#solidarityalert (hosted by World Can't Wait)

WHEN : Weds, 6/20, 4-6pm

WHERE : Hawai‘i Federal Builiding

(details on Facebook)

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS :  IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS!

What’s happening at our borders is morally bankrupt, repugnant and unacceptable at every level. It’s a violation of human rights and goes against everything this country has learned over its short history. Every major organization around the world — from WHO to the UN to the American Assoc of Pediatrics — is speaking up against this atrocious policy and these horrific actions. We have several action items: 

We will thank our Senators for signing on to the bill and the letter to stop this egregious behavior and ask what, if anything, is happening with the legislation and how we can fast-track it. 

We will ask our House Members what pressure points we can impact on that side to end this now. 

We will follow up on our previous question: are children being separated from their families at the border in Hawaii? Have our MOCs looked into this, inspection cited our local facilities, and made it clear their views here in our own back yard? 

We will ask their counsel on the best public pressure points — raising money for the border legal defense efforts, writing to Phebe Novakovic (CEO of General Dynamics, the company contracted to build these detention/concentration camps), continuing to pressure Congress, etc. 

We will also remind them that one GOP Member can really start to turn this tide, as Sen. Collins did yesterday when speaking out agains these atrocities. What can we do to help cultivate that political courage? It worked when we fought for health care. Now let’s do it again for the children. 

See you out there!

Hawai‘i J20+ PLANNING MEETING

ORGANIZE • EDUCATE • PROTEST
Join us in Resisting Trumpism! Bring your hands, hearts + brains. 

WHEN : noon to 2pm
WHERE : UH Manoa, Saunders Hall Courtyard

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS : So much to talk about this week. Yeah, we’re tired and mad as hell, and sometimes it seems like too much. But the GOP and the Trump White House are hell-bent on dismantling everything we care about. If you don’t show up, make calls, donate, and get out the vote, you’re part of the problem. Harsh, I know. But these are harsh and dark times. Saddle up. We’ve got work to do. 

TRUMP ON THE GLOBAL STAGE puts America at risk around the world. Even a few GOP members are starting to worry. We will ask our Senators to support the bi-partisan defense amendment to restore the ZTE sanctions (put forth by Cotton, Schumer, and Van Hollen) and to stand firm on Trump’s dangerous dance with our allies. Our president is picking fights with our allies and cozying up with strongmen and dictators. These are dangerous times that can throw the world into chaos again. We’ll talk about what we can do, what Congress can do, and how we protect our elections in November. 

NET NEUTRALITY hit the wall today. Now what? Sen. Schatz has championed this fight, so we will ask his staff what the status is, how we can help, and what comes next. Going about the business of the nation on issues like this is a core tenet of protecting and preserving our democracy. We’ll thank Sen. Schatz and find out what’s next. 

CRUELTY AT THE BORDER WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Thanks to the national outcry and outrage, the administration’s policy of removing children from their parents is getting more and more attention, but the fight is far from over. We cannot let up! This administration’s cruelty — targeting the youngest and most helpless among us — cannot be ignored. History will judge us harshly; it’s on us to right the wrong. We will thanks Sen. Schatz and Hirono for cosponsoring a bill to halt this heinous act and ask how we can help. The bill, Keep Families Together Act, is sponsored by 30 Senators and has the support of organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and numerous Immigrant Rights groups. This is a good start, but it’s just a start. We will ask about Congressional oversight, about more visits like that of Sen. Merkley last week, and what other plans they have to protect these children and their families. 

See you out there!

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : 11:45am Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : 10:00am Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910) - Note: Hanabusa's staff is unavailable at the regular time and asked to reschedule this week.

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS : 

As our Members get back to DC and the plethora of emergencies and crises that consume Washington day-in-and-day out, we are taking a few minutes tomorrow to say thank you. (And then talk about this week’s important stuff, because this is a marathon.) Unlike most folks around the country, we have a delegation that understands the importance of our democracy and is working with us in different ways to protect and preserve it. We may disagree from time to time on specific tactics, specific pressure points, and specific priorities —that’s how politics works. But over the last sixteen months, we have engaged in meaningful and productive dialogue with staff and our MOCs and have seen it make a difference. Half the battle is showing up, and we — along with our MOCs —will keep showing up to protect and preserve democracy!

WE WILL SAY THANK YOU to our MOCs for their work on health care and saving the ACA; for fighting for net neutrality and not giving up; for continuing to vocalize opposition to the corrupt and obscene behavior of Cabinet members like Zinke, Pruitt, and Devos; for taking a stand for America’s marginalized children, poor people, minorities and those most in need of assistance; for fighting to preserve the Mueller investigation; for becoming national voices of conscience and clarity; and so so so much more. As you make your way to our meetings tomorrow, please think about what you most appreciate them for doing during this hellish administration and be prepared to share those thoughts with them. Gratitude and appreciation are critical to enduring long and painful battles. It’s good tonic for all of us, so tomorrow is our day to share that gratitude with our MOCs, their staffs, and each other. 

THE NRA AND THE FBI. We’ll ask our MOCs to keep abreast of the nefarious goings-on at the NRA and their fundraising efforts, appearing to tap money from international sources for domestic political work —a clear violation of federal law. Representatives Lieu and Rice have sent a letter to FBI Director Wray asking him to launch an investigation, and we’ll ask our MOCs to put their support behind this investigation.

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES NEED OUR CLOSE EYE AND ATTENTION. The WH and their cronies are talking about the president being above the law and able to pardon himself and disinviting the Philadelphia Eagles to the WH because of their flag protests, but we aren’t going to be caught in their web. We look at what they do, not what they say. Children and families are being separated at the border, and that will continue to be top of mind for us until we know actions are being taken to protect those children and reunite those families.  

Hawai‘i J20+ PLANNING MEETING

ORGANIZE • EDUCATE • PROTEST
Join us in Resisting Trumpism! Bring your hands, hearts + brains. 

WHEN : noon to 2pm
WHERE : UH Manoa, Saunders Hall Courtyard

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS : 

IMMIGRATION NIGHTMARES CONTINUE!  While Trump makes noise about “spy gate” and the possible summit with North Korea, children are being ripped from their parents at the borders. And now Trump is trying to blame democrats for the policy. We will ask our MOCs to continue to stand up to the administration on this egregious policy and demand that there be oversight of the facilities housing and caring for these children. Shining light on this horrific policy is the only way to get the national focus and attention that’s needed to reunite families and keep kids with their parents. John Kelly’s comment that "the children will be taken care of, put into foster care or whatever…” is proof that this administration doesn’t give a damn about these kids. But we do. 

THE GOP ATTACK ON MUELLER IS RAMPING UP, and it’s up to Democrats to preserve the integrity of the investigation, allow him to finish the job, and keep the political climate sufficiently sane to respect the outcome of his findings. Rudy now joins Kellyanne in spinning the definition of “truth.” First we had “alternative facts,” and now we have Rudy saying that “truth is relative,” that the Mueller investigation is illegitimate, and that forces within the investigation want to undermine it. This administration and its henchmen are successfully re-defining truth and the rule of law with skillful use of dog-whistle terms that play to the president’s base. We are losing the battle to counter that attack. We will ask our MOCs what strategies they’re deploying to protect the investigation and whether there’s a plan in place to respond if/when the administration attempts to roll Rosenstein and/or Mueller. 

ON THE GLOBAL STAGE, WE’RE THE CRAZY ONES. Historically, the United States has been the sane, thoughtful leader on issues of trade, global security, and peace. Today, those tables have turned and we’re the crazy one. Leaders of North and South Korea are now meeting to figure out how to deal with Trump prior to the possible on-again-off-again summit. The president’s directive to Commerce to look into 25% tariffs on foreign cars —arguing that the import flood has eroded domestic manufacturing and threatens national security — leaves allies scratching their heads and adversaries looking for ways to further leverage his transactional approach. Citing national security as a rationale for his protectionism views is becoming standard for Trump, muddying waters on both trade and security fronts and eroding the actual significance of “national security” as a priority. In the barrage of Trump-induced chaos, these maneuvers are becoming normal, but we will ask our MOCs to continue to call out the administration on these dangerous declarations. 

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS : 

"The Constitutional Crisis is here.” Eugene Washington of the Washington Post says today what many of us are thinking. Consider actions from the last last week. Trump demanded the Justice Department investigate whether the FBI’s surveillance work of the campaign was politically motivated, a move that resulted in the eventual disclosure of the informant’s name and a planned WH meeting with GOP lawmakers to review the classified information related to that surveillance. He suddenly announced he was lifting sanctions on the Chinese telecom giant ZTE after China gave a $500 million loan to a Trump Organization-linked project in Indonesia (Basically doing a TV infomercial for ZTE products). His new spokesman/lawyer, Rudy G, made the talk show circuit declaring it reasonable to have solicited Hillary-intel for the campaign, including from Russia, Saudi, and Emirati sources, despite the clear legal dictate that there can be on foreign government or individuals involved in US elections. And he doubled down on his vendetta against the press, a clear violation of the first amendment, demanding the Postmaster General double rates charged to Amazon (owned by WashPost’s Jeff Bezos), a media outlet he routinely considers “fake news.” We are 16 months into this administration and it is making headway with its barrage of tyranny such that it’s hard to know what’s normal anymore. THIS IS NOT NORMAL. WaPo’s Max Boot said yesterday, “Trump’s assault on democratic norms is all the more dangerous because the response is so tepid. Republicans approve of, or pretend not to notice…while Democrats are inured to it.” We will discuss this frightening chain of events with our MOCs and ask that they put context and implications behind their messaging regarding this continuous slip into a strong-man regime. 

We scored a big Net Neutrality win in the Senate. Now it’s on to the House. We will thank Sen Schatz for leading the effort, Sen. Hirono for supporting it, and then ask what’s needed to get it across the finish line on the House side. We will also ask Congresswomen Gabbard and Hanabusa to put their support and collegial relationships full behind this effort so we can protect this critical policy. 

North Korea remains in play, with the bumblings of Pompeo, Bolton, and Trump putting us in danger. Admiral Harry Harris took a turn to the north, the WH scuttling his ambassador post in Australia to dispatch him to South Korea post-haste — the man possibly most knowledgable and most capable should tensions in that region continue to escalate and our administration continue to bungle it. The June 13 talks appear in doubt, and North Korea has issued stark words about Bolton’s meddling in the process. We will ask our MOCs for their thoughts and concerns about activity in Korea now and what’s being done to reign in an administration that appears to be “flying by the seat of its pants” (with the rest of us hoping we don’t get killed in the process). 

WHEN : Monday, May 21 at 6:30pm
WHERE : Chiko's Tavern (930 McCully)

TOPIC : SEX WORK 101 - Session II

READINGS : 

1. https://www.ted.com/talks/juno_mac_the_laws_that_sex_workers_really_want/up-next

2. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.commondreams.org/views/2018/04/11/no-one-wants-listen-sex-workers%3famp

3. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/fosta-sesta-anti-sex-trafficking-bill

4. "Anti-Trafficking Rhetoric and the Making of a Global Apartheid" by Nandita Sharma (download)

Hawai‘i J20+ PLANNING MEETING

ORGANIZE • EDUCATE • PROTEST
Join us in Resisting Trumpism! Bring your hands, hearts + brains. 

WHEN : noon to 2pm
WHERE : UH Manoa, Saunders Hall Courtyard

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS : 

We’ve been at this a year and a half, and we’re exhausted. But Trump’s chaos, strong-man approach to governance, and endless narcissistic need to be the center of attention is as strong and dangerous as ever. 

1- Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem has created the unrest and havoc everyone predicted. While a man with no credentials, no security clearance, and no reason to be there other than his familial ties to the president spoke at the opening, chaos in the streets killed scores and wounded thousands. John Bolton reported over the weekend that the president didn’t need diplomatic ground work prior to his summit with Kim Jong Un, that he would rely on his “instincts” to broker an agreement. Trump’s “instincts” have left bodies around the globe - from Charlottesville to the Middle East and torn a hole in the democratic fiber of our nation. We’ll ask our MOCs to continue to stand up to this bully, and to let the nation and the world know that he does not speak for all of us. 

2- Children being ripped away from their parents as a deterrent to immigration is outrageous and a violation of everything we stand for. We’ll remind our MOCs to remember the tactics suggested by our UH colleague last week and begin rigorous oversight of the detention policies and procedures regarding these children. We want our representatives to shine a bright light on how these people are being treated while in our care, and make sure the world knows that we don’t condone this immoral and repulsive practice. 

3- Haspel’s letter today to Sen. Warner underscores that the pressure from folks like us and the work of our MOCs is paying off. Unwilling to condemn interrogation practices from her earlier days as an agent at her hearing last week, she now says in this letter that is was wrong and should not have been conducted. We’ll ask our MOCs to continue to question her nomination and her fitness for the office to which the president has nominated her. We will also thank Sen. Hirono for her continued work asking everyone judicial nominee about his history of domestic violence and workplace misconduct. 

4- Lastly, the work of the nation continues. We will follow up with Sen. Schatz on net neutrality and what we can do; we’ll learn what, if any, legislative priorities will be given attention over the coming weeks, and what our MOCs are focusing on in these last months of this Congress. 

Join us! You don’t learn what’s going on if you don’t show up. See you out there!

HONOLULU SCREENING TO FEATURE Q&A WITH YOUNG WOMEN FILMMAKERS

Shorts films produced during the 2018 Spring Making Media That Matters (MMTM), a 15-week all-girls filmmaking after school program, designed to make films for civic engagement and social justice.

Two crews, nine teens, and supportive staff members produced two short films: Thoughts and Prayers, an experimental film that takes on the issue of school shootings in America, and a short documentary titled De-code Dress Code that examines and questions dress code policies and policing at school.

The screening of each film will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers moderated by Taylour Chang. Serena Ngaio Simmons and Noa Helela will perform during the intermission.

“We engage the next generation of women filmmakers to develop stories that are diverse, representative of the lives they lead and what they care about” says Vera Zambonelli, founder and executive director of Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking. “And, this is media that we need to learn from, media conducive to reframing the way adults and allies think about girls and young women and what matters to them."

Doors open at 6:30 pm, partner community organizations tabling will run from 6:30 to 7:00 pm, and screening starts at 7:00 pm.

WHEN : Thursday, May 17 at 6:30 PM - 8 PM

WHERE : Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies 2645 Dole St, Honolulu

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS :

1- Nuclear Diplomacy is more important now than ever! The Iran deal is in peril, putting our standing globally in dangerous waters. Relations with North Korea are critical right now, and Trump’s need to grandstand puts Americans’ lives as risk. We need real minds, real diplomats, and real strategies in play - not tweets, sound bites, and reality TV show announcement strategies. We will ask our MOCs what they are doing to ensure national security and diplomatic strategies in the midst of Trump’s chaos on the international stage (a likely bait-and-switch to deflect attention from his personal problems.) 

2- Democrats are struggling in the messaging wars, with Trump’s approval ratings ticking up despite the obvious problems in his governance, strategy, and ability to deliver. We’ll ask our MOCs what the plan is to recapture that moral high ground, focus on issues that matter to voters around the country, and help them be more clear-eyed and aware of the president’s inability to lead the nation. Midterms are right around the corner and our work now will directly impact our ability to control Congress come January!

3- Taking children away from their parents is reprehensible on all levels, something that’s only done as a desperate last resort in heinous domestic situations. Now, this administration has now made it their immigration policy - no longer doing it in the cloak of darkness but now announcing their intent to remove children from their parents as a matter of immigration policy and deterrence. This is a reprehensible policy that cannot be allowed to stand. We will ask our MOCs to speak loudly and frequently on this new nightmare in the Trump regime and demand that immigration and human rights policy makers put their strength behind stopping this policy now. Families and children’s lives hang in the balance. We cannot fail them. 

WHEN : Monday, May 7 at 6:30pm
WHERE : Chiko's Tavern (930 McCully)

TOPIC : SEX WORK 101 - Session I

READINGS : 

http://titsandsass.com/the-stormy-daniels-effect-when-prostitutes-unite-powerful-men-tremble/

http://titsandsass.com/sesta-vs-stormy-daniels/

http://titsandsass.com/the-stormy-daniels-effect-part-ii-post-sesta-fosta-edition/ 

Hawai‘i J20+ PLANNING MEETING

ORGANIZE • EDUCATE • PROTEST
Join us in Resisting Trumpism! Bring your hands, hearts + brains. 

WHEN : noon to 2pm
WHERE : UH Manoa, Saunders Hall Courtyard

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS : 

FAMILIES SEPARATED AT THE BORDER are another Trump atrocity that must be stopped! Members of the administration have said taking children from their families might be a tactic to stop families from coming here, and now they appear to be making good on that threat. The NY Times reports that more than 700 children have been taken from parents since October, including more than 100 children under age 4. And with the Central Americans now trying to get asylum at the Tijuana crossing, those numbers could go even higher. We will ask our MOCs what they are doing to stop this heinous, heartless behavior now, before more families are destroyed. 

NOW THE HOUSE HAS ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT FOR ROSENSTEIN, another sign that despite leadership’s assurances, the GOP has no plan to protect Mueller. We will ask our MOCs what they are doing right now to protect the special counsel, including bringing the Senate bill to the floor for a full and robust discussion (as even some GOP members of the Senate have demanded.) While McConnell continues to assert that he alone can dictate what gets heard on the floor, Senate rules —and the demands of other Senators — must override that power-grab immediately. We will also once again push Cong. Gabbard on her lack of support for any of the Mueller protection bills, despite the various  statements she puts out. Why won’t she sign on and support legislation to protect this important investigation? What’s her reservation? We want answers, not platitudes. 

THIS ADMINISTRATION’S SINGULAR FOCUS ON ESTABLISHING A STRONG-MAN REGIME CONTINUES, with Trump once again on the campaign trail saying dangerous and unprecedented things. He calls the media an enemy of the people, and members of the media now receive death threats on a regular basis. In his one-hour-plus speech on Saturday night, his veiled threats towards Senator Tester were frightening and unprecedented from a sitting President. Through his campaign appearances, he is undermining the very foundations on which our government and rule of law are built — even referring to legal statute as “corrupt laws” when talking about immigration and threatening to “close the country” in September. We will ask our MOCs to continue to call him out publicly on this dangerous behavior while privately urging their GOP colleagues to join the chorus that makes it clear that this behavior is dangerous and deadly. 

WHEN : Saturday, April 28, 3-6 PM

WHERE : UHM Art Auditorium, room 132 (MAP)

Saving Atlantis is a feature documentary about one of the most consequential issues of our time: the dramatic decline of global coral reef ecosystems and the impact on human populations that depend on them.

Produced by a team of award-winning filmmakers and researchers, the film follows those who are fighting to uncover the causes of coral decline and find solutions before it’s too late. It is an emotional exploration of some of our planet's greatest natural wonders at a tipping point in their ecological history.

Coral reefs cover only 0.1 percent of the Earth’s surface, but they’re home to 25 percent of all marine species, and they’re being lost at an alarming rate. Pollution, overfishing and climate change are some of the human-influenced culprits in the dramatic decline of these magnificent natural structures. Coral reefs serve as a lynchpin in the global food web. Their decline leads our entire planet in a perilous direction. But research from scientists around the world hints at bright spots where real strides can be made in preservation and protection of these habitats.

TRAILER

Kensington Blues: Philadelphia's Opioid Epidemic Revealed

a talk by photographer Jeffrey Stockbridge

WHEN : Tuesday 4/24 from 6 to 730pm

WHERE : UH Manoa ART Building (Room 101) 

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Hirono and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS : (note- no visit to Sen. Schatz’s office - staff has let us know that they are having their annual all-staff lunch tomorrow so will not be able to meet.)

1- POMPEO AND HASPEL ARE UNFIT AND SHOULD NOT BE CONFIRMED. We will remind our Senators once again that we expect their deep-throated opposition to these two nominees. Pompeo’s grasp of diplomacy is virtually non-existent, and Haspel’s record of torture should immediately disqualify her. Both nominations are on rocky ground, with members of both parties asking questions, and we want our Senators to continue to raise their concerns and doubts, doing what they can to derail these confirmations. 

2- THE BILL TO PROTECT MUELLER SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE SENATE FLOOR. While McConnell continues to make noise that he won’t bring the bill to the floor, even members of his own party are breaking rank with him and arguing that the issue deserves the Senate’s full attention. We will ask our Senators to remain vocal that the bill must move on the floor and get the thoughtful floor discussion necessary on such an important issue. While McConnell can make noise about having full control over the floor’s agenda, Senate Rules require the liberal use of UC (unanimous consent) to move anything. That means one Senator can object and things grind to a halt - just as Colorado republican Cory Gardner did recently to protect Colorado dispensaries from federal action. The Mueller investigation may be one of the most important investigations of our time. It deserves protection to complete the work it was charged to do. 

THE ELECTIONS PROCESS NEEDS OUR CLOSE ATTENTION. While we stand in front of a fire hose of scandal, swamp-mucking, and frightening moves by this administration, we cannot lose focus on the sanctity of elections happening across the country over the coming months. We will ask our MOCs to be constant watchdogs, following the work of all the engaged entities to ensure the money allocated for elections is wisely spent, that states have the resources they need, and that Cambridge Analytica and other tools of deception are not allowed to mess with this fundamental tenet of democracy. 

Hawai‘i J20+ PLANNING MEETING

ORGANIZE • EDUCATE • PROTEST
Join us in Resisting Trumpism! Bring your hands, hearts + brains. 

WHEN : noon to 2pm
WHERE : UH Manoa, Saunders Hall Courtyard

Hosted by Refuse Fascism Honolulu and Refuse Fascism

WHEN : Saturday, April 21 at 10 AM - 12 PM

WHERE : Waikiki, gather in front of Honolulu Zoo (Kalakaua/Kapahulu)

MORE INFORMATION

http://socialsciences.hawaii.edu/events/event-details.cfm?events_eventid=1283

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS : 

PROTECT MUELLER: A bipartisan group of Senators is introducing a bill tomorrow, Wednesday, called the Special Counsel Independence Act, which would protect Mueller and the investigation should Trump try to fire him. Introduced by Booker, Graham, Coons, and Tillis, the bill creates a requirement that any firing receive an expedited judicial review within 10 days to determine just cause for the firing, and if no such cause is found, the special counsel be reinstated. It also codifies that only a senior Justice department official can execute such a firing. We will urge our Senators to support the bill and move quickly to pass it. We will also urge our two Congresswomen to push to have the bill heard and passed immediately in the House. Time is of the essence and this needs immediate attention! (Note that this one is also bipartisan, so Gabbard cannot hide behind the statement that she doesn’t support partisan legislation. We will also push her office for her commitment to support the legislation when it comes to the House.) 

Foreign Policy Requires Strategy and Diplomacy, not a Bully: Assad’s gas attack is heinous and against all internationally held standards. But the president can’t send in troops and declare military action without Congress. He does not have that power, and we cannot stand by and shrug when he makes unilateral decisions. We will demand our MOCs continue to press the White House, foreign affairs experts, and the DOD to demand that the President bring his strategy and plan to Congress for their action. This is a pillar of our constitution, and continuing to ignore it unravels the very foundation on which our nation was built. 

“Morally unfit to be president:” Comey put to the airwaves what we’ve all known for months. The New Yorker is calling it the end-stage of the Trump presidency, given the depth and breadth of intel gathered from Cohen’s office. We will demand that our MOCs cease to work with this administration in a “business as usual” fashion. Trump promised to “drain the swamp” and we’re going to get it done, starting with him and his corrupt band of thieves. Pompeo cannot be confirmed. Pruitt must go. We will ask our Members to continue to beat that drum publicly and to exercise their voice within Congress to rally patriots that understand the harm being done, regardless of party affiliation. 

Show our legislators that we all deserve a livable wage

On Saturday, April 14, 2018 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM join the Walk for Wages to secure a living wage for all Hawaii workers at Kapiolani Park.

Despite historically low unemployment levels, 48% of households in Hawaii are unable to afford their basic needs. This is because over 40% of jobs pay less than a living wage.

We will organize in Kapiolani Park at noon with strategies on how to make our goal a reality. From there we'll walk down Kalakaua Ave to draw attention to our cause and let the world know how important this is.

MORE INFORMATION

216 BEACH WALK, WAIKIKI

by Alan Marcus (2018, 30mins)

WHEN : Tuesday, April 10, 6:30 - 8:00pm

WHERE : UH Manoa ART Building (Room 101) 

The film's title refers to the former address of author Jack London during his final year in Hawaii in 1915 when he was stimulating interest in the islands through his writings.  By chance, the same location is now the back door of Trump Int’l Hotel Waikiki.  In the film, high-rise developments serve as magnified totems for a heavily congested urban environment fuelled by Waikiki’s fabled touristic appeal.  The film questions this interpretation of a paradisiacal paradigm in what could otherwise be termed a post-traumatic site, drawing on the creation and toxicity of the Ala Wai Canal as a potent metaphorical comment.  This research project received funding from the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland.

Alan Marcus is a film practitioner, cultural historian and Professor of Film and Visual Culture at the University of Aberdeen. 

Panelists

+ Sean Connelly is a Honolulu-based Pacific Islander American designer and creative producer from O‘ahu. Sean is an active architect and artist; he is Director of After Oceanic and an Associate at Islander Institute, where his combined work strives to promote justice-advancing futures.

+ Ross W. Stephenson's research covers the development of Waikiki from 1890-1959. Topics include applicable planning theory, population growth, public input, government policy and decisions, investment, infrastructure and the resulting change in the physical landscape.  He has participated in community projects including land use planning, reforestation, cemetery restoration, building rehabilitation, economic revitalization, and resource nominations to both the Hawai‘i State and National Registers of Historic Places.  He is a former Historian for the Hawai‘i Historic Preservation Office of State Department of Land and Natural Resources.

+ Facilitated by Eileen Carr of Hawai‘i J20+

To See another of Alan Marcus's films "Near the Palace" on April 11 at 12:30 pm

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS : 

1- Our response to the Syrian chemical weapons attack must be definitive and we must stay the course. Trump likes leadership by Tweet —a tactic that, according to John McCain, serves to embolden people like Assad.  Foreign policy can’t be done in 280 characters. John Bolton now sits in the WH, and these two must be counter-balanced by those with a nuanced and thorough understanding of foreign relations and consequences. We will ask our MOC to denounce in the strongest terms the continued genocide that’s occurring in Syria (and in the case of Gabbard, ask her to finally acknowledge that Assad is the culprit in these heinous acts). We will also ask them to hold this administration accountable to a strategy that is actionable and sustainable, that engages our allies around the world and calls out Russia and Iran for its support of Assad. 

2- Scott Pruitt is abusing his position in every imaginable way, and because he’s rolling back all the regulations that are delivering a healthier and cleaner environment, he’s being allowed to rob the national coffers at an epic pace. When we allow people at the highest levels of government to rape and pillage the institution, we set a precedent that is virtually impossible to turn back. We will ask our MOCs to condemn his despicable behavior and call on the President to fire him. 

3- Zuckerberg’s appearance before Congress this week is a watershed moment, and one our MOCs must attend to in the most careful and scrutinizing way. We will ask them to push hard for answers to questions about Cambridge Analytica and the safety of Americans’ personal data. We will also remind them, however, that Cambridge Analytica is the head-of-the-sanke here, the one that still wields power and danger in our immediate future. Do not be hoodwinked into a bait and switch over where the root problems lie and what actions need to be done to correct it. 

4- When the news is crowded with the tawdry details of Pruitt’s behavior, the horrific images of dead children in Syria, the paparazzi of a Zuckerberg appearance, and the all-eyes-on-Bolton foreign affairs shake up, we immediately know that’s when Trump will try to pull a fast one. Our core issues remain the same: election integrity, the completion of the Mueller investigation, and a reconciling of Russia’s impact on our elections and our democracy. These issues must remain top-of-mind. We will ask our MOCs to keep all the balls in the air, not allowing themselves to be too enthralled by the latest developments to lose sight of the full situation. 

Hawai‘i J20+ PLANNING MEETING

ORGANIZE • EDUCATE • PROTEST
Join us in Resisting Trumpism! Bring your hands, hearts + brains. 

WHEN : noon to 2pm
WHERE : UH Manoa, Saunders Hall Courtyard

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS :

1- Now Trump wants to use the military to “guard the border.” His ideas are increasingly unhinged, and the silence from his GOP colleagues in Congress and the administration is increasingly alarming. We’ll talk with our MOCs about this uptick in rhetoric and police-presence by our military in our own country and ask what they plan to do to stand up to him. These are dangerous times, and we can’t afford to write off these actions as “Trump being Trump.” 

2- Sinclair Media is overtaking the Country. And overtaking the media is one of the key steps in overtaking a nation and dismantling democracy. We will ask our MOCs what they are doing to stop Sinclair’s heavy hand in news reporting at the local level across the country and what is being done to protect the airwaves from party-owned rhetoric. 

3- Protect Mueller. Protect fair and free elections. The 2018 midterms are the watershed moment for our democracy. If those elections cannot be held in a fair and free manner, the future of our democracy is in grave danger. Likewise, if the Mueller investigation cannot be continued, our checks and balances are forever compromised. It’s exhausting and easy to lose focus as the fire-hose of issues and rhetoric bombards us daily. That’s Trump’s plan. We cannot fall prey to his malice. We’ll talk with our MOCs about their strategies to protect both the elections and Mueller. 

Visit Hawai‘i Senators and Representatives offices every Tuesday to express your views on the most urgent matters. 

WHAT, WHERE + WHEN

Option 1 : Visit the offices of Senator Schatz, Senator Hirono, and Rep. Gabbard Federal Building at 300 Ala Moana (gather at 11:45am at Ala Moana/Makai side entrance)

Option 2 : Visit Rep Hanabusa's office on Fort Street at noon (1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1910)

NOTE : Bring a photo ID

TALKING POINTS : 

1- The White House is in a tailspin —from lawyers to firings to legal actions —with no end in sight. Talking heads and pundits say Trump revels in the chaos and conflict, and yet the markets and the nation do not. We’ll ask our Members of Congress what strategy can be deployed to counter-balance this chaos so that the country can go ahead with the work that needs doing. What are they doing every day to counter the madness of the administration? 

2- The Omnibus that finally passed was good to Hawai‘i. We will thank our Senators for their hard work on this, and then ask what’s next —what are their legislative priorities that have some chance of achievement in the coming months and how do they plan to get these works across the finish line? 

3- The young people who marched mean business, and we stand with them. Senator Schatz compared guns today with cars several decades ago: people were dying so state and federal government (as well as private sector and non-profits) threw a lot at the wall ’til stuff started sticking. Seatbelt laws, speed limits, crack downs on drinking and driving, car seats, MADD, better car safety standards…the list goes on and on. What’s today’s list for gun violence and what are we doing right now to start throwing that stuff at the wall? 

4- The Russian diplomatic expulsions are a good start, but when will the sanctions passed last year be imposed? The weeks are ticking by, and the security of our elections loom. What do our MOCs’ thoughts on Facebook, the immediate imposition of those sanctions, the Klobuchar bill, and other actions that can protect our democracy? 
 

Hawai‘i J20+ PLANNING MEETING

ORGANIZE • EDUCATE • PROTEST
Join us in Resisting Trumpism! Bring your hands, hearts + brains. 

WHEN : noon to 2pm
WHERE : UH Manoa, Saunders Hall Courtyard