Olmsted DFLers and friends,

Here is your ‘Activism Roundup’ for the week of April 7th -13th, which will direct you towards events organized by local DFL volunteers and by other groups with a shared commitment to a strong democracy and to ensuring the safety and well-being of our communities.

What a WEEK we just had! So many of you filled the phones, mailboxes and streets with your messages of resistance. The week culminated in a massive nationwide mass mobilization on Saturday that moved more than 5 million Americans out in the streets of their cities and towns. The protests were peaceful, but the messages firm. We will not stand for the dismantling of our democracy, economy, or freedoms. This is our government, and we are coming together in increasingly large numbers to say NO!

We are going to pause the Democracy Thursday visibility events for just a week so that we can all catch our breath. We will use this week to plan for the next mass mobilization event on Saturday April 19th. Do not sit this one out. Mark your calendars. Details coming soon (more info below).

Thank you to all that signed up to volunteer and to receive more information about ways to get involved in the fight for our democracy. Thank you to all that are fighting to ensure the safety of ALL the people who have chosen to call the United States their home. Thank you to all that are working to organize and make change. It's time to fight - get out there and make some noise!

Coming up this week (April 7th - April 13th):

Time: Monday, April 7th

Location: Libraries nationwide

Sponsor: American Library Association, others

Details: On this National Library Week, April 6th-12th, libraries need your support more than ever. Book challenges and censorship efforts are still on the rise, and federal funding is under threat. These challenges don’t just impact libraries—they impact all of us.

This year, we’re asking you to show up at your library—and show up for your library.

Stand with your community to defend the freedom to read and celebrate what makes libraries essential.

Sign-up/questions: https://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek

Right to Read Day - National Library Week

People’s Town Hall

Time: Monday, April 7th 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Location: St. Charles Community Center, 30 Whitewater Ave., St. Charles, MN 55972

Sponsor: Minnesota Farmers Union

Details: Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) is sponsoring a People’s Town Hall from 1:30 to 3 p.m. April 7 at St. Charles Community Center, 830 Whitewater Ave., to hear what family farmers and rural residents think of these actions and to learn what they want and need from their state and federal governments. The event is free and open to the public.

“Farmers are wondering what a potential trade war, proposed cuts to Farm Bill programs and layoffs at USDA offices will mean for them and their livelihoods. Minnesota family farmers are already facing uncertainty with rising input costs, falling commodity prices, concentrated markets, a scarcity of childcare and difficulty accessing and affording health care,” said MFU President Gary Wertish. “We want to hear directly from MFU members and other interested citizens on how the state and federal government can help them meet their needs and build robust family farms and rural communities.”

Sign-up/questions: Meetings are being planned for numerous locations around the state. See mfu.org/events for details. Pre-registration is requested at https://bit.ly/PeoplesTownHall

Time: 11:00 AM- 12:00 PM Tuesday, April 8th

Location: Rep Brad Finstad's office (2746 Superior Drive NW. Rochester, MN 55901)

Sponsor: Indivisible 507 - Rochester MN Area

Details: Social Security is under attack and Brad Finstad is missing. Join us in voicing your concerns and demand that congress take action to PROTECT OUR SOCIAL SECURITY! Budget cuts, mass firings, and long wait times endanger our access to Social Security. We have paid into this fund throughout our lifetimes, and have trusted the government to hold it safe — we expect it to be there as promised when we need it. We do not consent to the pillaging of our sensitive data by reckless teenage hackers, and we absolutely do not consent to the privatization or public trading of the Social Security fund (as we all know the risks, especially with an economy tanking to suit the whims of a unstable president). This is our money, and we demand that you keep it safe and available to the American People. So join us on Tuesday, make your best signs, and bring your resolve to Finstad's door!!

Sign-up/questions: https://indivisible507.org/ | Local FB group | Local Bluesky

Rally to Protect Social Security at Rep. Finstad’s Office

Free time this week? Check out some new information sources

Heather Holmes (candidate for MN House 24A) recently put out an all call for recommended media and good sources of information - for both news and how to get involved. The resulting crowdsourced list is great (not exhaustive, of course). Take some time to explore, check out resources new to you, and if there are sources that you find particularly helpful, share them widely.

"An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people." -Jefferson

Books

  • On Tyranny -Timothy Snyder

  • On Freedom - Timothy Snyder

  • Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America - Heather Cox Richardson

  • How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul America - Heather Cox Richardson

  • A People’s History of the United States - Howard Zinn

  • Poverty, By America - Matthew Desmond

  • On Disinformation - Lee McIntyre

Podcasts

  • Politics Girl - current events and how to get involved and push back (with Leigh McGowan - she’s also great to follow on any social media platform)

  • The Daily Beans - daily podcast by Allison Gil (Mueller She Wrote on social media) that gives you an overview of daily news (with some swearing )

  • Strict Scrutiny - lawyers discussing the Supreme Court and other judicial issues

  • New Libs on the Block - co hosted by Rochester’s own Rep Andy Smith that highlights what’s happening in the MN legislature and also issues happening federally

  • Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams - actionable items, introductions to people working for solutions, and tangible ways to get involved

  • Gaslit Nation - by Andrea Chalupa - weekly podcast covering corruption in America and rising autocracy worldwide

  • The Weekly Show - Jon Stewart

  • Why is this Happening - Chris Hayes asks the big questions that keep him up at night. How do we make sense of this unprecedented moment in world history?

  • The Professional Left (aka Cornfield Resistance) - bloggers Driftglass and Blue Gal as they skewer right-wing absurdities and dismantle mainstream media mealy-mouths with razor-sharp wit and zero filter (NSFW).

  • Pod Save America - hosted by former Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor. It cuts through the noise to break down the week’s news and helps people figure out what matters and how they can help.

  • Pod Save the World - A weekly podcast hosted by Pod Save America cohost Tommy Vietor and former deputy national security advisor and co-host Ben Rhodes that breaks down international news and foreign policy developments, but doesn’t feel like homework.

Independent News Sources & Fact Checking Sites

Informative voices via substacks or social media:

MINNESOTA: Rapid Response for Our Freedoms

Time: 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM, Sunday April 13th

Location: Virtual

Sponsor: People Power United

Details: Join us for "Rapid Response for Our Freedoms", a powerful event where we stand united to protect our rights, freedoms, rule of law, and democracy.

Are you concerned about the direction our country is headed and the far-right agenda threatening our future? Now is the time to stand up and take action! Your voice and participation are critical in this fight.

Together, we can push back against these dangerous moves by mobilizing, organizing, and demanding accountability. Your voice matters now more than ever. Let’s show the strength of people power and fight for the freedoms we all deserve.

At People Power United, we believe in progress and the strength of collective action. Together, we can push back against extremism and build a brighter future. Join us in the fight for Freedom over Fascism and help amplify the power of people to shape our democracy!

Don’t miss out—RSVP today and become a force for change in your community!

Sign-up/questions: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/747344/ | https://www.peoplepowerunited.org/

Have more free time on Sunday?

5 Calls makes it easy for you to reach your members of Congress and make your voice heard.

From website: "We research issues, write scripts that clearly articulate a progressive position, figure out the most influential decision-makers, and collect phone numbers for their offices.

All you have to do is call."

https://5calls.org/

Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details...

On Saturday April 19 numerous community resistance organizations will stage massive peaceful protests in every city and town — fittingly on the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War. Per Robert Reich we will see “crowds of Americans celebrating the anti-monarchical uprising of 1775 and pledging their allegiance to that heritage by denouncing Trump’s increasingly autocratic rule.” If you couldn’t make the protest on the 5th, please make this one. If you did participate in the protest on the 5th, then pledge to reach out and secure 3 more people to attend with you. Help those new to protesting feel secure and resolved, and get your friends, family, and neighbors out in the streets with their messages of resistance.

Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts – and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change. We had nearly 2% of the American population in the streets on April 5th. We absolutely can do this guys. Talk to everyone you know. Our democracy and freedoms depend on it.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190513-it-only-takes-35-of-people-to-change-the-world

Please let us know if we are missing relevant local/national events so that we can include them in next Sunday's post. Reply to this email or email us at olmsted2024dfl@gmail.com. You can also follow and connect with us on social media, where we and other DFLers announce upcoming events:
DFL in Olmsted County Facebook (public)
DFL in Olmsted County Facebook (private group)
Olmsted 20/24 DFL Bluesky (public)
Olmsted 20/24 Instagram (public)

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There hasn't been a threat to our democracy and national welfare so significant in our lifetime. Please get involved somewhere, somehow, and encourage a friend to join you. If you don't have sweat equity to donate, financial support of the local DFL units and/or other volunteer organizations will be put to good use!