what to do now: Newsletter #1
Hi dear friends,
Tuesday was crushing. I’ve seen, and contributed, many shed tears. I’ve questioned, been shocked and felt, and still feel pain. Some of us may have woken up on Wednesday ready to move. Some of us will need months, and years, to work through what has felt like a full repudiation of who they are and what they believe in.
The purpose of this email isn’t to undermine any emotions or to say forget your grief. It is to provide pathways for healing, for learning and for reconciling. To provide pathways for action and organization. If you aren’t ready for action, you can ignore the second half of this email.
You’ll first see the newsletter. Below, I’ve written out what you can expect to find in these mailings, though this may change. This first email is long. I promise the others will get straight to the point.
I feel so grateful to know you, to work side by side with you for what we believe in.
Tessa
*there are many links to donate, please feel no pressure to donate, or to donate to all of them. this is just meant to be a list of options.
Heal, Learn and Reconcile
This section will be hard sometimes, but what we have to do first. It will be about understanding where our country is, and why we’re here. It will be about learning more, healing the chasm, reckoning with some of the terrible truths that have been exposed and finding where we can connect to one another.
1 minute action
Let this man’s actions warm your heart
20 minute action
Read these words by the mother of a dear friend
Send Hillary a Thank you Card (Post Office Box 5256 New York, NY 10185–5256)
(https://www.postable.com/ will let you send a card without leaving your computer!)
Longer Term Opportunities
Have a conversation with someone who did not vote the same way you did. Don’t consider this an interrogation. Don’t consider this an opportunity to make your case or tell someone why you think they’re wrong. If you want specifics of how to approach someone or how to have an open-ended, curious discussion, please message me privately.
Stop here if you want to only focus on learning and healing.
Protecting our Gains — Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights
It’s been 43 years since we’ve passed Roe v. Wade, yet a Trump appointee (or series of appointees) could seriously imperil the progress we’ve made since then. The GOP has already shown its appetite to legislate us out of our right to make decisions about our bodies ← this a frightening tally of all legislation offered or passed.
Today, we’re talking about what we can do to support Planned Parenthood and Naral. As many of you know, our government almost shut itself down over funding Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is an Health Services group that also works in advocacy. NARAL functions primarily as an advocacy group. Both do incredibly important work.
One Minute Action
Donate to Planned Parenthood. Make your donation recur monthly!
Support NARAL when you shop on Amazon .5% of every purchase goes to NARAL
20 Minute Action
Add your name to these petitions:
Support protections for pregnant women in Colorado,
Urge your members of Congress to cosponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act
Longer Term Opportunities
Get involved with your local Planned Parenthood Volunteers are always needed on an ongoing or sporadic basis.
Looking Forward to 2020 (and 2018 and 2017)
Let’s talk about the Senate today. In 2018, there will be 25 Democratic Senate (well 23 + 2 Independents who caucus with Democrats) seats we are defending. Five of those are in “bright red” states that voted for Trump this election (like West Virginia, where 70% voted for Trump). (Today’s actions are broad in support of the general campaigns. We will also talk about House campaigns and local elections in the future).
1 minute action
Donate to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
20 minute action
Learn more about the role the Senate plays and the importance of 2018
Longer Term Opportunities
Sign up to volunteer, get on email lists and donate to the campaigns in bright red states (we’re canvassing in 2018, don’t you worry!):
West Virginia — Current Senator Joe Manchin will run again
Indiana — Joe Donnelly has not declared whether he is running again. This link is to donate to the Indiana Democratic Party
Missouri — Current Senator Claire McCaskill will run again
Montana Senator Joe Tester has not announced if he will seek reelection. This link is to donate to the Montana Democratic Party.
North Dakota — Heidi Heitkamp has not announced if she will seek reelection. This link is to donate to the North Dakota Democratic Party
Proposed topics for Next Week:
Black Lives Matter, Women in Office and more healing.
If you made it to the bottom, thank you. If you have any thoughts or additions, please email me directly at tessa.petrich@gmail.com. If you want to subscribe, you can subscribe here: https://tinyletter.com/tessapetrich or follow me on Medium.
My Goal
Create a regular newsletter that shares clear paths for action and provides needed doses of encouragement and emotional support.
My promise
The purpose of this ongoing email will be to provide information and action paths around the following three areas:
- Protect the gains we’ve made
- Look forward to 2020 (and 2018!)
- Heal, Learn and Reconcile
Each email will include areas of focus that fall under the three objectives. I will do my best to provide a mix of opportunities (from donating money to calling your elected officials to bigger volunteer opportunities) for each of the areas of focus on a given week.
I will be working to pull the proposed paths of action from existing advocacy groups and organizations as much as possible. If you have thoughts on a better path, or want to help in pulling together information, please email me directly at Tessa.Petrich@gmail.com
NOTE: These thoughts and suggestions are entirely my own. You may disagree with them or think they’re too soon, or not enough, or too late. It may be too Progressive, or not enough, or too inline with the party, or not enough in line with the DNC. If so, feel free to email me directly to discuss or ask to be unsubscribed :)
