I've found myself rather busy since Trump was elected. I guess the options are get busy or go into hiding!
I initiated a call for creation of a statement that would go to our elected officials telling them that we don't want them to obey Executive Orders or laws coming from the Trump administration that would discriminate or harm the people who live in Sonoma County and asking them to agree. More than 70 people are involved! And now we have a statement.
We are asking all sorts of groups to sign on to it before we present it to city councils, Board of Supervisors, D.A., etc. And we have a very long list of groups to contact. Do you belong to a group that might want to sign on to the statement? And your group need not be political; you just need to want your government to refuse to discriminate against community members. We're looking at groups across the political spectrum - progressive, conservative, apolitical. I was born just after WWII and remember that people across the spectrum asked the same question - How could Germans have allowed that to happen? I would rather not find out! Many groups should want to sign this.
Please let me know about your group before you contact them - we may already have someone contacting them - so please check. And we won't be talking with electeds until we have a long list of endorsements, so please refrain.
We are assuming that some groups will already have had their December meetings. We'll be taking endorsements in January, too. And though I'll be in the East for much of December, I'll be online.
And if you don't like the statement or aren't interested, please don't contact me. I won't be responding. I'm too busy for that. You do your thing and I'll do mine.
Here is the statement (no edits accepted at this point):
ITWON'T HAPPEN HERE DECLARATION
DECEMBER2016
WHEREAS,to safeguard the equal and inalienable rights and inherent dignity of all people that is the foundation of the relationship between a government and the people;
ANDwhereas, we recognize that the rights and dignity of all people areunder threat;
WE,the undersigned organizations, call upon all Sonoma County governingauthorities and law enforcement agencies to pledge in writing toprotect all of the County's community members;
FURTHERMORE,we call upon these authorities and agencies to proclaim publicly thatthey will refuse to cooperate with any demands from the federalgovernment to institute detentions, deportations, registries,conversion therapies, imprisonment or any other acts that target ordiscriminate based on immigration status, race, ethnicity, religion,country of origin, ability, political affiliation, economic status,age, gender-identity or sexual orientation;
FURTHERMORE,we, the undersigned organizations, in obedience to our consciences,pledgeto protect all community members and will support our localgovernments as they move to resist these undemocratic and un-Americanpractices in order to reaffirm their commitment to inclusivity,respect and dignity.
Thank you! - Peace, Susan Lamont
