Springville Action - 4/20/25 #11

Having to protest fascism in 2025 is literally so embarrassing.

Author

Springville Action
April 21, 2025

Inspiration šŸ¦„

From Strongmen, by Ruth Ben-Ghiat: ā€œToday's strongmen are well aware that every moment the public and the press spend on the outrage de jour is time they are not mobilizing for political action.ā€ That is a reminder for you to keep your eye on the prize: what does winning look like for the issues that you hold dear? Clean water? Affordable healthcare? Voting rights? An economy that doesnā€™t absolutely suck? Opportunity instead of oppression? It is truly terrible that the things at most risk are also the most fundamental. Everything done at a federal level right now is designed to distract you. Donā€™t let it.

Also: ā€œBending to the whims of a bully will not end his cruelty. It will only embolden him. The response to authoritarianism isnā€™t acquiescence. Bullies respond to one thing, and one thing only: a punch in the face.ā€ ā€”Gov. JB Pritzker. We are not at all promoting physical violence here with the phrase ā€œpunch in the faceā€ - more metaphorical punches. Every letter to the editor, every personal conversation where you call out racism and sexism, every voter you talk to - those are the equivalent of throwing punches. More of this please.

Nightmare Fuel

To do āœ…

šŸ“– Something to read: Omar El Akkad, One Day, Everyone will have always been against this. 

šŸ“ŗ Something to watch: The Reality of Project 2025 with Heather Cox Richardson and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, from Red Wine and Blue (about 90 minutes)

News šŸ“ŗ

Pope Francis, head of the global Catholic Church, has died. Will the conclave choose someone in the mold of a reformer, keeping with some of the nominal work that Francis did towards acceptance, compassion-or will they make a hard-right, hard-line turn like too many institutions have made? This has improved on the direction that the Catholic Church in this country, which still has a ton of power and a ton of money, will take.

#

I don't know about you, but reading this enrages me.

ā€œMembersā€ work for us. Keep making your 5 calls. Suggestion: Use Head Start as a topic for this week, particularly for Nick Langworthy, that vicious kid-hating clown who would take glee in ending a program that a) helps poor kids learn b) helps poor women - moms - gain a foothold in the workforce by offering some measure of child care and c) supports healthier families and better maternal health outcomes. Head Start offers child care, health support for children, and prenatal, pregnancy, and postpartum support for families. For the party that supposedly is all about family values, ending Head Start is one more piece of proof that these hypocrites are full of malarky. Anything less than a full-throated defense of Head Start from Nicky means that heā€™s on board with hurting 50,000 kids in NY and 800,000 kids nationwide. Let him know that.

Events

4/24, 7pm - Town Hall Meeting for NY-23 at the Lancaster Elks Lodge. Will Congressman Nick Langworthy be there? Unlikely. His last telephone town hall was cancelled so he could vote for something awful. No word on a reschedule.

NEW šŸŒ³ 4/26: Green Springville Tree the Village - One of the coolest projects out there. Volunteers welcome! Happening in all parts of the village of Springville. Many hands make light work!

4/26: This fell off the list accidentally - Advocacy in Action with the Partnership for the Public Good.

5/17, 2pm - WNY Women's March, LaFayette Square, Buffalo (near the Central Library)

5/17, 10am-5pm - Candidate Boot Camp with the Erie County Federation of Democratic Women, ECDC, WNY Federation of Democratic Women and Eleanorā€™s Legacy. 701 Seneca Street, Buffalo.

NEW 5/28, 6-9pm: Nonpartisan Community Conversation. What federal policies do we want to talk about? Meet up at the Ellicottville Town Center (near arboretum) to discuss federal policy impacts and potential action plans to present to congressional representatives.

5/31, 10 am - NYS Citizens Preparedness Corps, Concord Senior Center. Free. Register.

[remainder of content repeats (mostly) from last email]

To Do āœ…

šŸ˜· Medical checkups. Get a printout of your vaccination record and check with your doctor about recommended vaccines, including MMR, based on your age and other risk factors.

šŸ Citizen Scientists, Unite! Download the Inaturalist app on your phone; upload pictures of nature (animals, plants, trees) for identification and help out the environmental community.

šŸ“° Letter to the Editor. Pick a topic, drill down to 1 key message and write your heart out. There are local people who will help zazz up your letter and get it ready for publication. Email [email protected].

šŸ“± 5 Calls - Download the app to your phone; enter your ZIP code; follow the prompts to call U.S. Senators and your local Congressional rep. EXTRA CREDIT - ask your local elected officials what the impact of general federal nonsense will have on local projects, and what they are doing to protect your community.

šŸ“® Postcards - Explore the Postcards for Democrats web site and support Democratic candidates in swing states. Organize for Action is local and working on Virginia races. Email [email protected] to get connected with that group.

šŸ˜Š Meet a Neighbor: How well do you know your neighbors? Start small but make a point to find one new acquaintance in your area this week!

šŸ—³ļø Go to a government meeting. These are open to the public and people rarely attend. See your government at work and pay attention to the decisions theyā€™re making.

At a loss for what to do?

Are you sick of hearing ā€œthereā€™s nothing I can do about everything thatā€™s happeningā€? Thereā€™s plenty you can do - big or small, just try to do SOMETHING each day.

  • Public Displays of Connection

    • Guerilla Gardening and Yarn Bombs! There is a slightly subversive and very fun tactic of guerilla gardening and placing handmade knit pieces in public places. Be creative.

    • Plant a garden or support a local CSA

    • Plant a homemade lawn sign - it doesnā€™t have to be political - paint a one word message like ā€œHope", ā€Love,ā€ ā€œPeace.ā€

    • Maintain little free libraries or start your own

  • Basic Needs

    • Donate blood

    • Learn first aid and basic medical skills

    • Participate in local Buy Nothing groups

    • Donate to Little Free Pantries or your local food pantry

    • Participate in a seed exchange, like the one at Hulbert Library in the Town of Concord

  • Organized Volunteering

  • Neighbor Support

    • Help people with phone calls and forms - like Social Security, health appointments and insurance paperwork

    • Give neighbors rides, assist with basic needs

    • Provide a meal to a struggling family or neighbor - see lasagnalove

    • Offer babysitting or respite care - especially during meetings

    • Teach a skill or coordinate a training - sewing, gardening, cooking, car repair, how to fix a toilet or bike.

Misc.

Content welcome: Initially this newsletter was going to be sent weekly. Now it's sending as soon as it feels like there is enough content to let it fly - probably 2x/week. Your contributions are welcome. Email [email protected].

This newsletter will always be free, but if you like what you're reading and can find it in your budget, kick a few bucks to support your local food pantry, an abortion fund, or an elected official who has demonstrated common sense and decency.

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