Month: January 2025

Fighting fascism – Day Eleven – my immigrant heritage

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

As I mentioned before, I had dedicated Thursdays (I know, it’s Friday) to identifying acts that defend our immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Yesterday (a Thursday) was a particularly special day for me since my father, who was a refugee, would have turned 100 (he passed away ten years ago).

His story started when he was a boy in a small Polish village that was on the border between the German and Soviet occupation at the beginning of World War II. He and some members of his family were staying on the “Soviet side” of town and were suddenly put on freight trains and, without their consent or previous knowledge, sent to Siberia (they thought they were being transported to a camp a few miles upstream of the river San). He lived in Siberia under horrendous conditions for most of the war – he was ironically lucky because family members who remained behind in Poland were all murdered by the Nazis. After Siberia, he ended up in Kazakhstan (working on a farm), Germany (in a refugee camp), Switzerland (where he went to university), and Tunisia (where he taught) before marrying my mother and moving to New York. He had no nationality at that point, but possessed UN refugee status. Would he have been allowed to immigrate to the US today? The stories of those seeking asylum and a new start today are no less heartbreaking or interesting than my father’s.

I want to talk about Sanctuary, which is a religious and political movement that started in the 1980s to provide safe haven for Central American refugees fleeing civil conflict. The movement was a response to federal immigration policies that made obtaining asylum difficult for Central Americans.

The New Sanctuary Movement is “a growing movement of faith and immigrant communities doing what Congress and the Administration refuse to do: protect and stand with immigrants facing deportation. Members pledge to protect immigrant families who face workplace discrimination or unjust deportation. Unitarian Universalists are joining the many religious leaders, congregations, and faith-based organizations of all denominations who are part of the Movement (from the website of Unitarian Universalist Association).” 

Most of my posts have been about doing something at the national level. The Sanctuary Movement is a local action that takes place in your community. It is based in local places of worship: congregations can decide to be part of the Sanctuary Movement, which means that they pledge to protect immigrant families. The Unitarian Universalist Association has played a key role in today’s movement. The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism supports the Sanctuary Movement, as does the Church World Service.

There is also the Sanctuary School and Safe Zone movement, where schools can pledge to protect immigrants. I’m not exactly sure how this works and will do some more research. If you are familiar with this effort, please let me know.

As an act of anti-fascism, talk with an immigrant, asylum seeker or refugee and ask how they are doing, whether they need any help, and share a joke or story. It goes a long way.

I have a final question. Can/will universities make information available to the administration regarding who participated in demonstrations? The ACLU has a petition that you can sign that will go to Senators to tell them not to vote for HR9495, which punishes protesters who are not citizens.

Fighting Fascism — Day Nine – staying in the mood

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

Fighting fascism – Day Nine

Considering that the “flood the zone” strategy is under implementation, it is easy to lose focus and feel overwhelmed. This is when a list of guidelines or attitudes to adopt might be useful. Although they aren’t completely in line with what I have been promoting (take action), they provide good analysis and advice.

A good friend forwarded this very interesting list of things to keep in mind, cut from an article by Mark Elias entitled 10 Ways to Protect Democracy.

“1. Stay engaged: When all the news is about Trump and pardons and lies, it is easy to want to retreat and stop paying attention. Don’t. It is precisely when things are hard that we must all lean into remaining vigilant and informed.

2. Help Democrats: The success of any opposition movement rests on the opposing party taking power. This is not a minor detail; in our system of government, it is the essential goal. Next time you want to attack a Democrat for being too much of this or too little of that, realize that you are only helping the GOP. Instead, find a Democrat you support and volunteer or contribute to their campaign.

3. Don’t do (the administration’s) work: This is more than simply resisting (the administration’s) actions; it is refusing to accept his false assumptions. When he says he wants to abolish birthright citizenship, do not accept the premise that he has the power to do so. Stay grounded in the truth: The U.S. Constitution is clear, Trump is powerless and the courts will reject his efforts. (Not too sure about this: I think we will have to fight this on many levels).

4. Don’t grade on a curve: This goes both ways. Do not hold Republicans to a lower standard and do not hold Democrats to a higher one. When a Republican does something normal, recognize it is normal not exceptional. When a Democrat does something normal, recognize it is normal and not terrible.

5. Believe in the courts: Republicans control all three elected branches of the federal government. They do not control the courts. Yes, the U.S. Supreme Court has a solidly conservative majority, but the high court only hears a few dozen cases a year. And in some of those, the Court has sided with democracy. Most importantly, remember that Joe Biden confirmed a record number of new federal judges. And, of course, there are state courts. For better or worse, we are dependent on the courts to help protect democracy. Rather than assume they will not, insist they do.

6. Beware of false attacks: Pam Bondi is an election denier. Kash Patel has an enemies list of political opponents. (The administration) has promised retribution. When you hear that () foe (of the adminisrtration) is under investigation, be skeptical. When you read about anonymous leaks against pro-democracy leaders, consider that it may be part of an effort to discredit their work.

7. Support independent media: The legacy media is failing our democracy. Every day brings more news of another billionaire owner or corporate overlord bowing down to (the administration). The solution is found in independent news outlets that have no incentive to make nice with the Republican Party. Some of these are broad-based news operations, some are issue specific. Pick a few and subscribe for free. Find one or two that you pay to support. It will go a long way to ensure a vibrant media ecosystem willing to stand up for democracy.

8. Use your town square: Every one of us has a town square. It may include our social media accounts, our local book club or dinner table. Use your town square to speak out in favor of democracy and against what Republicans are doing. Do not shy away from difficult conversations; seek them out. Engage the curious. Educate those who seek information. We all have a role to play, so don’t assume your voice is too faint or your platform too small.

9. Prepare for a long fight: In 2017, we hoped that Trumpism was a fluke and would pass. We now know it will not. We are in for a long fight and must build and commit to an opposition movement that will stand the test of time. We will have victories and setbacks, good days and bad. We must understand that this will not be over in one election or with the defeat of any one candidate. This is the fight of our generation, and it will take time.

10. Don’t give up hope: Our best political movements were hopeful. John Kennedy insisted that “we should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes.” Bill Clinton was the man from Hope. Barack Obama ran a campaign based on hope and change. Donald Trump and the Republicans want you to give up hope. Despair and cynicism fuel their movement. We must always, in the words of Jesse Jackson, “keep hope alive.””

_____________________

The same friend shared the following article that I found very inspiring: Advice for heading into Week Two

_____________________

The daughter of MLK and Coretta Scott King also has a ten-item list of advice for these times.

  1. Don’t use his name, EVER (I always refer to the “administration”)
  2. Remember this is a regime and that he is not acting alone
  3. Don’t argue with with those who support him – it doesn’t work (I don’t agree)
  4. Focus on his POLICIES not his orange-ness and his mental state
  5. Keep your message positive; they want the country to be angry and fearful because this is the soil from which their darkest policies will grow
  6. No more helpless/hopeless talk
  7. Support artists and the arts
  8. Be careful not to spread fake news. Check it’
  9. Take care of yourselves; And
  10. Resist!

Nice announcement on Common Cause to put us in a better mood: Trump Reverses Aid Cuts After Outcry: President Trump reverses aid cuts after public outcry, marking a major win for Americans defending critical programs like Medicaid and food assistance.

New 5calls.org items to check out (I like this site, but they are not always quick enough).

Might want to make a trip to COSTCO, since they decided to keep their DEI program. Might want to skip Target, though, which didn’t…

Fighting fascism — Day Eight – LGBTQ+ me

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

Fighting fascism – Day Eight

Today, I would like to talk about the administration’s efforts to tag specific groups of Americans as the enemy. I will further discuss the administration’s ongoing war on immigrants, asylum seekers and refuges in this Thursday’s blog. Today, I focus on the attacks on the LGBTQ+ community generally and transgender and nonbinry people in particular.

I need to start, however, with a full disclosure. One of my children is trans and the other is queer. One, born male, now uses female pronouns. The other born female uses “they” pronouns. We are very proud of our children and are completely supportive of their transitions and their lifestyles. They are successful, creative, generous and fully engaged people and we love them quite a lot.

We are also worried out of our minds about what is going to happen to them as we slip towards a fascist state.

The administration’s decision to remove transgender people from the military is essentially a case of designating certain people — because of their identity – not eligible to serve their country. Not because of what transgender persons may have done or even of what they think, but because of who they are. This is one step away from dehumanizing them completely. Next, they may be denied certain support, services and rights that are the entitlement of every American (Medicare? Medicaid? Social Security? Presumption of innocence?). They already have difficulty getting passports and visas based on their gender identity.

The administration has zeroed in on transgender people because they are few in number and thus they are a “test case” for the future designation of specific groups of people as unhuman (a favorite term these days of fascists, it seems). Going after transgender people is bad enough but if successful the administration opens the door to treating other groups in the same way. Down the line, we may expect McCarthy type campaigns against those fighting fascism! But that will come much later. In the meantime, there will be incremental steps – other members of the LGBTQ+ community, persons of color.

Many of you have seen this before. I think that it is particularly relevant to our times. I copied it from an article written by Jamil Salmi (definitely worth a read in its own right, by the way: a passionate discussion on the decline of academic freedom in higher education).

“ This is why I am always humbled when I think of Martin Niemöller, the German priest who, after initially embracing the racist ideology of the Nazi party when Hitler came to power in 1933, realised his errors and became the leader of a group of German clergymen opposed to the Nazis.

He was arrested in 1937 and spent eight years in the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps. After the war, he wrote the following poem to express his belated regrets (as reported by the British Holocaust Memorial Day Trust):

First, they came for the Communists,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews,
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me,
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.”

Here are some organizations that work very actively to defend the rights of transgender and nonbinary individuals, as well as other members of the LGBTQ+ community.

  Advocates for Trans Equality: Formerly known as the National Center for Transgender Equality, this organization focuses on policy advocacy and public education to advance transgender equality. Their website is here and they have an ACTION button.

  Transgender Law Center: As the largest national trans-led organization, it advocates for self-determination and justice for all people. Their website is here. Although they don’t have an ACTION button, they definitely do a lot to defend transgender rights and individuals.

  GLAAD: This organization works to promote positive representation of transgender people in media and culture. Their website is here.

  The Trevor Project: Offers crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth, including transgender youth. Their website is here. They have a government and advocacy page: they lead the fight against conversion therapy.

  Human Rights Campaign (HRC): Works to educate the public about the transgender community and provides resources for transgender and non-binary people to live their fullest lives. There website is here and they have a take . They have a petition dedicated to the issue of banning transgender persons from military service.

The ACLU has a petition on protecting trans freedoms.

You might want to consider buying girl scout cookies from a trans girl scout! It would count as an anti-fascist act, in my book. Check out this post by Erin in the Morning.

Fighting fascism – Day Six – the conversation

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

There have been a lot of great ideas and discussions sent our way on the current state of the fight against fascism and the role that this blog could play. I draw attention to a few below.

On the subject of truth, one friend has suggested that I change the name of my blog site because “Trueish stories” may not convey the right tone, considering that we want people to strengthen their notion of the truth. I’m of two minds because this has been the name of my underused blogsite for many years. Also, others have said that they really like it. But, if you find it misleading or inappropriate, I’m more than willing to consider changing it (if I can figure out how).  Please let me know what you think.

A friend suggested that we should focus on fewer organizations. I admit that I have been taking a scattershot approach. My motivating idea at this point is that we try to draw people into committing a zillion acts of micro-resistance – one act at a time – because that could ease them from being depressed and isolated (and ineffective) into being engaged. My friend is worried that we are running out of time. I’m all for supporting a movement. I just don’t know which one. Your thoughts?

Along the same lines, another friend made a passionate plea that we need our own 2025 pact (my paraphrase) considering how organized the fascists were coming into power. He decries how badly a job “progressives” (and definitely the Democratic party) have done at capturing the curiosity and imagination of people, particularly compared to the fascists (or the Republican party). I completely agree, but how do we actionably get there?

Many of you work or have worked in the same business as I have – development aid. We have committed ourselves to bettering the lives of people living in poorer countries. The administration has frozen development aid and appears intent on ending it, as is clearly described in this NPR report. I haven’t seen any petitions or letters being written about fighting this trend. Has anyone? This is something that a lot of us could get behind.

A few suggestions from friends.

Leaders We Deserve “is a grassroots organization dedicated to electing young progressives to Congress and State Legislatures across the country to help defeat the far-right agenda and advance a progressive vision for the future.”

Protect Democracy “is a cross-ideological nonprofit group dedicated to defeating the authoritarian threat, building more resilient democratic institutions, and protecting our freedom and liberal democracy. Our experts and advocates use litigation, legislative and communications strategies, technology, research, and analysis to stand up for free and fair elections, the rule of law, fact-based debate, and a better democracy for future generations.” The following link takes to a list of 27 actions you can take.

David Wheeler, conceived of, programmed, and launched an automated, AI-supported, daily synthesis of hundreds of daily newspapers, organized by thematic area – called NewsWatch [newswatch21.org]. I love this site!

Fighting Fascism – Day Five – talk to people

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

One friend had a very interesting suggestion: stop people in the street and talk to them! I am a bit ambivalent about that strategy – social norms and all (not polite to talk about politics or religion with strangers). However, that said, it is true that most of the suggestions I’ve shared to date are lonely ones – signing petitions, calling the offices of representatives, and writing letters. Women in Black is more of a social experience, which is one of the reasons I included it.

I would probably prefer striking up a chat with someone sitting next to me on a bus or at the next table in a café than stopping someone in the street. In our paranoid and angry time, these might be safer contexts.

It doesn’t have to be complete strangers. You can talk about your concerns regarding the rise of fascism in your book club, after services, or during a neighborhood gathering. But, what to say when you want to strike up a conversation about fascism? Using the word “fascism” as a opener probbably isn’t always a good idea. I did a little research and questions like: “What are your thoughts on the direction the neighborhood/city/country is moving in?” might work. “Do you think that the administration is making the right decisions presently?” could be another chat starter. “How did you come to that conclusion?” might be a way to deepen the conversation. At issue isn’t even whether you agree with the other person. It is to have an exchange with another human being. If it gets unpleasant, one can always politely stop the discussion. If you have suggestions about how to talk to strangers about regime change, please share them!

There seems to be a lot of organizations out there that are interested in dialogue and creating opportunities for exchanges across political borders. I found the Listen First Project as one example, although it appears that a lot of big companies are financing it (Facebook, Target, MacDonalds, etc.), so I’m not sure that they are truly non-partisan. If you have any information on this group, let me know. But, they do have links to a lot of organizations and seem to have some good tips. If you are aware of others that are creating fora for dialogue and ideas about how to go about talking to people face-to-face again, please share.

In terms of an action that you might want to take today, I would recommend that you voice your concerns about the nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr. The Senate Finance Committee will meet on Jan. 29 to discuss the confirmation of RFK Jr., whose stances on vaccines and abortion have raised questions from Democrats and Republicans alike. So, time is of the essence. A good friend suggested this link. 5calls.org has a link providing info on how to call your senator to protest this abominable nomination.

As is probably obvious, I’m a bit of a novice when it comes to all of this. If you would rather than I include you in the bcc: list rather than the to: list, please let me know. I understand that I might have made a faux pas here. Apologies.

Fighting fascism — Day Four – sharing ideas

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

Phew! They are certainly compounding assault upon assault on democracy. Overturning many of the good works of the previous administration on climate, health care, and the rule of law. The more I read, the more swamped I feel. Some claim that the administration will eventually shoot itself in the foot. I’m concerned that statements like that render us passive and that a lot of damage can be done in the meantime. What do you think?

I got many ideas from you and I want to share a couple in today’s blog. There is no overarching theme. Just sharing. Send me more ideas!!

The first is an initiative called “Women in Black”, in which a friend in Baltimore participates.  Here are a couple of quotes from their website that explain it better than I could.

Women in Black is a world-wide network of women committed to peace with justice and actively opposed to injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence. … We are not an organisation, but a means of communicating and a formula for action… Any group of women anywhere in the world at any time may organize a Women in Black vigil against any manifestation of violence, militarism or war… Our actions often take the form of women wearing black, standing in a public place in silent, non-violent vigils at regular times and intervals, carrying placards and handing out leaflets…. A vigil, as Women in Black use the term, generally means a nonviolent demonstration of one or more people in which we hold signs in a public location to express our political views. It’s not a march, but Women in Black around the world have sometimes also held marches. A vigil can be one woman (yes!) or a small group or even a large group.

I urge you to look at their site and see if they organize events in your city. If not, you might consider holding an event of your own. They are set up to provide guidance.

Another friend reminded me that if you are an American citizen who lives outside the US, you should consider becoming a member of Democratic Abroad. They focus a lot on getting out the vote, informing Americans living abroad how to vote (not always a straightforward process). They also urge members to write to reps on specific issues. I belong to the Marseille/Aix-en-Provence chapter and have enjoyed it.

It seems that one of my links for the ACLU (Stop Project 2025) didn’t work for some reason. Here it is again, hopefully working this time. Considering yesterday’s blog, I also want to draw your attention to a couple of other of ACLU’s initiatives that are timely: one on birthright citizenship and the other is on preventing mass deportations. I should have waited until next Thursday, but I just couldn’t!

Fighting fascism – Day Three – protecting immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers

by Michel Welmond, posted in Uncategorized

Fighting fascism – Day three

The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, pleaded the following: “In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now … They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues.”

I want to draw attention today to groups and actors that are organizing to counter the assault on immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in our country. Going after foreigners is a tried-and-true fascist tactic. Protecting our immigrant community (both documented and undocumented) from violence and unfair treatment (including deportation on the thinnest of pretexts) is key in the fight against fascism.

The Raices Texas Organization has done some wonderful work in the Lone Star state and nationwide defending immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees. They have existed since 1986 and have a national reputation. They will be very busy in the years to come. They have a TAKE ACTION button. I particularly liked this letter to Congressional representatives. I also like their “motto”: Let’s fight for families. Let’s be the welcoming nation that we’ve always aspired to be.

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants is probably the most prestigious and well-known organization in this area. They have published a very strong statement reacting to the recent executive order targeting refugees. They have a particularly interesting initiative where they match refugees with potential employers (such as you, perhaps!). I like the quote they have from Malala Yousafzai; “When the world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.“ They have just issued a Policy & Advocacy Report that is particularly informative and damning in reaction to the new administration’s actions against immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees.

As the son of a refugee, I am particularly sensitive to this cause – my father and his family suffered terribly because of Nazism and had been greeted with open arms when he came to America in the 1950s.

If you know of any organizations and causes that you think I should shout out on this issue, please let me know.

Finally, a good friend reminded me that NPR remains a very good and honest source of news and a fine example of freedom of speech in our country: it deserves our support. 

All the best,

Michel

Fighting fascism – Day Two – freedom of the press

by Michel Welmond, posted in Fighting fascism

Thanks for checking out my blog. Here’s my ongoing attempt to keep fighting fascism!

The fascists are moving very fast: erasing birthright, pardons for insurrectionists, militarizing the border, pulling the U.S. out of the WHO and the Paris Climate Agreement, gutting diversity, equity and inclusion programs and overturning protections for transgender Americans are among the more egregious acts. Many more have happened and are on the way.

There will be a lot to do to fight back. And it will be a long haul. In my opinion, anti-fascist organizations are probably not moving fast enough –the ones I listed yesterday haven’t updated their “TAKE ACTION” pages in response to the inaugural speech yet. However, many of the actions they propose stay relevant. I just looked at the ACLU action page and there are at least a half-dozen petitions that can be signed. There’s one on Common Cause’s website that I believe merits attention regarding Project 2025.

In any case, what is important is to stay informed and to inform others. We need to keep on top of what is happening. There is a lot of news being reported and analyzed out there and it is easy to be overwhelmed. I do not claim to be a master of that universe, but I would like to draw your attention to one site that I think has particularly interesting coverage. The Contrarian is run by two former Washington Post reporters, who quit for reasons we certainly understand. I find they have interesting articles and discussions that are worth visiting.

Aside from Media Matters, which I listed yesterday, here are a few other organizations that are fighting for freedom of the press and against disinformation.

  1. Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) – Focuses on defending digital privacy, free expression, and internet freedoms. (www.eff.org)
  2. Political Research Associates (PRA) – Conducts research on authoritarian and far-right movements to counter their influence. (www.politicalresearch.org)
  3. Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights (IREHR) – Tracks far-right extremist groups and promotes strategies to fight them. (www.irehr.org)

I need ideas! If you have any suggestions, please share them with me so I can put them on subsequent blogs posts.

Fighting fascism every day

by Michel Welmond, posted in Fighting fascism, Uncategorized

The slippery slope towards fascism became considerably steeper yesterday. The new American administration intends to constrain civil liberties, freedom of speech, and opposition. It will remove economic opportunities for those who are not already rich and protections for minorities. It plans to undermine the nation’s education system, health care system, social safety net, and other institutions that provide support and reassurance to the average person. It will try to reverse efforts to protect the environment. It will “deregulate” or, in other words, remove guardrails that prevent the greedy from further ravaging our land, people, and spirit. It seeks to orient the justice system to protect the interests of the few rather than everyone and to weaken the rule of law. It will more readily resort to violence. It will try to undermine our democracy. It will try to stay in power forever. This is fascism.

What should we do about this? Fighting fascism requires a combination of awareness, activism, and community engagement. Resistance to fascism is most effective when it is organized, inclusive, and consistent. I propose a simple strategy to start: conduct an act of anti-fascism every day, no matter how big or small. Write a letter to a government representative or news outlet or sign a petition or contribute to an organization that is fighting fascism or attend a meeting of a group dedicated to making something happen differently at a local, regional, national or international level or go to a demonstration or engage in a boycott or carry out an act of civil disobedience.

It will depend on your comfort zone, time, resources, interest in a particular topic, passion, and energy level. The important thing is to do something every day. It does not mean spending your whole day fIighting fascism (of course if you can, why not? But most people have to do laundry). Spending even ten minutes a day (well, maybe twenty) may be enough for you to keep the pressure on.

Communication is key. The best weapon that the fascists have is to make you feel that you live in an isolated bubble and that you are a helpless individual: that you are alone. By conducting an act of anti-fascism every day, you join others who are similarly engaged and together we make a difference. Make new friends!

I will provide suggestions of anti-fascist acts every day. You would be surprised how easy it is to find things to do. Send me ideas and I’ll post them as well. At the end of this blog, there are links to a few organizations that are currently fighting fascism and that suggest actions you can take. Sending your friends a link to this blog might be enough to fight fascism for today! Earlier, I called the office of the Governor of Maryland office to demand that he take a stand against deportation (see 5calls.org). It took me just a few minutes. Also, send me any suggestions you may have on how to improve this initiative.

I am committed to the values and principles that define our nation and am distressed by what is happening and what might happen. I cannot just experience this distress silently. That is why I am sharing this simple strategy with you. I encourage you to think about adopting it, if for no other reason than so I just don’t feel so alone!

Several organizations in the U.S. actively fight fascism, promote democracy, and oppose authoritarianism. Here are a few groups. I will list others in subsequent blogs. These organizations often provide resources, organize protests, and advocate for policies that counter authoritarian movements and defend democracy. Many also welcome volunteers and donations to support their causes. Each also regularly proposes actions that can be taken to fight fascism.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – Defends constitutional rights and fights against government overreach, discrimination, and authoritarian policies. There’s a “TAKE ACTION” button on their main web page. (www.aclu.org).

Media Matters for America – Monitors misinformation and far-right propaganda, promoting accountability in media. There’s a “TAKE ACTION” button on their main web page. (www.mediamatters.org).

Common Cause – Focuses on protecting voting rights, fighting corruption, and strengthening democracy. There’s a “TAKE ACTION” button on their main web page. (www.commoncause.org).

Five Calls – An easy-to-use site that guides you to make calls to government representatives (congresspersons, state delegates, etc.) to voice your concern and demand action on a selection of key issues. (www.5calls.org)