“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” -Alice Walker

By Andrea Loewen
@ms.andreajoy

A monthly round up of Resistance Research, including quotes, news, analysis, inspiration, and action items. Let’s break this regime down into actionable items and take it down, bit by bit!

This Month’s Action:

There is so much going on right now, but for this month’s action, I would like to draw attention to the personal safety of people of colour – specifically when they are trying to get home at night. Not long ago, Tribe Called Red performer Angela Gladue was nearly attacked and then denied a cab ride after a performance in Winnipeg because she didn’t have cash, and more recently a young black woman named Nia Wilson was stabbed waiting for transit in Oakland, California. These are two examples of many.

What can we do?

A grassroots movement has begun where anyone can help a person of colour have the money to get a safe (or safer) ride home. So far it appears to be focused in California, where Wilson was stabbed.

Other options: start a similar movement in your city; offer a ride, or accompaniment on transit, to a friend who may be vulnerable; if you are in a position to hire people who will need to go home late at night, make sure they will be able to get home safe, especially if that means paying them enough to afford a cab.

This Month’s Reading:

WTF List (Keeping Up With the News):

On the Travel Ban: Trump’s travel ban against Muslim-majority countries went into effect at the beginning of July, with dissent from Sonya Sotomayor. It was supposed to make exceptions for extreme cases, but has not and now one Yemeni-American man is dead by suicide after his family was denied entry.

On Russia: As we all know, Trump met with Putin. You can watch the video of their press conference (where he defends Putin over his own country’s intelligence) here. A lot of people called that action treason, but it technically doesn’t fit the bill, even though it happened right after 12 Russian officials were indicted for hacking in the 2016 election.

On Detaining Immigrant Families: Trump was ordered to reunite separated families and woefully failed. He suggested that they just not come in the first place instead and began using ankle monitors on those who could no longer be imprisoned after his request to detain families indefinitely was denied. Here is what these families go through trying to get to the border, as well as some science to support the fact that asylum seekers do not hurt a nation’s economy (but rather help it).

On North Korea: Trump claimed great progress in a released letter to Kim Jong Un, and then it seems not much else has happened.

On the Supreme Court: Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh, who seems to hold some regressive views on abortion and birth control. Here’s what it’ll take to get him confirmed (or avoid it).

Republicans Vote to Make it Legal Nationwide to Ban Gays and Lesbians from Adopting: Another rollback in equal human rights.

Action Inspo and Instructionals:

One of Canada’s Biggest Clothing Stores Just Pulled Ivanka Trump’s Brand from Its Shelves: While there are many questionable elements of the history of the Hudson’s Bay Company, its decision to remove Ivanka’s clothes is not one of them! (Send them a note to let them know you are grateful for their decision.)

Trump Aides Whine About ‘Viciousness’ of Private Citizens Cursing Them Out in Public: Apparently, it’s making it harder for the White House to recruit staff. It would be better if people simply didn’t want to be working for an evil administration, but hey, whatever keeps them away.

Indianapolis Church Puts Holy Family in ICE Detention in Bold Statement About Immigration Policy: Maybe every church should dig out their nativity displays to make this point.

Stormy Daniels Was Stripping Near the White House as Trump Made His Kavanaugh Pick: A more lighthearted kind of protest.

Analysis, Opinion, and Enrichment:

Trump Shakes the International Order: Will it Break?: Can the work to build international relationships over decades unravel with one president?

Donald Trump’s Winning Streak is Transforming America: No, it’s not an ironic headline. Try not to throw up in your mouth while reading it – it’s important to see the viewpoints of our opponents.

Trump Has Us So Exhausted That We Basically Shrug At His Daily Violation of Federal Law: He has a habit of ripping up documents after he’s done with them, and that is actually illegal.

The White House: Where Star Power and Political Power Collide: You know how people like to say that celebrities don’t have actual power? Well, now they sure do.

The Ten Stages of Genocide: Dr. Gregory Stanton has assembled a list of the ten stages of genocide. These stages are not linear, and each can be stopped by direct action.

Andrea is a Vancouver-based writer, theatre producer and promoter, choreographer, and yoga instructor with a big dose of love for sci fi/fantasy, her cat, green tea, riding her bike no matter the weather, and using a robot to vacuum her floors so she doesn’t have to.  She covers dance for Vancouver Presents, as well as writing for her own blog, The Receptionist and co-producing and co-hosting the podcast Life, Right? www.andrealoewen.com