Welcome to 2020: Dec. 20 2019-Jan. 14 2020

Hey Teen Resisters!
​We hope all of you enjoyed your well-deserved holiday breaks!! Now, we are more excited than ever to dive into the new decade--and into the year that will bring the next presidential election cycle. Before you start, here are a couple things to be aware of:

Earthquakes in Puerto Rico: In recent weeks, a series of devastating earthquakes have shaken Puerto Rico, causing widespread power outages, water shortages, and dislocations and exacerbating the still-lingering damage of Hurricane Maria. Our hearts go out to those affected. Click here for a list of organizations to donate to.

Impeachment: Nancy Pelosi today sent the articles of impeachment to the Senate, and the trial will commence in earnest on Tuesday; a host of new evidence has also just emerged regarding Trump's involvement in Ukraine, further pressuring Republicans to include witnesses in the Senate trial.  

Happy activisting!! 
Peace & power,
​TR

what went down

Australia Bushfires
​In November, after dozens of bushfires erupted in New South Wales, Australia, the national government declared a state of emergency. Since then, the bushfires have spread across the continent, burning an area about the size of South Korea, and forcing many people to evacuate from their homes. At least 27 people are dead and roughly 2000 homes have been destroyed thus far. And even those who retain their homes are unsafe — Vox reports that breathing the air in Sydney is as bad as smoking 37 cigarettes. And due to Australian wind climate, the bushfires are only supposed to get worse throughout the rest of January and early February. The bushfires have been most devastating to Australian wildlife, with over 1 billion animals dead thus far. Scientists say that the wildfire crisis — directly associated with climate change, which has been causing extreme wildfires of greater frequency and size in recent decades — will cause long-term damage for ecosystems across Australia, generating a continent-wide heat wave, and endangering many animal and plant species. Online, videos of koalas with skin burns being rescued from the fires have emerged across social media platforms, and shocking photos of a continent immersed in smoke have moved many to action. Here’s what you can do to help those affected by the bushfires across Australia:

• Donate to organizations who are on the ground in Australia helping families who have lost their homes and supplies:
  • The Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund is sending volunteers to communities affected by the fire and providing support to displaced families
  • GIVIT is an Australian organization that matches donated goods with items requested by fire victims, such as car batteries or gas pumps​

• Also donate to organizations providing medical care and ecological rehabilitation to animals who have been injured or lost their habitats:
  • The Australian Koala Foundation as an organization long invested in care and preservation of koalas. Donate money to preserve koalas and their habitats in Australia at their website.
  • Donate to the World Wildlife Fund, which is a global animal preservation organization currently working to specifically rebuild koala habitats and provide medical care for injured species
• If you are unable to give money, try organizing any of the following initiatives in your schools to raise money or supplies as a community:
  • Clothing/supply drives — organizations such as the Red Cross are accepting household goods that you can collect in a box at school
  • Host a relief concert/evening — students can perform songs, dances, spoken word, and anything else they want to share for cheap tickets that will raise donations to send to any of the organizations listed above
  • Host a bake sale! — although you may not raise thousands of dollars, a couple hundred dollars count and can mean a big difference to a single family or animal that is suffering

US-Iran Conflict

• The escalation of the recent US-Iran conflict began when pro-Iranian protestors sieged the U.S. Embassy in Iraq in response to airstrikes, chanting “Death to America” and attempting to scale the walls until American security forces fired tear gas to drive them back. 
• On Friday, January 3rd, an American drone fired at a car carrying Qasem Soleimani, a powerful Iranian general. Although the Trump administration claimed they did so to “stop a war,” the action seemed to have the opposite sentiment; experts claimed that, of all the avenues the president could have chosen to take, assassinating Soleimani was one of the most extreme, as well as risky. 
• On Wednesday, January 8th, Iran fired over a dozen missiles at military bases in Iraq where American troops were based. Oil prices soared on news of attacks. 

2020 Featured Issue: Criminal Justice
With the 2020 presidential elections getting closer and closer, a spotlight has increasingly been put on the top Democratic candidates, including more pressure for specificity in their opinions and policy plans. While criminal justice reform has always been a hot topic, Representative Ayanna Pressley’s criminal justice reform plan,“The People’s Justice Guarantee,” has brought even more attention to the issue. The legislation outlines a plan to comprehensively hire more prosecutors that stand against our fundamentally racist, sexist, xenophobic, classist, and homophobic law system, as well as to provide tax incentives for states to decrease prison populations, repeal three strike laws, and more. You can read even more about it in-depth here. With so much discussion and controversy around this issue right now, it’s worth asking the question: What do the front-runners for president have to say about this?

• On Thursday, January 9th, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced legislation that would block Trump from funding military action in Iran without the approval of Congress. 
  • As of tonight, a key Democrat affirmed that the Senate (in addition to the Democratic House of Reps.) have enough votes to pass the bill—four Republican senators have indicated that they will break party ranks. 
  • However, it is unlikely that the Senate will muster enough votes to override a presidential veto. 
• Tensions have since deescalated, and Trump walked back his threat to strike Iranian cultural targets. However, economic, diplomatic, political, and military consequences will be long-lasting (read more about them here).

Actions!

• Here’s a concise history of US-Iran relations since 1953. It’s super helpful in giving context to everything that’s going on now!
• Attend a local direct action. Some places to find a direct action near you:
  • Social media
  • CODEPINK
  • ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism)
  • Saturday January 25th is the global day of protests against war on Iran
• Call your representatives!
  • This link will take you to a form where they will automatically connect you with your representatives
  • Here’s a helpful script (also from indivisible)

        
My name is __________. I am a constituent, and my zip code is _______. I'm calling because I'm concerned that the administration is trying to start a war in Iran without Congressional authorization, and that it's doing so not for national security reasons but merely to bolster Trump's re-election campaign. 

I urge [Representative/Senator name] to:

• Vocally support limiting Trump’s war powers
• Everything possible to assert Congress's role as a co-equal branch of government,
• Speak out against pressure to "fall in line behind the commander in chief," 
• And block this attempt to draw attention away from impeachment proceedings.
• Support a bill blocking Trump from funding for military engagement in Iran (Sen. Sanders’s)

Thank you. 

1. Warren: Elizabeth Warren is a strong advocate for reform immediate and drastic. She has an extensive plan that would aim to change how children are taught to behave from as early as kindergarten, which laws are in place (such as marijuana laws and 3 strike policies that are inherently racist and classist), how the law is enforced, how people are reformed to reduce incarceration, and more. A full, detailed explanation can be found here on her website.
2. Buttigieg: Mayor Pete Buttigieg also has similar views on criminal justice reform along with a detailed plan he vouches to put into action if he is elected into office. Some of the major themes he plans to change are prison overpopulation, the treatment of minorities, drug possession/nonviolent drug offense laws, legalizing marijuana, eliminating mandatory minimums, and more. Likewise, his entire plan can be read here on his website.
3. Sanders: Sanders, who has been a civil right’s activists for most of his life, has long been a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform. Detailed under “Justice and Safety for All” on his website is a map of his position on criminal justice reform, including how he plans to fight for it. Sanders promises to solve our prison-industrial-complex, including mass incarceration. He strives to push the $80 billion usually delegated to prisons into investments for jobs and education for generations to come. Additionally, Sanders has a call to action for the elimination of private, for profit prisons and detention centers; the war on drugs, and cash bail. Key points under this include: ending for-profit institutions in our criminal justice system, reform and establish a “Prisoners Bill of Rights”, ensuring law enforcement accountability, and much more here. 
4. Biden: Biden highlights equity, justice, and equality in his plan for “strengthening America’s commitment to justice.” Biden asserts the fact that the US has a mass incarceration issue, and that too many are people of color. He urges the call to build safe and healthy communities, and the re-evaluation of how our system works - including the how, why, and who? Furthermore, Biden promises to “strengthen America’s commitment to justice,” and reform our criminal justice system. Ultimately, Biden calls for the following: reduction of crime, and those incarcerated; the evaluation of racial disparities in our justice system, rehabilitation and redemption, and the expulsion of profits off the justice system. Details on his website here. 
5. Steyer: Tom Steyer has considerably less emphasis on criminal justice reform than the other top democratic candidates. He plans on ending cash bail, reducing the prison population, closing private prisons, increasing rehabilitation, and more. He has a brief blurb about the topic on his website along with a 1-hour video of him discussing the issue.
6. Yang: Andrew Yang’s main focus of criminal justice reform is reducing mass incarceration. His plan to do this includes reforming mandatory minimums, ending private prisons, pushing for more drug rehabilitation instead of jail time, reducing recidivism, and decreasing the harshness of certain felony laws. Check out what he has to say here on his website!
7. Gabbard: Tulsi Gabbard, a native representative of Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district, is also a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform. On her website, under “Advocating for Criminal Justice”, she claims our system is broken and unstable. Additionally, Tulsi has been forthright in her fight to decriminalize marijuana in the House, in conjunction of her efforts to fight for reform, including her introduction of the bipartisan Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act. The bill would take marijuana off the federal controlled substances list. This, in turn, would further efforts to eliminate certain obstacles into developing a safe, legal, and beneficial hemp industry - creating jobs and lessening the burden of certain drug offenses. More on her site, including details on her advocacy of sentencing reform, fighting mass incarceration, and decriminalizing victims of human trafficking can be found on her site here.
8. Klobuchar: Klobuchar, Minnesota’s senior senator, includes a brief outline for her stance on criminal justice reform, of which she advocates for. Primarily, she calls for the passing of the Second Step Act. This is in reference to the First Step Act, where it was established that federal sentencing and prison reforms only applied to those in federal prisons, and did little (if nothing) to help to help the estimated 90% of the incarcerated population in both state and local institutions. Amy plans to create federal incentives in order to motivate states to “restore some discretion” in regards to mandatory sentencing for minor offenders. Moreover, she also strives to reform the cash bail system, expand funding for public defenders, eliminate obstacles for those reintegrating into our society, and fight for expanded drug courts. Klobuchar promises to create a clemency advisory board, as well as a white house position outside of the Department of Justice, that would advise the president in regards involving criminal justice, from the perspective of reform. For more on other issues, you can find her website here. 

    Given the dynamic range of democratic candidates, it’s hopeful to see that all of them are concerned about the criminal justice system and are looking for reform and action in the immediate future. However, if there’s any candidate that you specifically support, you can read more on their website regarding the law system specifically and help spread their plans through campaigns! 

How you can help/advocate 

• Spread the word on social media/public campaigns
• Research candidates! All candidates have campaign websites; just a few of many are attached above
• isidewith.com is a database that provides data, info on issues, and even a quiz tailored to find a candidate who matches your beliefs, concerns, etc. 
• Volunteer, share, and donate to organizations fighting for criminal justice reform! here are a few:  
  • themarshallproject.org
    
  • piperkerman.com
    
  • sentencingproject.org
• Protest! staying up to date on and participating in protests locally and globally is key. 
• Vote! voting in elections both local and otherwise helps project your voice and getting your message across to our leaders

puppy vid :))