I'm keeping it short up here so that you can spend your time taking action instead of reading fluff. Please recommend if you think this is important.
This week's action diary has several important items, but I thought I'd include some entertainment for you as well. Click here for a pretty funny video...Bush, Cheney and Rummy doing a Destiny's Child song:)
Click here to find out how you can help people in Third World countries start businesses! Thanks for this excellent diary, HollywoodOz!!
And now...for the action items:)
Budget Issues:
Anyone here think the rich need more money? Perhaps it's mean of me, but I don't think they do. Click here to let Congress know that you don't think the rich should get more tax cuts while they cut social programs.
Yesterday, Mi Corozon had a diary on the Rec. list entitled, By Design: Why America Hates Children. Part of the way disdain for children shows itself in our society is through Republican proposed budget cuts to the social programs that serve as a safety net. Tell the President and Congress to fund America's future before they fund wars and give tax cuts to the rich.
Another way to show your affection for children is to donate to Big Brothers, Big Sisters! My friend, Emilie, volunteers and has been doing fundraising for her local group in Champaign, IL...I figured it wouldn't hurt to put up a link to donate to the national organization which does great work for kids!
Education Issues:
The Religious Right is at it again. This time they want to "require teachers to present alternatives to evolution, such as intelligent design, as part of their life science lesson plans" in Utah. The State Legislature will vote on this sometime next week. Click here to send your letter and help save science!
Human Rights Issues:
Last week, the Bush Administration submitted a supplemental budget request to Congress that includes $514 million for peacekeeping, food aid, and other vital assistance for the displaced people of Darfur. This money will help protect civilians caught in the crossfire of the conflict while also ensuring they have access to critical basic services, such as clean water and blankets.
Oxfam has a letter you can send to your Congresspersons asking them to fulfill the promise to help those affected by the genocide in Darfur.
Click here to send your letter!
Mercy Corps also has a letter that you can send to ask Congress to send aid to Darfur. Click here another letter!
Human Rights First wants you to Tell President Bush that torture should not be tolerated and that he "should adopt a zero-tolerance approach to commanders who allow unlawful conduct to persist on their watch."
Human Rights Campaign wants you to sign the Million for Marriage petition. It doesn't matter whether you're gay or straight, if you support marriage for all people, click here
The Federal Marriage Protection Amendment is back. Frist plans on bringing it up for a vote in June! Click here to send a letter through HRC and tell your Senators that you want them to oppose this amendment which would literally write discrimination into our Constitution!
War in Iraq:
CODEPINK needs your help! The "Women Say No to War" campaign needs 100,000 signatures by March 8th. They only have 44,000 at the moment. That's not enough! You can sign your name by clicking here. They'll deliver the signatures to the White House and U.S. Embassies around the world on March 8th. Let's get to work ladies!! Sign on yourselves and then send this to every woman you know!
Health Care Issues:
Wal-Mart is a health care crisis on its own. WakeupWalmart.com has released a shocking new study of Wal-Mart's health care crisis entitled, "America Pays, Wal-Mart Saves".
Click here to learn how to take action!
National Security Issues:
Upset about the Port deal? Click here to email King George and tell him to stop the Dubai World Ports deal. Once you send your letters on the Port deal, there will be a few other action items you can do as well!
Have you forgotten about the NSA's illegal spying on Americans? I didn't think so. Well, Senator Ted Kennedy wants you to add your name to Senate Resolution 350, which in short says:
"Expressing the sense of the Senate that Senate Joint Resolution 23 (107th Congress), as adopted by the Senate on September 14, 2001, and subsequently enacted as the Authorization for Use of Military Force does not authorize warrantless domestic surveillance of United States citizens."
Please click here to add your support of S. Res. 350.
The final vote for reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 28th. The ACLU has action items related to this issue. We don't have much time to convince folks to vote no, so get started! Please click here to get talking points so you can call your Senators immediately!
Women's Issues:
"In 2006, why are women still fighting for access to contraception? It's time to bring women's health care into the 21st century!
Right now, two men stand in the way.
Who are they? Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX). They have the power to bring an important bill to a vote in Congress: the Prevention First Act, which would protect all women's access to contraception and reduce the incidence of unintended pregnancy."
Tell Senators Barton and Enzi to use their common sense and pass the Prevention First Act.
Internet Issues:
I'm guessing some of you didn't even know we HAD internet issues, but we do. For background, read the comments and do the action items in the box below...for the more recent action, skip the box and go with the latest action item from Common Cause.
Internet Freedom is under fire! Free Press has a letter you can sign. Here's what they say: The CEOs of the largest cable and telephone companies are hatching a scheme that would give them control over what content you can view and what services you can use on the Internet. Their plan would do away with the principle of "network neutrality" and shut down the open roadway we've come to expect on the Internet.
Sounds like a real money-maker for them! Anyway, click here to send your letter to your Congresspeople and the CEO of your internet provider.
Common Cause also has a letter you can send to all the CEOs of the telecom corporations. Tell these CEOs to stop trying to privatize the internets!
To read more about the plans to privatize the internets, read this article from The Nation! Don't stop with just sending the above letters either. Send letters to your Congresspeople as well!!
To let your Senators know how you feel about the internet and your desire to keep it neutral and free, click here and send a letter!
Protect Pets and Wildlife:
Each year, the Canadian government and fisheries "hunt" baby seals. Here's the info from the Humane Society of the United States:
By the end of the hunt, more than 300,000 seals are expected to be clubbed or shot to death by fishermen who hunt seals off-season to pick up extra cash by selling their skins. Almost all of their victims will be babies -- some as young as 12 days old.
During a recent hunt, veterinarians who examined dead seals concluded that 42% of the seals examined had most likely been skinned while they were alive and still conscious. Polls consistently show that most Canadians oppose the hunt, but still the Canadian government and fishing industry refuse to end it.
Sign this petition to the new Prime Minister NOW!! Save these adorable baby seals.
Defenders of Wildlife has an action page that you should all visit. Please click here and do as many items as you can!! If you click and take action, you'll be able to help save wolves, tell Exxon Mobile to stop putting corporate profits over wildlife, save the Endangered Species Act, and help save some adorable pooties!!
Krill need our help. What, you've never heard of Krill? Oceana has some important info for you:
small shrimp-like crustaceans, which serve as a giant food buffet for the sea, providing sustenance for baleen whales, seabirds, rockfish, Pacific salmon, hake, squid, and many other fishes, are in danger. We need your help to urge the Pacific Fishery Management Council to prohibit the commercial fishing of krill to protect the vital role they play as prey for a diversity of marine life.
Please click here to help protect Krill...in doing so, you'll be helping LOTS of other species as well:)
The WWF needs your help to protect funding for several Endangered Species. Click here to send your letter and help save Tigers, sea turtles, great apes, rhinos, and more!!
Protect the Environment:
The Ocean Conservancy has a number of action alert items for you. Please click here and do as many items as you can!!
Anyone been on a Cruise?! I never have, but I've always wanted to...well, I did anyway, until I read about how much pollution Cruise Ships dump into our oceans. I hope someday I can go on a Cruise, but first I'll have to convince the cruise lines to clean up their act! Join me in asking cruise lines to stop polluting our oceans!
You've read a lot lately about the Bush Administration trying to sell off public lands. There have been a million diaries, including this one, this one, and this one just to link a few. Earthjustice has a letter you can send to your Congresspeople. Please click here and send your letter! The only way to stop the sale of our lands is to make noise!
You can sign the Sierra Club's petition to prevent public land sales too! You should also sign their petition to save the Endangered Species Act!