Neutrality would contribute to the demise of all of these freedoms.

To the Bat Fax! Haranguing public officials on…Net Neutrality

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Support Net Neutrality by leaving public comment on the FCC’s 17-108 filing, Restoring Internet Freedom, which is a lying misnomer. If enacted, this piece of bullshit would take Title 2 oversight off Internet service providers, allowing them to discriminate in the way that they transmit information to customers. Instead of all information being treated equally and broadcast equally, it would be treated preferentially based on who was bankrolling it. In other words, the Internet would become more overtly controlled by the rich.

Log opposition here. Click the “+ Express” link to fill out contact information and add brief, personalized comments about why this is a shitty idea. Public comments close today, so do it before 5 PM EST! This is what I said:

 

 

I urge you not to repeal Net Neutrality regulations and to maintain Title 2 oversight on ISPs. With the Internet essentially a necessity these days, it is absolutely vital that all information online be treated equally and transmitted equally, without bias. The Internet has been my lifeline for information and community about being queer, being kinky, and being nonbinary. If Title 2 oversight on ISPs is lifted, unscrupulous businesses could suppress potentially controversial information such as that which I used, thus cutting off many people from much-needed information, community, and support. Net Neutrality is necessary to a functioning democracy, and it must be maintained.

To the Bat Fax! Haranguing public officials on…the proposed Racial Justice Oversight Board

To the Bat Fax! Haranguing public officials on…the proposed Racial Justice Oversight Board published on No Comments on To the Bat Fax! Haranguing public officials on…the proposed Racial Justice Oversight Board

A bill to create a state-level Racial Justice Oversight Board is stuck in committee in the Vermont House of Representatives. This state, which touts itself as liberal and accepting, but yet is full of passively racist white people, really needs such a board at the state level to analyze the intersection of race and justice. Two weeks ago I wrote to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the topic, and today I just E-mailed the leaders of the House Judiciary Committee, where the bill is apparently stuck in committee. I said:

Hi all. I’m writing as a white Vermonter and advocate for social justice in the hopes that you will support H.492, the act relating to the Racial Justice Oversight Board. With this bill passed, the state can institutionalize an analysis of race’s intersection with justice. Our government can promote anti-racist application of law enforcement to people regardless of race. Please support this bill and Vermont’s reputation as a leader in equal rights.

 

Remember, people — think globally, but act locally! Harangue your local officials!

To the Bat Fax VI: haranguing government officials on…opposition to HR 7

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HR7, passed by the House earlier this week, codifies the evil Hyde Amendment and further restricts access to abortion by prohibiting abortion coverage through multistate insurance plans. Millions of people could lose coverage for abortion. Obviously this is an incursion on human rights and bodily autonomy that could, if passed, could jeopardize people’s bodies, health, and lives. Anyway, I called Senator Peter Welch and Senator Bernie Sanders at their district offices to tell them this and to ask them not to let it get through the Senate.

Note: This was my first set of live calls, so I was very nervous. Therefore I made a quick script with the key points I wanted to make: my name and address, the fact that I objected to HR7, my biggest problem with it [restriction of abortion access and thus threat to constituents’ bodies, health, and lives], and what I wanted the Senator to do about it [filibuster it and keep it from passing the Senate]. I stuck to the script and made the calls very quickly, in like under 2 minutes each.

In both cases, I expected to just deliver my speech and walk away, but it didn’t happen. Anyone who calls a Congressperson’s office and gets a live response should be prepared for a little bit of conversation. Here are some aspects to a live call that you might not have considered:

  1. They might ask who you are and where you live again, even if you state that in your intro. The staffers specifically asked for my name and town again, which I gave. [I think they were making a record of that.]
  2. They might ask for your contact info [mailing address, phone number, and/or E-mail]. Leahy’s staffer asked if I had called the office before; I said no; he asked my contact info, which I gave because I am okay with being on a mailing list.
  3. They might ask for clarification. Leahy’s staffer was unfamiliar with HR7, so I added that it passed the House earlier this week and codified the Hyde amendment with even more restrictions on abortion.
  4. They might put you on hold. Sanders’ staffer said in the middle of my spiel that she had another call and had to put me on hold. She came back shortly after, and I finished my speech.
  5. Remember to be polite to the staffer and thank them!

To the Bat Fax V: posting about The 65

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Posted on Facebook and Tumblr about The 65.

 

The 65, taking its name from the at least 65 million US voters who rejected the current President, offers one way to act for liberty and justice for all.

With its tagline, “Making Congress Work for Us,” the 65 posts Weekly Calls to Action, topics on which people can call their Congresspeople. Suggested scripts are included, as is contact info for your local leaders.

Check ‘em out!

The Vainglorious Man Who Wanted to Rule: a tale of reality distortion and resistance

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Once there was a vainglorious and mediocre man who wanted to rule the land. So he used his talents for trickery and promised the people that he would make their country great and powerful, if only they would let him lead. He’d defend the land from foreigners without and suppress the influence of evil woman within. He scared people enough that they chose him as their leader.
The vainglorious man set himself up in the capital city. He made his home in a opulent mansion with servants at his beck and call. He postured and blustered at them, and they scurried to obey his whims. His lackeys could not recognize the man’s insecure bullying for what it was, for he had the power of appearing strong.
Realizing that he couldn’t fool everyone by intimidation alone, the vainglorious man used different tactics on the capital city’s inhabitants. He developed reality distortion fields and forced everyone to use them. Through these devices, the capital denizens perceived the world as rich, prosperous, safe, and successful — all thanks to the vainglorious man. He had surrounded himself with unquestioning adulation, and life was good.
Then he began to hear reports of the girl. They started as whispers, but soon gained momentum; soon news of her exploits was on everyone’s tongue. Even among his most fervent admirers, gossip surfaced about the young woman and her agenda of democracy, transparency, and honesty in government. She was on the road straight to the capital city and the vainglorious man’s door.
No one really knew where the kid had come from. The first news of her appeared in a remote rural district that had, until lately, been under the authoritarian rule of one of those nasty women that the vainglorious man so despised. Citizens of that district claimed that the girl had pulled a deus ex machina and neutralized the dictator, but the vainglorious man couldn’t believe the word of such credulous people. The girl was probably the mascot of an underground terrorist cell that had chosen that particular moment to demonstrate its might. The formerly oppressed citizens mistook her for an assassin just because she happened to be nearby. Surely she could have done nothing.
But other incredible stories joined that one, and a picture soon emerged. Despite [or perhaps because of] the calamity that had left with pretty much nothing left to lose, the girl was fearless. Nothing stopped her. A lion menaced her pet, so she yelled at it and punched it in the nose. She entered an opium den, the ambient drugs of which felled even the fiercest of beasts, but somehow she, a mere kid, emerged unscathed. The vainglorious man was forced to revise his opinion. She was no mere figurehead, but a frighteningly competent agent, perhaps even the leader of the resistance herself.
Later stories confirmed the young woman’s disturbing militancy. In yet another district, yet another nasty woman had brutalized her way into command and compelled the once-free inhabitants to serve her. This second autocrat kidnapped the young woman in an effort to gain the terrorist’s strength for herself. I mean, who wouldn’t? the vainglorious man thought. The kid clearly had an almost magical invulnerability.
But then, something happened; the vainglorious man was not sure what, as intelligence was unclear on this point. In any event, the young woman spoke truth to power, and the second autocrat essentially shriveled up and melted away. No longer under her tyranny, the citizens of the second autocrat’s district enthusiastically supported the girl. They sponsored a flight for her and her friends that brought them even closer to their target: the capital city.
There was the real problem with the kid, the vainglorious man mused. –Her friends. With a combination of charisma, kindness, and straightforward friendliness, this death-dealing terrorist charmed suckers effortlessly. He could sort of understand how all those bumpkins, sick of being under the thumb of their respective nasty women, easily transferred their affections over to their savior. Less comprehensible was the rumor that non-human animals [besides the dog] now followed her, and even inanimate objects [?!] supported her grassroots democratic movement.
Now the vainglorious man had grown up in Tornado Alley, and he knew well those whirling storms for which his region was named. Intense in their focus, relentless in their pursuit, they swept up everything with irresistible force and destroyed all obstacles in their path.
In a skin-tightening clutch of terror, the vainglorious man knew then that there was a tornado bearing down upon him now. It would shatter his sphere of fawning flatterers, lay waste to his reality distortion devices, and destroy his illusions. In short, it would reveal him for the trumped-up humbug that he was.
And the Wizard of Oz feared that tornado, for her name was Dorothy Gale, and she had the power of truth.

To the Bat Fax IV: posting about Black Lives Matter VT

To the Bat Fax IV: posting about Black Lives Matter VT published on No Comments on To the Bat Fax IV: posting about Black Lives Matter VT

Posted on Facebook and Tumblr about Black Lives Matter Vermont and tagged some locals on Facebook.

 

The fledgling Black Lives Matter Vermont group http://blacklivesmattervermont.com has hit an obstacle. They have spent recent months renovating their space, coordinating actions, recruiting and training volunteers, obtaining merchandise, etc., and now they have unfortunately reached the extent of their resources.
BLMVT needs our support more than ever now. Vermont is one of the whitest states in the nation, so BLMVT might seem irrelevant to some folks, but that’s not true. We absolutely need a diversity of social justice groups like BLMVT if we are going to make this state respectful of human rights and dignity for ALL people.
You can empower BLMVT to continue the important work for which they have built a foundation. The best way is to head on over to BLMVT’s Web site and become a sustaining member for $23.00 a month: http://blacklivesmattervermont.com/sustaining-membership/ That way, we can guarantee the financial stability that BLMVT needs to flourish.
If you cannot give monthly, you can make one-off donations here: http://blacklivesmattervermont.com/membership/ Every little bit helps!
There are other ways to get involved as well. Check out BLMVT’s Volunteer page: http://blacklivesmattervermont.com/volunteer/
Here’s the Events calendar: http://blacklivesmattervermont.com/events/
And here’s the store: https://squareup.com/store/black-lives-matter-vermont

Thanks in advance!

To the Bat Fax VIII: haranguing government officials on…respecting NODAPL water protectors

To the Bat Fax VIII: haranguing government officials on…respecting NODAPL water protectors published on No Comments on To the Bat Fax VIII: haranguing government officials on…respecting NODAPL water protectors

Sent letters to Morton County [ND] Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier and ND Governor Jack Dalrymple, calling for humane treatment of NODAPL water protectors. Mailing addresses from YES magazine. Letter based on Amnesty International template.

I write urging you to respect the human rights of all water protectors gathered at Standing Rock in opposition to DAPL.

US citizens, including American Indians, have the right to express their opinions. Don’t demonize peaceful public assembly.

–Impress upon law enforcement that they should facilitate, rather than restrict, assembly.

–Don’t use riot gear unless absolutely necessary.

–Disperse assemblies only when there is no other way to avoid violence.

–Don’t use chemical irritants to prevent peaceful assembly.

Again, respect the human rights of ALL people in your jurisdiction.

To the Bat Fax VII: haranguing government officials on…recent activism and Senate confirmation hearings

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With information handily provided on Kara’s “We’re His Problem Now” calling sheet, I left a message for Senator Bernie Sanders thanking him for speaking out against Bannon and other Prez-Elect-appointed appointed bigots. Reminded him to oppose the following at Senate confirmation hearings this week: Jeff Sessions as Attorney General because he’s a racist and bigot, Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State because of his COIs with Exxon, and Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education because of her lack of experience.

Left a message for Representative Peter Welch thanking him for speaking out against Bannon and other Prez-Elect-appointed bigots.

To the Bat Fax VI: haranguing government officials on…supporting Elizabeth Warren’s call to investigate Presidential transition team COIs

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From Fight for America, here’s a quick E-mail [modified from template] that I sent to the GAO to support Senator Elizabeth Warren’s call to investigate potential COIs in the Presidential transition team:

Hello. I’m writing because I support Senator Elizabeth Warren’s request for a GAO review of the President-Elect’s transition activities. Several possible COIs have already been reported, including those among his business holdings, his dealings with foreign leaders, and lack of transparency.

Since the transition only lasts officially till January 20th, I support the Senator in asking your agency to please investigate the topics above and other potential COIs as soon as possible.

To the Bat Fax V: donating to Committee on Temporary Shelter

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Donated 7 pairs of new wool socks to Committee on Temporary Shelter.

 

Also found a handy Tumblr post for a comprehensive overview of current and future haranguing opportunities.

To the Bat Fax IV: Haranguing Big Chief Studios on racist name and logo

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As I noted about 4 years ago, Big Chief Studios makes some really cool 1:6 scale Dr. Who action figures, but their name and logo are a racist pile of crap, which is why I’ll never buy anything from them. I was discussing this sorry state of affairs with Nataluna, a dedicated Whovian with many BCS figs. She eventually got so disturbed by BCS’ stereotypes that she wrote to them on the subject. She mentioned that she knew people [i.e., me, I suppose] who wouldn’t buy from them on account of their imagery, so I decided that my first-person testimony might be slightly helpful. That way they’ll have at least two people to ignore instead of one.

This is what I wrote:

 

Dear BCS,

I’ve been following your work since your first acquisition of the Dr. Who licenses. I love your sculpts. As much as I love your stuff, though, I’m sadly unable to buy any of it because I have a problem with your company name and logo.

The name Big Chief Studios rubs me the wrong way. The logo’s red dot, which I presume is supposed to be an Indian’s head, is a literal depiction of the term “redskin,” which has been a derogatory insult to American Indians for centuries. While you may not have intended it this way, your logo contributes to a long history of objectifying Indians.

I understand that, for you, BCS is just a name and a graphic, but please consider that there are at least 3 million people in the United States who are American Indian. They struggle for civil rights and self-determination every day. A company name and a logo that turn them into stereotypical symbols, rather than real human beings, worthy of respect, just make it that much harder for them to be seen as people.

Please consider changing at least your logo to something that doesn’t dehumanize a whole group of living, breathing people.

To the Bat Fax III: Haranguing Government Officials on…murder of people with albinism and damming the Peace River Valley

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I participated in an Amnesty International Write for Rights event this weekend. I sent a letter to the president of Malawi, telling him to take a stand against the murder and dismemberment of people with albinism for medicinal/charm purposes. I also send a letter to the prime minister of Canada, telling him to oppose a dam that would flood First Nations hunting/fishing areas, cemeteries, and sacred sites in Peace River Valley, BC.

Trying to figure out how to best support the water protectors at Standing Rock, ND. While the Army Corps of Engineers has denied the construction company a building permit, the fuel company has no plans to reroute or ultimately halt the pipeline. Thus the situation remains precarious and this victory partial.

To the Bat Fax II: Haranguing Government Officials on…ACA repeal and Steve Bannon [again]

To the Bat Fax II: Haranguing Government Officials on…ACA repeal and Steve Bannon [again] published on No Comments on To the Bat Fax II: Haranguing Government Officials on…ACA repeal and Steve Bannon [again]

So apparently there’s a hierarchy of effectiveness in ways of communicating with one’s Congresspersons.

Some of the least effective ways include Twitter, Facebook, ranting blog posts, and other public, untargeted means of communication. E-mail is okay, but, like postal mail to a Congressperson’s Washington D.C. office, it doesn’t have the same immediacy and force as other methods. Writing their regional office is a recommended means, but calling the regional office highly increases one’s chance of a) actually talking to a staffer and b) having some attention paid. I suppose that the ultimately effective tactic is to buttonhole one’s Congressperson in the flesh, but that’s a rare opportunity for people on the national level. I’m not a fan of phone calls, but they look like the best way to reach the national Congresspeople, with letters to regional offices being a somewhat distant second.

Be that as it may, Paul Ryan [Speaker of the House] is getting a postal mail letter to his district office. I called his Washington D.C. office on Friday and filled out a phone survey in favor of the Affordable Care Act [and thus in opposition to Ryan’s attempts to gut it]. I also wanted to leave a message, but his voice mail was full and not accepting messages. Hah! That’s why I’m sending him a letter.

At some point in the future, I will probably run out of restraint, decency, and eloquence. I’ll just bombard my government officials with barely coherent outrage made up mostly of swears, but right now I’m still forming complete sentences, as seen below. [Obviously I retooled my anti-Bannon letter from last week.] Continue reading To the Bat Fax II: Haranguing Government Officials on…ACA repeal and Steve Bannon [again]

“Quick! To the Bat Fax!” or, Haranguing Government Officials on…Steve Bannon

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Like many things in life, my perspective on letter writing as a form of activism has been deeply informed by Calvin & Hobbes, the seminal comic strip of my childhood, by Bill Watterson — namely, the particular strip from which the title of this entry is pulled. However, I have decided to employ this tactic regularly, given the cesspool of which the incoming President seems determined to make of the national government. This week’s Bat Fax, addressed to Representative Pat Leahy [D-VT], Senator Bernie Sanders [I-VT], and Representative Peter Welch [R-VT], concerns the future President’s appointment of Steve Bannon to position of White House Racist in Chief. Text below.Continue reading “Quick! To the Bat Fax!” or, Haranguing Government Officials on…Steve Bannon

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