...enemy lines of voter suppression or indifference...
On the battlefield no one was left behind enemy lines. Regardless of race or creed, men helped one another get back to safety.
Proposal: Let’s bring our Right and our Left hands together to help those who have for too long been left behind by a System that profits a few at the expense of many.
Let’s forget our political differences and see these forgotten people as casualties of war – so we leave no one behind.
Let’s roll up our collective sleeves and together we’ll develop creative ways to fix the real problems: systemic racism, poverty, militarism & the war economy, ecological devastation, the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism, and mistreatment of immigrants and indigenous peoples.
On this post’s ballot:
Voter registration information links provided by HeadCount.org
NYS deadline to register to vote: Friday Oct. 9
New video messages & songs about the importance of voting
Info on Rock The Vote’s 30-year efforts to involve youth in determining their futures
Forager Project’s promotion of Rock The Vote
What can I do? Info on Poor People's Campaign & Campaign Nonviolence
Listing of past blog posts related to social justice and voting
VOTE: Ya gotta be in it to win it…
NYS Voter Registration Deadline: Friday 10/9
To register, click here: HeadCount.org
(info for all states, even the state of confusion)
New video messages & songs about voting:
No Vote Left Behind – Playing for Change (0:01:50)
Note: This PFC video was co-produced by a Rock The Vote (see below) affiliate Sankofa.org.
Check out all the folks who are supporting this effort to increase participation in our democracy.
--This artist was featured during Campaign Nonviolence’s recent week of training and music. Nonviolent Austin provided 9 days of half-hour mindful music segments.
YelloPain - My Vote Don't Count (0:03:48) Jan. 2020
My Vote Will Count - YelloPain ft. Sevyn Streeter (0:03:45) Sep. 2020
--original artists singing this song first composed for Dr. King’s 1968 Poor People’s Campaign and March on Washington.
Jamel Coy Hudson - Everybody's Got a Right to Live - NY PPC (2020 short version)
Rock The Vote – getting young people involved in their futures…
Rock the Vote is a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to building the political power of young people. For 30 years, Rock the Vote has revolutionized the way we use pop culture, music, art, and technology to engage young people in politics and build our collective power.
Rock the Vote is the most trusted and effective nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to building the political power of young people.
OUR ROOTS
Empowering Young People
In 1990, music executives founded Rock the Vote in response to the censorship of hip-hop and rap artists. Our first partnership, with MTV, promoted the message that “Censorship is Un-American” and activated millions of young people across the country to exercise their rights and represent their interests. For thirty years, we have continuously adapted to the changing landscapes of media, technology and culture to breakthrough and empower each new generation.
Today
We are drawing on our decades of experience to deploy the most effective and impactful messages, tactics, and technology to uplift and empower the largest, most diverse generation in U.S. history. We do this while also pioneering innovative ways to make democratic participation more accessible and defending young people’s right to vote.
Stats
2016 voter turnout: 81%
First-time voters: 60%
Visitors: 7 M
Subscribers: 3.5 M
A Generation Without Representation
In 2020, Millennials and Generation Z will comprise nearly 40% of American voters.
Young voters are new voters and as new voters they face unique obstacles to voting that result in turnout that is historically 20 to 30 points below older voters. This discrepancy is even greater in midterms, state and local elections. [Tom: This reality is cited in the two YelloPain songs above] As a result, our democracy continuously fails to represent youth, generation after generation.
As young voters overcome these challenges to break turnout records as they did in 2018, they’ve become the target of voter suppression efforts. From the rise of voter ID laws to intensified efforts to remove polling sites from college campuses, young people must navigate obstacles designed to keep them from making their voices heard.
Cultivating Democracy (a probiotic pun served up on Forager Project’s site)
Found out about this youth- and music-oriented organization (Rock The Vote) while opening a container of my favorite cultured cashew milk yogurt: Forager Project’s “Cashewgurt.” This mindful company is partnering with “Rock The Vote” to remind us all of the importance of participating in our democratic process.
From Forager Project’s website:
Let’s leave the world a better place.
We believe organic plant-based food can make the world a better place. Much like healthy soil is the foundation of organic food, we believe voting is the foundation of a healthy democracy. Nurture the seeds of democracy and vote. Together, we can leave the world a better place than we found it.
The first step in taking action is being well informed. Rock the Vote is the most trusted and effective nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to building the political power of young people. You can find detailed information about each step you need to take in order to vote and help cultivate our democracy. Here is a quick guide to get you started:
Ways to Get Involved #1: Poor People's Campaign
Ways to Get Involved #2: Campaign Nonviolence
Blog Posts Related to Social Justice & Voting
Peace, tOM
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