Greetings

It was a hard week. We are thankful for our community and for all you do to make the world a better place.

— In loving solidarity

Next Meeting!

When:

Wednesday, July 16, 6:30pm

Where:

Herb Lamppa Civic Center
400 Pine Street
Tower, MN
Train Depot parking lot

Speakers:

Judith Tuuri Ulseth & Rose Adams

Topic:

Passages of Pride

"To begin to understand the reality of those who are transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, people must know . . . how it can feel to spend years denying your own deepest truths, to sit silently through classes, meals and church services while people you love toss off remarks that brutalize your soul."
— Bruce Bawer, "The Advocate," 1998

Judith Tuuri Ulseth, is the mother of three, including her eldest son, who is gay. Ulseth speaks of her and her husband's experiences raising a child who was labeled and bullied throughout his childhood, coming out as gay at age 14 in 1984.

Judith served with Parent Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays from 1985 to 2001 as St. Paul-Minneapolis chapter board member, newsletter editor, and speakers bureau manager, as well as serving a stint as secretary of the board of national PFLAG. The Ulseths were one of the families interviewed for the book, Passages of Pride: Lesbian and Gay Youth Come of Age by Kurt Chandler.

Rose Adams is a mother, partner, advocate, and a dog trainer. She has raised three children on the Iron Range, two of whom were BIPOC and within the queer realm.

"I'm sure that as a direct result of my children being themselves and the struggles we had fighting for their rights and safety," Rose says, ". . . I ended up running the YESS (Youth Empowerment, Support, and Safety) program for 3½ years (7 years total)."

YESS is a nonprofit that provides support, encouragement, and education, and creates safe places with and for queer youth.

Signing/Resisting Events

Each Friday at noon at the following locations:

• Cook: Hwy 53 and River Street
• Tower: Mainstreet by the locomotive

Signs should include issues common to everyone like good jobs, enough money for food and healthcare, and a good education.

Chisholm — Grow a Spine, Stauber Rally

Presented by Iron Range Indivisible, Northern Progressives, & We are Resisting and Rising

When:

July 12, 11:00am–12:00pm

Where:

316 W Lake St
Chisholm, MN

Rep. Stauber has failed to stand up for the people of MN-08 — again and again.

The Grow a Spine Stauber action is happening at all four of Stauber's local offices, so let's get a huge crowd at Chisholm and Hermantown. The goal is 4000 people that day.

Good Trouble Lives On

In Ely & Virginia

Virginia

When:

July 17, 3:00–5:00pm

Where:

Hwy 53 and 12th Ave

Ely

When:

July 17, 5:00–7:00pm

Where:

Whiteside Park

Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of nonviolent action to respond to the attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration and to remind them that in America, the power lies with the people.

John Lewis served in the House of Representatives for 33 years, and his life work was an ongoing invitation to others to build a better, just world that values the dignity and the worth of every human being. He urged people to "Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America."

On July 17, the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis's passing, we're taking action across the country to carry forward his legacy of Good Trouble and defend our democracy.

From voter suppression bills like the SAVE Act to the criminalization of protest, the Trump administration is launching a full-scale attack on our civil and human rights. But we know the truth: in America, the power lies with the people, and we're rising to prove it.

The Virginia event is sponsored by Northern Progressives, Democracy in Action on the Iron Range (DAIR), Indivisible, ACLU, MobilizeUSA and other groups.

In Ely, come add your voice in Whiteside Park. Bring signs or make one there. After demonstrating on Sheridan Avenue, we'll take time to get to know new friends, talk about issues you're concerned about, and get a bite to eat. You can bring a picnic dinner, get food from a food truck, or head to a local restaurant. Get ideas about how you can cause some Good Trouble.

One Million Rising: One Million Trained, Millions More Empowered

Hosted by No Kings

Indivisible National is strongly encouraging folks to attend.

When:

Wednesdays, 7:00–8:00pm CDT

Where:

Online

"One Million Rising — a national effort to train one million people to help lead in this moment and gain the skills to lead others. This is how we build people power that can't be ignored. You're invited to join us—and lead."

DMO Candidate Camp

Presented by Democratic Municipal Officials

When:

July 12, 11:00am–4:30pm

Where:

Online

The DMO Candidate Camp is a free, one-day, 100% virtual training course which will provide candidates and campaign staffers the skills they need to execute successful campaigns at the local level. This training course is tailored towards Democratic candidates for local office and their staff, but all those interested in helping elect Democrats to local office are welcome to participate!

The DMO is partnering with the DNC to bring you this action-packed day of campaign training! They will cover everything from fundraising to communications, organizing to data, and more. Whether you are considering a run for local office, or already on the campaign trail, our DMO Candidate Camp has something for you.

What's the Plan?

Indivisible weekly conversation

The tone of last Thursday's weekly conversation was markedly different. We are in a critical time for our democracy. Ezra & Leah from Indivisible national were quite articulate about that. We recommend folks watch the recording of their community call and join their upcoming "One Million Rising" training.

Each Thursday: Calls with Indivisible's Co-Founders

You can attend the weekly "What's the plan?" Zoom calls with Indivisible's co-founders Leah and Ezra each Thursday afternoon at 2pm Central Time.

The onslaught of news, the chaos coming out of the White House – it's all meant to overwhelm us. It's a deliberate strategy to sow confusion and make us believe we are powerless to fight back. The antidote: Coming together in community to process what's happening, to sift through what's important and what's just noise, and coalesce around strategies for fighting back. Join Indivisible co-founders Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin each week, as we carve out an hour to discuss what's happening and – more importantly – what's the plan.

History and Practice of Nonviolent Resistance

Erica Chenoweth

Political scientist Erica Chenoweth unpacks what makes a successful movement against authoritarianism, and how nonviolent resistance can be used to uphold democracy.

GOP Budget Bill Will Make ICE "Largest Federal Law Enforcement Agency in the History of the Nation"

Democracy Now

This bill provides a whopping $170 billion to transform immigration enforcement and detention. This includes $45 billion for new detention jails. That's 265% more than the current ICE detention budget and more than the budget of the federal prison system. ICE's enforcement budget would increase by $30 billion, a threefold increase, and there's some $46 billion for border walls and more.

American Immigration Council calls the bill, quote, "the largest investment in detention and deportation in US history; a policy choice that does nothing to address the systemic failures of our immigration system while inflicting harm, sowing chaos, and tearing families apart"...

The administration is targeting immigrants as a "gateway,"opening the door into violating the rights of anyone they choose to. They're banking on citizens not paying attention if "only" immigrants are affected.

But this $170 billion is to fund a private army that answers only to Trump, and it would be the third largest military force on Earth, after the U.S. and Russia. For perspective, the FBI has a budget of $10 billion

How do you keep going?

Matt from the Wolves and Sheep substack

"I guess I would consider my outlook to be grounded but guarded, and it has helped me get through this challenging time. It's hard to watch all the damage being done at so many levels without having a way to process it. That's where I turn to history. We never had Donald Trump before, but we have faced—as we do today—the clash of incompatible forces in our politics, and we survived as a nation. History also tells us that the greater the disruption, the greater the space for constructive changes that will make us a more equitable country once this is all over—and it will be over one day. I see this outcome not as wishful but possible, and it helps me stay grounded. I also realize It is not guaranteed, which is why I am guarded. But I find that taking a broad view of what's happening rather than getting caught up in each outrage gives me a lot to hold on to. That's why I haven't lost faith."

Cynicism Is the Enemy of Action

from Rebecca Solnit

"This is the most dire moment in the history of the United States and no one should be on the sidelines, and no one should be undermining those who are showing up for justice, human rights, and environmental protection.  

"There's a remarkable passage in the (highly recommended) book Let This Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba. They write, 'As you develop your tactics and strategize, it's important to be aware of the pervasiveness of cynicism among many of those you may be trying to reach. Cynicism is a dominant force in today's political discourse, with some good reason and a favorite approach of the world's political hobbyists.' They quote another writer, Eitan Hersh, who calls people who follow and comment on politics without really participating 'political hobbyists' and Kaba and Hayes continue: 'It is important to understand the distinction between activists, organizers, and political hobbyists. Such hobbyists will often have very strict political standards, either around respectability or radicalism, to which few activists ever seem to rise.

"If you organize anything political, you are likely to attract the criticism of hobbyists, since for some people, critique is a pastime. Of course, organizers make genuine mistakes that political hobbyists may react to, but the fact is, making mistakes is a consequence of trying. The more you take action, the more errors and missteps you will make along the way. A person who has attempted nothing can easily point to the fact that they have never failed, but what have they built? What have they healed?'"

America: A Work in Progress, Powered by the People

Laurie Woodward Garcia and People Power United

"We are builders and dreamers, inventors and caregivers. Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us, 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice'—but only because people like us rise up and help bend it. From Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to Dolores Huerta shouting 'Sí se puede,' our history is shaped by the courage of ordinary people who refused to stay silent.

"We are not defined by our darkest moments, but by what we choose to do in their aftermath. We are not a nation that cowers to bullies or bows to fear. We rise. We speak out. We show up. We march forward."

History ...

from Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

"History has a long-range perspective. It ultimately passes stern judgment on tyrants and vindicates those who fought, suffered, were imprisoned, and died for human freedom, against political oppression and economic slavery."

Please Share your Sources of Information and Inspiration:

What news sources, reading lists, podcasts, subscriptions and other resources do you rely on for good information? Please respond to hello@northernaction.org with the sources you recommend and a brief reason why they're important to you.

Northern Progressives Schedule & Structure

NP Group meetings are held:

First & third Wednesdays in Tower or Cook

• 1st & 3rd Wednesdays in Tower or Cook

Breakfast Club:

• Pattenn’s Café in Orr at 10 am on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays.

Everyone is welcome to come and discuss current happenings, help shape the direction of NP, and get to know each other.

Northern Progressives Communication Committee

General email (submit ideas here):

hello@northernprogressives.org

Betty Firth

bfirth88@gmail.com

Beth Peterson

edithepeterson@gmail.com

Judith Ulseth

jgtulseth@gmail.com

Northern Action

northernaction.org