Hello Indivisibles,

That’s a win!!  When Trump’s FCC chair said, “we control what speech is allowed”, people all over the country said, “No, you don’t”.  They made the message clear in every way imaginable.  Subscribers, actors, tv writers, Disney creators, and everyday Americans boycotted, protested, cancelled subscriptions, emailed their opinions, cancelled Disney cruises and theme park trips.   MOC and prior elected officials spoke loud and clear:  Free Speech belongs to The People and you cannot suppress it.  The People will not allow it.  And it worked.  Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air tonight.  And the Trump administration has been put on notice that, no, they are not all-powerful.  The People are all-powerful.  A win.  One of many recently.

Now, some dates and events to remember.  (Watch for my next email tomorrow with some “really big news” about our next big event on Oct. 7)  But for now:

Sept. 24, Wednesday, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Snow Farm Vineyard, South Hero.  Listening Session with VT Treasurer, Mike Pieciak and State Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale.  Your chance to get your questions answered about what is happening at the state level.

Sept 27, Saturday, all day, VT State Univ. in Randolph: Annual Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference.  If you are a woman in business or think you might want to be, there will be speakers and workshops tailored for you.  Many have lost their jobs or are seeing jobs transformed into something they can no longer do because of cuts and policy changes made by the Trump Administration.  If you are looking for a new start, this may be helpful to you.

Details and registration at : https://www.welch.senate.gov/weoc/

October 7, Tuesday Evening, Snow Farm Vineyards, South Hero:  We will be having our next big event, which will combine a members meeting and an  invite to the rest of the community, like we did at our very first meeting.  Hey, we will be six month old!!  I think that calls for a celebration.  I will be sending out all of the juicy details tomorrow, so watch your inbox.   

October 18, Saturday, location TBD:  NO KINGS 2 IS COMING!!!  Remember when Indivisible and other grassroots groups staged one of the biggest protests this country has ever had? No Kings!  Somewhere between 5 million and 6 million people turned out all over the country, and in 27 other countries, to let Trump know that we do not allow kings in America.  And we never will.  It was the same day that 20,000 or so went to his birthday-party military parade that he threw for himself – and sent us taxpayers the bill.  Made him feel “right puny”, as a neighbor of mine used to say.  Well, this time, NO KINGS 2 will be even bigger – much bigger.  And the reasons to stand up to Trump and say “NO” have gotten bigger … much bigger.  Direct attacks on Free Speech, masked goon squads disappearing people off our streets, a GOP puppet Congress, Voodoo medicine coming out of our National Health Service, a tax bill that will drive millions of working class Americans into poverty, a collapsing healthcare system and a collapsing economy that is unaffordable to most Americans, ETC!  NO KINGS!  NO TYRANTS!  NO, YOU CANNOT DESTROY OUR COUNTRY!  WE ARE HERE TO STOP YOU.

Your Leadership Team is working to put together the details of our action on this important date.  But it will be ‘all hands on deck’.  If at all possible, you need to plan to be out on the streets that day.  Save the date.  Stay tuned.

October 24, Friday, 11:00 – 1:00, St. Albans ICE office: Peaceful, noisy, picket of the ICE office in St. Albans on United Nations Day.  No blockading or obstructing.  Organized by Indivisible Brattleboro.  Demanding an end to masked agents and human rights violations and violations of due process.

And finally, at this precarious moment in our nation’s history, it is time for all of us to find our voice and speak out.  Radio silence now, will lead to the permanent silencing of our voices in America.  I encourage each of you to find a way to communicate to the greater community.  It may be your facebook following, or FPF or a letter to the editor at Seven Days or the Islander or five minutes at the end of your book club, but we need to extend this conversation beyond our group.  And I cannot be the only voice in the darkness.  I know many of you already are doing this, but I feel we need to turn up the volume.  I am attaching a post I put in Front Porch Forum this past week.  It only went to North Hero readers, because I did it as an individual, not as a spokesperson for Indivisible Champlain Islands.  It is just an example of some ways you can promote the conversation without being confrontational. Feel free to post it somewhere else if you like, but better yet, start posting things yourself.

 I did an earlier one on FPF, called “In America”, a month ago, which made the point that all citizens are Americans, not just Trump’s chosen few. (If you want a copy of that, let me know).  Please join me in spreading the message of the America that you want to see, not the police state that Trump is trying to build.

To all you determined, wonderful members, 

Cheers!

Marilyn Lagrow