Sister District has given us a second Virginia House of Delegates candidate, May Nivar. Her win would be a flip. The district is close. Sister District San Francisco is hosting a fundraiser for her.

Sunday, August 3, 4:00–6:00 pm, 431 Grand View Avenue, San Francisco.

Donation link.

Over 120 turned out.

Action item: We almost completed the Clark postcards. We will be finish them and send to Clark’s headquarters before the next meeting.

Discussion items:

• The July 4 protest had over 120 participants, a record. There were suggestions to make the protests even better. We should bring materials for people to make their own signs. We should not only have anti-Trump signs, but also ones with positive visions for the future.
• We can use a bullhorn to try to make my rather loud voice (declaiming the Declaration of Independence for the Fourth) audible outside a ten-foot radius. Bruce checked; this appears to be legal.
• We are looking into non-violence training. We see that the regime is trying to provoke extreme reactions, especially the ICEstapo. We need to follow ICE to deduce their modus operandi.
• Social media is by far the best way to reach younger Americans. Today, everyone needs to capture attention (go viral). An Instagram account would help us reach them.

Also our Friday protest today as usual. Let’s show them who the Americans are.

We have a last set of Clark postcards to write.

Our comrades at Indivisible Tri-Valley [Pleasanton area] are hosting a zoom on vaccines, now that antivax clowns and grifters are in charge of America’s health. Looks good to me!

Indivisible Tri-Valley is putting on an event that will feature an educational presentation and a panel discussion on how vaccines work, with a special focus on how to communicate effectively with vaccine-hesitant family and friends. We’ll also highlight cutting-edge research in vaccine development, including breakthroughs aimed at preventing or treating cancer and autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes.

The event is on June 28 11am-12pm hosted on Zoom. We do require pre-registration at the following link: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisibletrivalley/event/794537/

Last meeting we got halfway through our first batch of Nadarius Clark postcards; we should get close to finishing.

A friend of Indivisible Elmwood has set this up, looks like it will be fantastic. Note that I am handling RSVPs for all attendees, not just Elmwood members, and the capacity is limited.

If you are interested in making a difference while hearing great music, seeing friends and sipping wine, please join Tanya Tomkins, her esteemed colleagues, and Indivisible Elmwood for a run-through of Tchaikovsky’s epic Souvenir de Florence in a beautiful South Berkeley home. This performance is in support of the very important November election in Virginia of Delegate, Michael Feggans.

When: Saturday, June 21^st, 4:30–6 pm 

Where: location revealed when you RSVP

RSVP: drlaz@me.com

Suggested minimum donation: $100 (QR codes and other ways to give provided at the event.)

You may remember that two years ago I bought our Feggans postcards, and my name was on the disclaimer required by Virginia state law. This year, Sister District paid for printing and shipping the Nadarius Clark cards to us, which is why their name is on the large disclaimer on the cards’ obverse. However, purchase of the stamps used to mail them is treated as an in-kind donation to the campaign and must be reported. The form to report this online is at Sister District’s website. This means you will be listed as a contributor to his campaign.

The Lords of WordPress have decreed that to embed our ActBlue thermometer live, we need a much more expensive plan. (Longtime members will recall this used to work. WordPress disabled the necessary feature; thanks, guys. Joys of late-stage capitalism.) So, adjacent is a static version of the thermometer. You will note, we are a ways from our goal. You can fix that by clicking here. At least I can still make a link. As we fill the bar, I can re-paste a new version. Meanwhile, if any of you younger new attendees would like to help me host this site elsewhere, at a place I can use plug-ins, I am all ears.

We received physical postcards and addresses for Delegate Nadarius Clark, who is also running in a Virginia Beach district, near Delegate Feggans’s. Clark won by 6 points in 2023, not a run-away. For some reason, Sister District couldn’t give us postcards for Feggans. Those of you who were with us to talk to Feggans on Zoom last meeting saw a candidate far more fluid and self-assured than in his initial race. Even with the tight 2023 outcome, it was hard not to be optimistic.

And, of course, we will be back out at College & Ashby this Friday at 5:00. Might be time to consider a hat and sunscreen!