Safety and Shutdowns: Nov. 26th-Dec.27th

Hey Teen Resisters!
Wow. Where to start? First off, we hope that those of you on (a much-needed) break from school and/or celebrating any holidays are enjoying yourselves! An incredible amount has happened in the month since our last list; we took a short break (because of our two features--The First Trans Prom King and The Cure Campaign, which you should check out ASAP) but we're back at it again! Before you dive in, make sure to glance at the two urgent updates/actions below. Happy activisting!
peace&power,
TR 

urgent updates/actions

1) PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
If you've even glanced at the news in the past few days, you have most definitely seen the headlines about the partial government shutdown that is currently ongoing. In case you're at all confused, here's what's happening, very basically: Congress needs to pass a bill giving the government enough funding for it to keep running, and the latest extension expired on Friday night before more funding could be passed. Trump refused to sign a bill that did not allocate $5.1 billion to his proposed border wall, but Democrats refused to include this money in the bill, and Democrats' votes are needed for the bill to pass. Neither side has yet expressed a willingness to compromise. (Do you see the problem?) Check out this article if you want a more detailed description of what is happening (and why).

2) DEATHS AT THE BORDER
This month alone, two children have died in U.S. custody: On December 8th, 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin died of dehydration and shock at an El Paso hospital, and on December 24th, 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonso died after being moved from facility to facility in the six days between his arrival and death. Both children were Guatemalan. The situation at the border is disgusting and inhumane--too much so for us to say it with words--and our government needs to start taking more concrete, comprehensive action to fix it. 

What can you do?

• Here is a list of amazing immigration organizations you can support, donate to, and volunteer at (focusing mainly on family separation).
• Call your representatives to demand that they speak out!!  This link takes you to a page on the ACLU’s website that makes it even easier to call your rep-- all you have to do is make sure your phone is near you and then enter your phone number and zip code, and the ACLU will make the call for you. They provide a script for defunding the Department of Homeland Security, so feel free to use that, the one we provide, or your own.
  • Script: My name is ____, and I’m from ___. I’m calling to demand that Congress does not use my taxpayer money to fund the Department of Homeland Security as it continues to detain families, abuse immigrant children, and unleash ICE to terrorize communities. Inadequate medical care, unsafe conditions, and neglectful supervision are only a few of the heinous abuses suffered by individuals like Jakelin Caal Maquin and Felipe Gomez Alonso in detainment facilities, and the DHS must be held accountable to make sure this never happens again. Thank you for your time.
  • You can also call them to ask them more generally to push for actions controlling and regulating the DHS, as well as to speak out more forcefully about the atrocities happening at the border.

what went down

DeVos's Proposed Campus Sexual Assault/Harassment Regs (Title IX)
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual Assault and Harassment

Title IX is a civil law that was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits discrimination by sex or race in any federally funded school/academic program.  We discussed it in reference to the Trump administration’s proposed anti-trans memo in a few past lists (this one and this one)—essentially, Trump wants to keep Title IX’s protections from applying to anti-transgender bias. Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Secretary of Education, recently limited Title IX further.

In an unprecedented move—no limits or guidelines regarding how schools should fulfill their legal requirements under Title IX have ever been implemented by past administrations—DeVos revealed a new set of rules in November for how college campuses should deal with sexual assault. (We covered them in a past list as well, if you want to check that out, but they were only preparations then--now, she has actually announced them). The rules established:

• A narrower definition of sexual harassment
• Tighter reporting requirements for victims
• No responsibility on the part of colleges to investigate any sexual assault or harassment that happened off campus, or any that they knew about but that was not officially reported
• The choice on the part of schools to choose a higher evidentiary standard for victims
• Generally, an increase in the due process rights of defendants, including their right to cross-examine their accusers (which can be incredibly difficult and traumatic for those victims)
• Live hearings, which would “essentially turn college boardrooms into courtrooms when adjudicating sex assault disciplinary proceedings,” in the words of The New York Times, conducted with a presumption of innocence
• The adoption of this (VERY extreme/limited) definition of sexual harassment: “unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it denies a person access to the school’s education program or activity.”

What can you do?

• NOTICE AND COMMENT: Before DeVos’s regulations become law, they are subjected to a 60-day public comment period, which ends on January 28th. One incredible resource is Know Your IX, an organization devoted to empowering students to end sexual and dating violence in their schools with knowledge of the legal protections Title IX offers. The Know Your IX website has a step-by-step process for submitting a public comment. This guide can be found linked above, and here is a quick video that outlines the notice and comment process, in case you want to learn more before you dive in.
  • EVERY COMMENT has to be read by the Department of Education, which then has to write a response to the commenter. The process of submitting a comment is a bit lengthy, but it’s 10000% percent worth it, if you do have an extra hour; the impact is enormous.
• You can call Secretary DeVos at (202) 401-1576 to voice your complaints as well.​

War in Yemen

Since 2004, the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels have fought on and off. It wasn’t until 2014, when the Houthis took control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, that the fighting was deemed war. In response to the rebels’ seize of the capital, Saudi Arabia formed a coalition with nearby states (Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan and Senegal) to aid the Yemeni government. The Houthis originated as a resistance to Saudi Arabia’s religious influence over Yemen in the 90s. According to a press briefing from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Saudi involvement in air attacks has led to almost two-thirds of reported civilian deaths.

Foreign involvement in this war is a key aspect. The U.S., along with other European powers like the United Kingdom and France, have provided the Saudi-led coalition with intelligence and weapons. Due to the recent killing of Jamal Khashoggi, this assistance has come into question. Additionally, the U.S. military has claimed (though Iran denies it) that Iran has been sending arms to the Houthi rebels. This has only perpetuated the ongoing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. At the beginning of December, attempts at peace talks were made, resulting in the exchange of 5,000 prisoners. These are steps in the right direction, but Saudi blockades around Houthi controlled areas have hindered the distribution of vital food and medical assistance by aid organizations. 

Check out this New Yorker article about U.S. involvement in the war if you want more info!

What can you do?

• One of the most direct ways to help the 12 million people starving in Yemen is monetary donations to aid organizations. To see a list currorated by the New York Times regarding which organizations to support, click here.
• Check out the missing maps project, where you can help aid organizations by using satellite imagery to create maps to be used on the ground.
• Call your representative to ask them to stop aiding the Saudi led coalition and overall involvement in the Yemen war. If it’s helpful, you can use this script:
  • Hi, my name is _____, I'm from _____, and I'm calling to ask you to speak out against US military involvement in Yemen. I believe that this is vital because half of the Yemeni population is starving and US-Saudi involvement has only amplified these effects.. I urge you to use your conscience in making your decisions on this topic. Thank you.

Bill Protecting Mueller

In late November, a bill brought forward by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz), and Chris Coons (D-Del) designed to protect Robert Mueller’s Russia probe was blocked in the Senate.

The bill made Justice Department regulations requiring that any special counsel (like Mueller) only be fired by a senior D.O.J. official into law. If Mueller was fired (by acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker or by Trump), the council would be granted an “expedited review” of the firing; Mueller would be reinstated if a court found his dismissal not to be for “good cause.”

The bill was backed by a bipartisan group of senators. Republican Jeff Flake, one of the strongest proponents of the bill, argued that it was necessary in the wake of President Trump’s appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general. Whitaker, who oversees the Mueller probe, has been openly critical of the investigation, causing widespread worry about the safety of the probe. Opposition among the GOP Senate caucus has been strong, although some Republican leadership has indicated that it would give into Flake’s demand that the bill be brought to vote. 

The current government shutdown means that Senators will have a lot on their plate already, so it’s important not to let this key bill go unaddressed. The Senate may be adjourned until Thursday, but you can still call their offices in the meantime, even if just to leave a message. It’s critical that the bill be brought to a vote (and passed!) before the New Year, when the new Congress will meet, including a Senate with a higher Republican majority. If we want Mueller’s probe to be protected (and a constitutional crisis averted!) now is the time to pass this bill. 
WHAT TO DO: Call your Senators at 202-224-3121. 

Call script: Hello, my name is _______ and I’m a constituent from _______ (city). I’m calling to urge Senator _____ to support the bill protecting Robert Mueller in the case of his firing. In the light of President Trump’s appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting Attorney General, and his threatening rhetoric towards the investigation, it is clear that the threat of Mueller’s firing is both very real and imminent. The Mueller probe is critical in protecting democracy, and this bill is vital toward ensuring that the President is not treated as immune to the law. I strongly urge Senator ______ to agree to bring this bill to the floor for a vote and to vote for its passage. Thank you.

State Assembly Spotlight: Heartbeat Bill in Ohio 

One major, recent state assembly story: Ohio’s anti-abortion bill, popularly called the “Heartbeat Bill.” HB 258 (House Bill 258) aims, in its own words, “to generally prohibit an abortion of an unborn human individual with a detectable heartbeat.” And there’s more to this bill than just  banning the abortion of a fetus once it has a heartbeat—the bill also aims to make the abortion process more complicated.

If the bill became a law, physicians who induce abortions would have to give the pregnant women state-published information about “alternatives” to abortion, as well as submit a report to the Department of Health. The people who perform an ultrasound to determine if the fetus has a heartbeat would, if a heartbeat is detected, have to give the pregnant woman a chance to hear it. The Departments of Health and of Job and Family Services would publish and offer information pertaining to family planning, childbirth, and adoption—but not abortion. In other words, even if an abortion was technically legal (i.e. no heartbeat detected) the bill would still attempt to stop the woman from having the abortion. 

HB 258 passed both the House and the Senate. However, it was vetoed by Ohio governor John Kasich, who was concerned that the bill would be immediately struck down for violating Roe v. Wade. The Senate lacked the two votes needed for an override of Kasich’s veto, though the House had a three-fifths majority in support of the bill. 

Kasich, however, signed SB 145, which bans a certain abortion procedure called dilation and evacuation, or D&E. 95% of second-trimester abortions are performed using this method. Physicians who perform “dismemberment abortions” (as D&E is referred to in the bill) risk being charged with a fourth-degree felony and spending up to eighteen months in prison, unless the mother’s life is at risk.

What can you do? 

• Support Planned Parenthood and other orgs that fight for women's sexual and reproductive health.
  • ​Call your reps w/ this script: Hi, my name is __________, and I live in ___________. I'm calling to ask my Senator to vote NO on any attempt to defund Planned Parenthood. This is nothing more than a blatantly political attempt to do whatever it takes to attack women's health and rights and take health care away from the people who need it most. If Congress cuts funding to Planned Parenthood, millions of people will be left without access to birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings, and other basic care. Many of them will have nowhere else to go for the health care they need. I'm counting on my Senator to do the right thing and stand up for the Planned Parenthood patients in our community and across the country who are counting on those health centers. I stand with Planned Parenthood because [insert your own story or message, if you like]. I expect my Senator to vote against any attacks on Planned Parenthood and the vital health services they provide. Thank you for your time. (adapted from Planned Parenthood)
    

• Stay updated on your state assemblies: Do your research. Know what your state assembly looks like. (As discussed in last month’s article, assemblies vary widely). Know who represents your area. Know the topics your legislators capitalize on—many of them tend to be more passionate about some areas of policy (health care or national security, for instance) than others. Check the legislative calendar to see when the next session is scheduled. If they are available on the website, read the session journals to see everything that happened in a given session. The websites of all state assemblies can be found here: https://www.congress.gov/state-legislature-websites.

And, finally, the puppy vid: 

cuteness here :))