January 18, 2018 Volume 1, Issue 10 Deborah …...January 18, 2018 Volume 1, Issue 10 Democracy with Dignity The results of the Alabama election, which elected the first Democratic

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January 18, 2018 Volume 1, Issue 10

Democracy with Dignity

The results of the Alabama election, which elected the first Democratic Senator from Alabama in decades, are being analyzed deeply for lessons to be learned. In his book Brown is the New White, Steve Phillips demonstrates that the truth can be found in a correct understanding of how demographics are shifting in the United States. Although the book was published before the Alabama election, Phillips predicted that people of color can make the difference and progressives cannot win going forward without their large and enthusiastic support. Most Democratic leaders still operate under the mistaken belief that Republicans took control of Congress in Obama’s midterms and 2016 because White swing voters switched their allegiance to the Republican Party. The real problem in those races, Phillips says, was lack of turnout of the Democratic base. However, that analysis has not been done by the Party higher-ups, and hundreds of millions of dollars are being wasted in the futile pursuit of winning back White swing voters. The shape and color of the New American Majority is changing and it ‘gets bigger every minute of every hour of every day.’ Note population growth: The number of White babies born each day is 6,048 (49% of the total babies born) which is largely canceled out by the 5,204 White deaths every day. For people of color, the 6,295 daily births (51% of all births) is only reduced by 1,442 deaths, leaving a net increase of 4,853 people of color every day. Observed another way: Whatever the outcome of the immigration debate, all the children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants are automatically U.S. citizens. ‘The Latino political wave is coming. As of 2012, 23 mil-lion Latinos were eligible to vote, but 12 million of them did not cast ballots in the 2012 election, more than twice the size of Obama’s margin of victory. The 11 million who did vote constituted 10% of all voters and 14% of Obama’s total number of votes. In addition to those currently eligible to vote, 800,000 Latino children will turn eighteen every year

Deborah Holbrook, Editor

State Representative Cameron Sexton speaks at the December meeting

A Different Take on Electoral Demographics

Nuclear: Those who heard Ralph Hutchison, president of Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, speak at Uplands Village in November were inspired by his accessible, non-violent, fact-based approach to resisting nuclear weapons. In a recent letter to his supporters, Hutchison said that the National Nuclear Security Administration has announced they have reached 90% design completion on its Uranium Processing Facility bomb plant in Oak Ridge. They are ready to move forward with construction early next year. OREPA intends to continue resisting the UPF with a lawsuit in federal court. If you wish to support this effort, you can donate at the orepa.org website. Education: The State Collaborative for Reforming Education, or SCORE, has identified five priorities for next year:

Make Tennessee the best state to live, work and grow as a teacher. Support every student to become a strong reader and writer. The state’s Read to be Ready initiative has a goal to

boost its English and reading proficiency among third-graders to 75% by 2025. Currently, fewer than 34% of Tennessee’s third- through eighth-grade students are considered proficient in English.

Develop school leaders who are ready to lead people and learning. Ensure high school is the on-ramp to postsecondary studies and jobs. Provide Tennessee students with the greatest needs with a high-quality education. For instance, the state is trying

to put greater focus on student need through its Every Student Succeeds Act, approved by the federal govern-ment this year. — The Tennesseean, 12/3/17

Environment: At the one-year anniversary of California’s plastic bag ban, the San Jose Mercury News published the fol-lowing data:

400 – Average number of plastic bags used each year by a person living in California before the state voted in 2016 to ban single-use bags.

8M – Tons of plastic that enter the ocean each year; 60%-80% of all marine litter is plastic. 2050 – Year when there will be more plastic than fish in the Earth’s oceans, if current trends continue. 85% – Amount by which plastic-bag use has decreased in England after it required all stores to levy a 5-pence-per-

bag charge starting in 2015. —The Nation, 12/18-25/17 Healthcare: Most of the 175 Americans who die each day from overdoses are from the ‘working class and rural com-munities’ that pushed Trump to election victory. Yet since his commission on the opioid crisis called for dramatic action on Nov. 1, the president hasn’t asked Congress for additional funding for addiction treatment and prevention; in fact, he has endorsed GOP proposals to cut funding to Medicaid, which provides addiction treatment to the poor. — Albert Hunt, Bloomberg.com

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Fulfilling Our Indivisible Crossville Mission

Diane Black’s 20,000 square foot mansion

Diane Black’s net worth:

$30 million in 2010 (first year in Congress)

$77 million in 2014 (fourth year in Congress) Average Household income for the 6th District:

$41,842 National Debt:

in 2010, Diane Black’s first year in Congress— 14 Trillion

In 2016, Diane Black’s sixth year in Congress— 20 Trillion

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between now and 2028, nearly all of them citizens and therefore eligible to vote.’ One of Obama’s pollsters told Phillips early in 2009 that White swing voters were the only group that the White House asked his firm to poll on a regular basis. Failing to recognize that they already have a multiracial majority and that the smarter, more cost-effective approach would be to nurture that existing majority, progressives and Democrats have tended to make decisions around policy and politics through this prism of ‘How will White swing voters react?’ Excessive caution and concern about how White swing voters would respond led Democrats to compromise, delay, and water down policy proposals that would otherwise have galvanized the New American Majority. Two key examples are how Democrats handled the messaging and execution of health care reform and immigration reform. ‘The worst possible thing Democrats could conclude is that the country’s voters had moved to the right. That conclu-sion could lead to a downward death spiral where progressive values and policies are watered down or jettisoned alto-gether out of fear of offending White swing voters, and the resulting milquetoast agenda fails to inspire the participa-tion of the New American Majority.’ Too many people in political leadership are ignorant of the power and potential of the New American Majority and believe that ours is still mainly a White country where White swing voters are the most important demographic to pursue, Phillips says. As long as progressive leaders and decision makers keep following this belief, one com-pounded by arrogance and the refusal to recognize and address one’s ignorance, progressives will increasingly fail in future elections. The absolute top priority for the progressive movement must be expanding the participation of this New American Majority. This means moving large amounts of money to voter registration, door-to-door organizing, and culturally compelling communications. It means strengthening organizations and nurturing leaders who come from and can speak to the communities who make up the New American Majority. Constructing a political majority on the cornerstones of the country’s communities of color requires great cultural competence and expertise. Given the dominance of Whites in the leadership of the movement, progressive Whites need to humble themselves and educate themselves about the realities of the lives of people of color. Championing economic justice is more than moral and just. It’s also the way to win elections. Brown is the New White, Steve Phillips, page references available from editor upon request

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Women’s March 2.0, January 20: We are hoping a large contingent from IC will be interested in

going. There is a conference in the a.m., break out groups and a luncheon. The actual march to Bicentennial Mall is in the afternoon from 2:30pm - 3, followed by a rally from 3:00 - 5:00 in front of the state capital. Visit TnPowerTo-gether.org for event details. If you need a ride, sign up on the clipboard at our meeting or email [email protected]. Tickets are for the caucuses and luncheons. No one will be turned away for inability to pay. So if you cannot afford the fee, contact [email protected] and they will make sure you can attend. Conference registration is $35 per person/$10 for students/youth, with scholarship and sliding scale options. You do not have to attend the conference to join the rally. Conference topics will include:

‘Artivism’ - The role of creativity in social justice; artistic voice = activist voice; using music, dance, theater, film, visual and performance arts for civic engagement.

Faith and Spirituality- Dealing with trauma; spiritual and moral life of progressives; self-care to stave off burnout; people of faith; values and politics.

Grassroots Organizing - Skills-building; understanding and managing power; direct action; ensuring safety and se-curity at demonstrations.

Youth - Leadership development; connecting campuses throughout the state. Legislative Skills and Issues - How to lobby; dealing with legislators; specific issues impacting women, communities

of color, youth LGBTQ+, individuals with disabilities, indigenous communities, the earth and our environment. Understanding Elections - Voter registration; how to become a candidate; Get Out The Vote.

The worst possible thing Democrats could conclude is that the country’s voters had moved to the right.

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Voter Suppression is Alive and Well in Tennessee

Indivisible Crossville set up a table at Crossville’s Friday at the Crossroads event last fall. We sought to engage people in solutions-based conversations about issues in Cumberland County. We talked with Tea Partiers, Democrats, and Trump supporters. We asked several people if they were registered to vote. Many said yes, but not a few said voting didn’t make any difference anyway. Is that true? Are our elections rigged? The answer is yes, and it is getting worse – not in terms of non-citizens voting fraudulently, but in terms of making voting legally inaccessible. For decades after WWII, there was a broad consensus in both parties that barriers to voting should be removed – poll taxes, literacy tests, etc. Since 2008, however, access-to-ballot box initiatives have been curtailed. Tennessee has an electorate of nearly 4.9 million, but in the 2016 election, only 31% voted. Trump, of course, took the majority but 2.4 million did not vote. Tennessee has one of the lowest rates of voter turnout in the nation. Out of 50 states, we ranked 43, 49, 46, and 50 (yes, 50!) in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014, respectively.* Why? Do left-leaning voters just stay home because it is hopeless? First, in fairness, Tennessee just instituted online voter registration. This is a good thing, but the state does not have same day registration, a policy which lowers the voter participation rate by 10% (data from ACLU and TN government websites). The lead time required to register to vote is one of the longest in the country, about 30 days. For example, the last day to register to vote in the November 6, 2018 election will be October 9. The relatively generous early voting period, beginning 20 days before the election until five days before the election, may remove excitement and social aspects that mobilize voters, which may depress voting. Second, Tennessee’s 2011 law requiring presentation of a photo ID to vote is particularly burdensome to seniors, ra-cial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and low-income voters, who are less likely to have the required docu-mentation. In Tennessee, if you do not have the proper docu-ments, there is no legal recourse (e.g., another form of ID). ID is a birth certificate or passport, which most students do not carry on them, thus disproportionately affecting the 18-23 year-old voters who are not living at home. ‘Most progressive attention in recent years has focused on fighting two main forms of voter suppression: creating voter ID laws and eliminating laws that make it easier to vote. Voter ID laws require government-issued photo identification. A 2011 study by the Brennan Center for Law and Justice found that 21 million American adult citizens (11%) do not possess a government-issued ID. Conservatives justify their support for these laws by saying they are nec-essary to fight voter fraud, but an independent study of allegations of voter fraud over fourteen years identified just 31 cases of fraud out of 1 billion votes that were cast in elections during that period. Third, individuals can permanently lose the right to vote following a felony conviction, even after their debt to society is paid. Under Tennessee law, approximately one of every twelve voting-age people can’t vote. Tennessee’s process for restoring the right to vote is onerous. The requirement to pay back court costs amounts to a modern-day poll tax. Plus Tennessee (and this is not true of any other state) bars a former felon from voting if he or she is not up on child sup-port payments. Failure to pay child support is not a nice thing, but if being up to date with child support is the criteria for voting for felons, those who fail to pay it and are without a felony conviction should be barred as well. The result of these laws is Tennessee’s rock bottom voter participation record, especially factoring in disgust with cur-rent political discourse. The kinds of responses we heard at Friday at the Crossroads should not surprise us. *http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2016/08/10/tennessee-near-bottom-voting-turnout-pew-report-shows/88481104/

Conservatives justify their support for these laws by saying they are necessary to fight voter fraud, but an independent study of allegations of voter fraud over fourteen years identified just 31 cases of fraud out of 1 billion votes that were cast in elections during that period. Steve Phillips, Brown is the New White

‘A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful, than a life spent doing nothing.’ George Bernard Shaw

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As of December 22, there were 369 women running or planning to run for Congress in 2018, which will be the most women House candidates ever. Axios.com ‘In 2020, the Democratic nominee will no doubt promise to restore much of what Trump has been busy demolishing. It will be possible: The power of the executive branch has expanded so much that with a few executive orders and key appointments, a president can point the federal government in a radically new direction—even without the consent of Congress. This raises the very real prospect that every four to eight years the partisan pendulum will swing from one extreme to the other and the U.S. will take an erratic, zigzag course to nowhere in particular. Trump is proving that a president can muscle through dramatic change even without majority support or compromise. His successors will no doubt be tempted by his example.’ Carolyn O’Hara, The Week, 12/8/17

Democrats have a lot to be optimistic about in 2018. They need to flip just 24 seats to regain control of the House; their prime targets are the 23 Republicans in districts won by Hillary Clinton in 2016. But for all that, Democrats are still in trouble. To woo the white working-class voters who went for Trump [or people of color who did not vote], they can’t just fall back on an anti-Trump platform … They need a compelling economic message that covers jobs, health care, education, and retirement. It’s also high time they moved on from their post-2016 civil war. For the Bernie wing, that means ending their hostility toward candidates who, say, prefer to fix Obamacare before committing to Medicare for all, or who oppose abortion. Those kinds of toxic litmus tests are an unaffordable luxury in the age of Trump.’ The Week, 11/24/17 Ouch!: USA Today sounded off after the president insulted Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Twitter. The USA Today editorial board's December 12, 2017, op-ed, titled ‘Will Trump’s lows ever hit rock bottom?’ caused jaws to drop as the editors raked Trump over the coals for his pattern of generally despicable behavior. Of Trump's sexist attack on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the board wrote, ‘A president who would all but call Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand a whore is not fit to clean the toilets in the Barack Obama Presidential Library or to shine the shoes of George W. Bush.’ ‘Donald Trump, the man [...] is uniquely awful,’ the board explains. ‘His sickening behavior is corrosive to the enterprise of a shared governance based on common values and the consent of the governed.’ The board cited his incessant lying, his support of failed Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, and his general bigotry as elements of the president's ‘unique awfulness.’ The paper called it a ‘shock’ that only six Democratic senators are calling for the president's resignation. ‘The nation doesn’t seek nor expect perfect presidents, and some have certainly been deeply flawed,’ the board concludes. ‘But a president who shows such disrespect for the truth, for ethics, for the basic duties of the job and for decency toward others fails at the very essence of what has always made America great.’ Chris Sosa, AlterNet.

Election News

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has set the Doomsday clock at 2 ½ minutes to midnight – the closest it has ever been.

‘You cannot reason people out of something they were not reasoned into.’ Jonathan Swift

‘Some will not look on suffering because it creates responsibility,’ Fulton Sheen

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The CEO of Cumberland Medical Center, David Bunch, will be our February 15th speaker. The meeting will be held at the CMC conference rooms A&B at the usual time of 6:00. Bunch holds a bachelor’s degree in business admini-stration from Tennessee Wesleyan Col-lege and a master’s degree in health services administration from the Uni-versity of Alabama – Birmingham. . He has more than 12 years of experience as a hospital chief executive officer at vari-ous facilities operated by Community Health Systems, Mercy Health Partners, and Health Management Associates

Democracy with Dignity

Mark Your Calendars

January 20: Women's March 2.0 -- see article on page 3 for information January 23: Workshop on Civil Discourse, Art Circle Library, 5-7 p.m., conducted by Glenna Shepherd, pastor Pleasant Hill UCC. January 24: Resistance School, Semester 2, #2, 2:00, Grinder House January 31: Resistance School, Semester 2, #3, 2:00, Grinder House February 7: Resistance School, Semester 2, #4, 2:00, Grinder House February 15: Indivisible Crossville, General Meeting, Cumberland Medical Center, Confer-ence Rooms, 6:00

Indivisible Crossville’s Mission Statement

Indivisible Crossville’s mission is to encourage citizens to come together around local, state, and national issues in order to create a more just society. Goals:

Educate voters about issues and candidates (Indivisible cannot endorse candidates but can educate about them); bridge national and state issues to local situations

Influence elected officials around current issues Promote respectful civil discourse and create caring relationships among voters Promote informed voting on the Cumberland Plateau with special focus on young people Surface and encourage appropriate and realistic candidates at all levels of government

Board Members: Deborah Holbrook, President; Don Dowdey, Vice President; Judy Barnett, Treasurer; Mary deWolf, Co-Secretary; June Zettlemeyer, Co-Secretary; Jerry Ziegele, Communications Manager Members at large: Marvin Albright, Karen Carter, Laura Haynes, Kay Kratunis, Anne Quillen

Contact through [email protected]

Women’s March: There will be a poster/sign making party at Pleasant Hill UCC church, Uplands Village. Bring materials if you have them and some will be provided. Watch the Facebook page for details.

David Bunch

Share your subscriptions: Many of us subscribe to publications

that would be of interest to others and are not particularly time sensi-tive – The New Yorker, Mother Jones, The Atlantic, The Nation and others. Instead of throwing them out when you are done with them, bring them along to our IC meetings to give away to others.

(Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on TV)