There’s always a play to be made, if you can just see it.
It’s dispiriting to see discussion of dropping immigration reform from the reconciliation bill in order to get it passed. What can you do? It’s out of our hands. They’re gonna do what they’re gonna do, right?
Not so fast.
There’s always a play to be made, if you can just see it.
Voces de la Frontera organized a general strike across Wisconsin for Monday, October 11, and I asked the folks at Voces to tell us about what they did and how it went.
We have this post tonight – and if there’s interest – we will have a zoom next week where the organizers and the people who made this happen can tell us about it and answer any questions we put to them. If you’re interested in a zoom, please let us know in the comments and we’ll set it up.
Thoughts on Voces de la Frontera’s Oct. 11 2021 “Dia Sin Latinx”
WaterGirl invited us to share some of our thoughts on the Voces de la Frontera “Dia Sin Latinx e Immigrantes Para Ciudadania” that took place earlier this week, on Monday. As we’re all aware, the context is the possibility that immigration reform will be dropped from the reconciliation bill.
Happy to share, here goes:
The “Dia Sin Latinx e Immigrantes” was a call for Latinx, immigrants, and their allies to participate in a general strike – no school, no work, no shopping – in support of the demand that the Democrats (and especially President Biden) honor the promises they ran on and implement a path to citizenship for undocumented people. Other organizations around the country intend to mount actions similar to this as the reconciliation bill moves toward a vote later this month.
It’s “now of never” for passage of this legislation. We have never been so close to seeing meaningful progress on citizenship reform enacted. And we have never been so close to seeing these gains slip out of reach for another generation.
So, we have a choice: we can do nothing and hope that things get better (and experience should teach us that they won’t) – or we can use the political and economic power that we have to take our agency into our own hands. And the “we” in that sentence does not refer just to Latinx, or immigrants, it refers to all of us: we all have that same existential decision to make.
The Democrats hold the power to make the final decision on immigration reform. It is their moral obligation to use it. They are the appropriate target here, because if they don’t use the power that they have they will inevitably lose it. In that way they are politically obligated as well, and once again the obligation is not just to the Latinx or immigrant community, it’s to all of us: if the Democrats fail to hang onto Congress next November, we’ll suffer much more than they will.
So in an attempt to build a fire under their asses, we assembled a march and demonstration of 2-3000 people and persuaded 160 businesses to close down for the day. We got press coverage in Telemundo, Univision, New York Latino media, and regional media. That’s not too bad for under 2 weeks’ lead time.
Why was this worth doing? Doing something always beats doing nothing.
° If you don’t take foolish risks.
° If your people are behind you. If they are behind you, you’ll know it.
° If you can support folks who catch consequences as a result of participation. It happens sometimes and when it does, that’s what we do.
° If it’s not a dead end, because you’re always trying to set yourselves up to do the next thing and do it bigger.
On those metrics, the answer is yes – it was very much worth doing.
Did we succeed? That’s less clear. It’s no secret that the Democrats have not done anything in the past 72 hours that would make us believe that our message got though. But that’s not the point. If another group, or better yet another two or more groups, somewhere else in the country can pull off an action like this, now you have momentum building. Before the second domino can fall, though, the first one has to.
The goal is always to build momentum, but in politics like physics, momentum is something that only happens to bodies in motion. If you’re sitting still, you’ve got nothin’.
~Alan Nichols, Voces de la Frontera
Open thread.
Walker
Unless they have some plan for Manchin and Sinema not sure what good any of this will do.
Al Nichols
Hello all, I’m Al Nichols, some of you may remember me from the Balloon Juice fund drive for a field organizing coordinator for Voces back in June. When WaterGirl reached out to us for some comments on the “Dia Sin Latinx” I was one of the respondents.
West of the Rockies
So much doom-saying these days. Yeah, hope is not a strategy, but Eeyore-ing isn’t a recipe for action or activism.
West of the Rockies
@Al Nichols:
Greetings, AL, and welcome back.
James E Powell
@Walker: The best plan for Manchin & Sinema is to get really fucking intense in every senate race but especially in Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Winning elections is the only thing that works.
Al Nichols
@Walker:
So, you’d like to be part of an organization that tells 11 million people that they’re fucked just because of Manchin and Sinema? You’ll just roll over and die?
Mousebumples
Thanks for stopping by! I’m looking forward to supporting one of my local restaurants this weekend, that participated in your event.
How has the new position been working out for you guys? Have you found a candidate to add to your team?
Omnes Omnibus
@Al Nichols: Amen.
Al Nichols
@Mousebumples: We have one in mind that looks promising. And sorry to be vague but it’s personnel-related so I hesitate to say anything more. We’ll let you guys know when we have more information to share.
WaterGirl
@Walker: I think you missed the point of the post.
Ksmiami
Eh Still think anything is getting through w Sinema or Manchin. They’re such fucking assholes…
Steve in the ATL
At least Omnes had an excuse for getting nothing done that day!
MomSense
@Al Nichols:
?♀️ Nice to see you!
Al Nichols
@MomSense:
Back atcha MomSense. Back at all the rest of you too, it’s been a while.
sab
@James E Powell: Yes!
Sure Lurkalot
@Al Nichols: Good luck with the hire and thanks so much for your work on organizing the general strike and the recap. The urgency is crystal clear.
Other organizations are planning similar actions…how can we as a community or individuals lend support?
Al Nichols
@Sure Lurkalot: Hm. Tell you what, I’ll ask around a little tomorrow. If I learn something interesting I’ll reach out to WaterGirl.
WaterGirl
Quiet night! I am turning this into an Open Thread.
SiubhanDuinne
@Al Nichols:
It’s good to see you, Al. Thanks for coming back!
Geminid
@James E Powell: Yes, and don’t forget Florida. Val Demings is giving Marco Rubio something to really sweat about!
Almost Retired
It strikes me as a total success, even if it didn’t immediately move the needle on immigration reform. 3000 people and 160 businesses is a lot in a swing state. Those people are surely fired up from the experience to want to stay engaged and vote. You gave them an outlet to do something and be encouraged by connecting with like-minded activists. That’s a pretty good vaccine against feeling hopeless and disengaged.
Elizabelle
@Al Nichols: Can you hear me clapping from central Virginia for your comment number 6?
Cheers. Thank you for stopping by.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
and New Hampshire, Nevada and North Carolina
all else is commentary
Sure Lurkalot
@Al Nichols: Great! WaterGirl is our engagement coordinator par excellence.
WaterGirl
@Almost Retired: Thanks for writing that, that’s what I thought, too! I also thought there might be a fair amount of interest in this, but it turns out to be kind of a quiet night.
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
Well, I’ll have to leave shortly. About 20 of my former colleagues — we all did the same job at Canadian Consulates General across the US in the nineties and aughts — get together on zoom once a month to catch up and talk about Canada-US relations. We took the summer off, so tonight is going to be the first group chat since May.
In other news, both my Covidiot brother and his SO tested positive and say it is like the worst flu they’ve ever had. Of course, neither one is vaccinated. I’m still incredibly angry, but am being magnanimous in my emails to them, hoping they both recover fully and fast (which is true) and holding off on the “told ya so” messages until later.
WaterGirl
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: My nostrils started *flaring at the visual image of Marco Rubio with flop sweat.
*In the way that they would if I smelled something putrid.
Al Nichols
@SiubhanDuinne:
and @Elizabelle
You’re welcome!
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: Your zoom actually sounds like a fun one!
My BIL has covid, too. Vaccinated, but he does a lot of things that seem super risky, so I have felt like he has been playing Russian roulette since this thing started.
And he got on a plane to return from CA after it was obvious that he was sick, and I’m pretty sure that Tucker or Henry could have diagnosed him with Covid so I am pissed for every person that was on that airplane.
He apparently had symptoms BEFORE he left for CA, but he says he didn’t realize it was Covid. I am terribly worried about him as he has at least 4 preexisting conditions and he is quite sick, but at times I am also pissed at the irresponsibility. Interesting combination of feelings.
Al Nichols
@Almost Retired:
I wish it were that easy. Voting is simply not the first thing on people’s minds in any poor neighborhood where I’ve gone out to knock on doors. It’s not the second or the third thing either. More often people hesitate to vote because it’s the government and any time you get involved with the government, bad luck is sure to follow. Then too, people are practical — even the more motivated voters will tell you “I vote and I vote and I vote but still nothing happens. ”
That’s not a crazy argument, the evidence is all around. So it really helps if you can push back against that kind of thinking with counter-examples. Conversely, if you can’t point to counter-examples it makes it orders of magnitude harder to move voters and move votes. That’s why Manchin and Sinema are mortal threats, if they succeed (in whatever way they’re defining success) they will suppress the vote in poor communities just as surely as the more nefarious and more obvious Republican schemes will.
Mousebumples
@Al Nichols: totally understand. Best of luck with the process!
sab
@WaterGirl: I am so old that I remember when you could cancel plane reservations, get full refunds and then reschedule.
Did not wanting to eat the expense enter into his decision? Always trying to look on the good side of stupid decisions because often there is one.
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
I’m ridiculously fond of all these people — it’s really kind of amazing that there’s not a single one I don’t consider a friend — and it says a lot about our decades-long camaraderie that we still enjoy each others’ company and intelligent conversation. We’re about half and half divided between being Canadian or US citizens, but all of us, whatever passport we carried, were “locally-engaged” staff. IOW, not members of the Cdn foreign service. Most of us stayed in our jobs for 20-25 years, so among us we have literally hundreds of years of experience. It makes for stimulating discussions, for sure!
sab
@Al Nichols: Thank you. Wise words.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@SiubhanDuinne:
Sorry about your brother and his SO. I hope they both fully recover
@WaterGirl:
Sorry about your brother, WG. Hope he fully recovers as well
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Al Nichols:
In your opinion, do you think Manchin and Sinema are corrupt? Do you believe they can be moved?
sab
@SiubhanDuinne: Hate to lay this on you, but when they recover you still need to bother them to get vaxed. A case of Covid doesn’t make you immune. You can get it again even worse. A case of Covid then a vax pretty much does make you invincible.
Geminid
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: There is an interesting symmetry in next year’s Senate races. Four Democrats face tough contests in Nevada, New Hampdhire, Arizona, and Georgia, states which Joe Biden won, the last two very narrowly. Four seats held by retiring Republicans in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, and North Carolina are in play. Joe Biden carried the first two, and lost the second two.
A ninth winnable race is in Florida. That is the odd state, in more ways than one. With the exception of Rubio’s reelection in 2016, every Governor and Senate race since 2010 was close, but Republicans won almost all of them. The Governor races were decided by 60,000, 66,000, and 33,000, the last out of over 8 million votes cast. Val Demings is a dynamic candidate, though, and her turn on the national stage during the first impeachment made her a fundraising powerhouse. She and the Democratic nominee for Governor may have complementary appeal.
Al Nichols
Good night, folks — it’s been a pleasure visiting with you, as always.
Dan B
@Al Nichols: Totally with you!
After Selma the flood of white people from the north changed the movement. After the March on Washington the Vietnam War Movement changed. After the Stinewall Uprising the LGBTQ movement got going in hundreds of righteous resistant ways. It’s the little sparks that fly out and ignite flames in too many places for the status quo to keep control.
Almost Retired
@Al Nichols: fair enough, but that still doesn’t mean the effort wasn’t worthwhile and successful in ways we can’t measure. Good on ‘ya
Sure Lurkalot
I’m hopeful reading about all the labor strikes. It’s been a long time since conditions have coalesced to bring this about. Creative destruction of the system where obscene profits don’t get shared with those who produce them is well overdue.
sab
I got an odd call from Columbus Ohio area code today that annoyed me a lot, mostly because it came at an inconvenient time and went on forever. I thought it might be my sister. Turned out it was raising money for Warnock (whom I like a lot.) She (the caller) went on forever then wanted me to make a $150 donation to save the Senate.
That is a lot of money. She didn’t have an Ohio accent. I don’t give to blind calls. I have had calls like this before from other candidates. I told her that that was too much, I couldn’t afford it and all my Senate contribution money is going to Tim Ryan my state’s likely candidate.
I did give a much smaller ActBlue donation to Warnock since I do like him so much. Anyone know what is up with these calls and who is doing them? They are very offputting.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@sab: I’ve been getting a lot more calls flagged as “spam risk” or “political call” in the last week or so. For all my complaints about the iPhone 11, I do love that it screens those sort of calls. Especially as I have a couple projects going on that have made me (temporarily) abandon my usual ignore-all-incoming-calls policy.
I’ve also started stopping texts from candidates, even a couple I’m on monthly donations to (maybe especially because of that). I felt a little guilty at first, but it’s just too damn soon
sab
@Al Nichols: Ohio here. I went to a Women’s March a few years ago in Cleveland Ohio that was quite large. We filled Public Square to overflowing. And the March was based on what is going on at the southern border. A lot of the speakers were adolescent Americans whose parents had just been deported from northern Ohio, working in farm and horticultural jobs.
We need to remind all those outraged marchers that nothing much has changed and they need to vote for us!
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Yowza!Rachel Maddow reporting Bill Clinton has been hospitalized (for two days?) for a non-Covid related infection. He’s in good spirits and “on the mend”. CNN calling it sepsis, says Rachel.ETA: Yowza! was a reaction to “Breaking news! Bill Clinton hospitalized”. Surprised they sat on the story this long
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Good news that he’s on the mend
SiubhanDuinne
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
My call ended early (horrid unstable Google platform, dunno why they didn’t use something sensible) so I flipped on Rachel just in time to hear this breaking news and was coming to share.
The Lord he knoweth Bill Clinton has his issues, but I for one want him around a long time. I hope they fix whatever this is and send him on his way as soon as sane.
Get well soon, William Jefferson Clinton.
SiubhanDuinne
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Thanks, Goku. I’ve been at loggerheads with Rick for the last few years over his RWNJ conspiratorial beliefs (have never met his SO, but she seems to make him happy) but he’s my baby brother and when all is said and done, I love him and want him to be well. So I’m grateful for your good wishes.
NotMax
@SiubhanDuinne
Is it just me or is Rachel sporting new (and very evident) false eyelashes? Maybe not yet accustomed to them as she’s also blinking a lot.
SiubhanDuinne
@NotMax:
I haven’t paid really close attention, but I remember thinking a couple of weeks ago that her make-up person was doing something different. Maybe that’s it.
Rachel Maddow is decidedly not a false-eyelashes person.
sab
@SiubhanDuinne: Good wishes also after my diatribe.
I am very much not in the Covid antivaxxers let them all croak category. Families are complicated. Often the head guy is an idiot. Often he is the sole breadwinner. Women are often just trying to survive stupid decisions their men folk make.
In my mispent youth I did divorce law. Women make stupid decisions for very logical reasons.
SiubhanDuinne
@sab:
Oh, I will, but not now.
ETA: Thanks, too, for your comments at #52. I didn’t at all take the earlier ones amiss.
Dan B
@SiubhanDuinne: Why do you say that about Rachael?
//s She has striking facial features that I’d imagine need a light touch even on bright TV lights.
Sorry to hear about your brother. He seems rudderless which would make him susceptible to conspiracies and marginal decision making. There are many flavors if intelligence and logic is not necessarily the best – thinking of Vulcans and some folks on the spectrum. I hope he’s blessed with other forms like emotional intelligence.
Another Scott
Godspeed to Voces and all her supporters.
Speaking of “plays”, …
Points to a RAND report.
Good, good. Knowledge is power, and understanding why countries (and Putin’s Russia especially) do what they do is important.
(The 186 page PDF download is free, or one can buy a paperback version.)
In my early skimming, it seems sensible and well supported.
(via CherylRofer)
Cheers,
Scott.
VeniceRiley
@WaterGirl: I’m angry too. I just know one of these symptomatic chucklefucks is going to be on my fiancé’s plane when she comes next month or when she goes back.
VeniceRiley
You know what might work even better? Support marches boosting the legislators who are friends and leaders. Like public thanks. And a side note can be public spanks.
Another Scott
Ooof!
Cheers,
Scott.
Another Scott
Reminder …
I continue to think that we may be in the beginning of a new Roaring Twenties.
(via nycsouthpaw)
Cheers,
Scott.
VeniceRiley
@WaterGirl: And here is the third or fourth chucklefuck Covid pos on a plane story I have read just this evening:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-15/hobart-three-day-lockdown-after-covid-hotel-breach/100542270
WaterGirl
@VeniceRiley: shaking my head.
I hope you guys both stay safe!
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
it’s a whole new ballgame
eclare
@sab: While true, a contestant on a reality show I like (too embarrassed to admit which one) got covid before vaccines were available, got vaxxed, then got covid again a few weeks ago. Young, super fit. So it can happen. He did say this time was nowhere near as bad.
Another Scott
https://twitter.com/TerribleMaps
Brilliant!
The World map according to fish is excellent.
(via darth)
Cheers,
Scott.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@SiubhanDuinne:
You’re welcome : )
And I definitely get where you’re coming from. I was pretty mad with my uncle, aunt, and cousin for not getting vaccinated. But it really hits different when its somebody you know who tests positive for COVID. Both my aunt and uncle had to go to the hospital, with my uncle being the worst off, but thankfully they’re recovering now
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): One of our ASM’s(Assistant Store Managers) was out for a couple of week, found out after his return that he had COVID. He said that day was the first he didn’t have coughing fits, but still had brain fog.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
That sounds awful! What’s so concerning about COVID, aside from gasping for breath, is the potential for long-term, seemingly unending symptoms like brain fog that interfere with your ability to live your life