A Week Like No Other
As we all know all too well, we’ve just been through one of the most distressing weeks in our country’s history. The American way, our Constitutional system of government, has been shaken to its core. We’ve all pored over the analyses, examined the shocking photos, read a multitude of opinion pieces, and been horrified by what happened in a seeming blink of the eye.
And it was not just in our nation’s capital that events upended our ability to comprehend. Right here in Oregon we were appalled to learn that state Representative Mike Nearman of Independence blithely opened the Capitol doors to anti-lockdown demonstrators during December’s special legislative session.
The leadership of OST resoundingly supports the removal of our current president by whatever means lawful possible and backs, at a minimum, the sanctioning of Representative Nearman. We encourage you to make your demands for justice known and to commit to restoring the well-being and esteem of our democracy.
But let’s not forget. January 6 also brought some good news. Both Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff won their runoff elections in Georgia and will be heading to Washington as the state’s two Democratic senators. A major victory for progressives!
The Other Big News from January 6th
If you missed OST’s meeting on January 6—due to the day’s overwhelm or because you didn’t have a correct Zoom link, for which we sincerely apologize—here are the highlights:
· A hearty thank-you went out to departing “amigas” Lynn Youngbar and Jacque Abel for their hard work on behalf of OSTPDX, including this short video of appreciation. And we welcomed two new executive team members, Bill Vollmer and Michael Heumann.
· We formally announced our merger with Indivisible97201 and the formation of Act for Democracy, the name of our new combined organization.
· We outlined some of the many activities we’ll be pursuing in the coming year, including tracking legislation in the 2021 session with the help of contact details for people spearheading the campaign finance reform, immigration, and climate/energy/environment groups, worksheets, and research tools; bridging the rural/urban divide; advancing racial equity; supporting Indivisible’s federal agenda; working in partnership with COIN; and continuing with our letter-writing efforts, the activist book club, and social activities.
Register Now!
Celebration Zoom Party January 19
This will be an opportunity to look back, ground in the present moment, and look towards the future to the work that still needs to be done. There will be guest speakers, interactive opportunities, and, most importantly, the chance to be together.
Use this link to register.
1st Act for Democracy Meeting
January 26, 5:00-6:30pm
The first meeting of our newly formed bigger-and-better-than-ever, local Indivisible group—Act for Democracy which unites the memberships of OSTPDX and Indivisible97201—will take place on Tuesday, January 26, 5:00-6:30pm.
As well as getting to know one another, Tricia Sauer, senior Indivisible regional organizing manager, will join the meeting and share with us Indivisible’s new Practical Guide for Fixing our Democracy.
Look for the registration link and more details next week.
Activist Reading Group This Thursday
The OST Activist Reading Group meets this Thursday, January 14, from 7:00-8:30pm. Contact Ken Rosenberg at rosenbergkd@yahoo.comto join the discussion of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson.