The Witching Hour is HausWitch’s attempt to help our community stay accountable for their activism. We call representatives, senators and other government officials from around the Salem, MA area about things we care about and donate to local causes.
The next Hour is June 9th at 7pm at the shop. Can’t make it to The Witching Hour? Too far away? Thinking about starting your own accountability group? Two words: Do it! Email cheryl@hauswitch.com if you need guidance.
Photo by Dave Wells.
Jeff Cohen, Head of Salem’s No Place for Hate, will be speaking on the 6/9 Witching Hour on local action and causes he’s involved in that need support. Mark your calendar!
Safe Communities Act Update
Apparently, Charlie Baker plans to Veto the Act, so we need to keep pressure on his office. Script below!!
Learn about the MA statewide Safe Communities Act here.
Text RESIST to 50409 and follow prompts to send messages to your reps. “I demand an independent prosecutor to investigate Trump/Russia ties now. Impeach Donald Trump.”
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Email cheryl@hauswitch.com to get on The Witching Hour email list.
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Take a moment to BREATHE
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Call and thank Seth Moulton: (Check out https://5calls.org/ for more scripts)
+1 202-225-8020 (Office of Seth Moulton, our Rep in the House)
+1 978-531-1669 (Secondary local number if mailbox is full)
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I'm a constituent from [CITY, # STREET, ZIP].
I'm calling for a couple reasons. First, I'm calling to express my serious concerns about Trump's proposed budget for 2018, and I urge Rep. Seth Moulton to work to maintain funding for crucial government programs instead of cutting them to give tax breaks to the wealthy.
OPTIONAL: Share a personal story about why at-risk federal programs are important to you; for example:
-- I (or someone you know) depend(s) on Medicaid to access treatment for [my/their] illness or disability.
-- The EPA ensures that our future generations will inherit a clean, safe, and prosperous country.
-- I believe that funding public education is an investment in our country's future.
-- My family (or a family you know) relies on SNAP assistance to provide for [our/their] children.
I’m also calling to urge [REP/SENT NAME] to reject the Trump administration's proposed budget cuts to the education department.
OPTIONAL: Share a personal story or reason why this matters to you. For example:
-- I (or someone close to you) am a product of the public school system, and I think more effort should be spent on improving it, not abandoning it.
-- I (or someone close to you) needed federal assistance to pay for higher education, and I support the programs that make it easier for students to do so and protect them from abuse by lending companies.
-- It is important to me that my children (or young people close to you) have access to arts (or science, foreign language, etc.) education in their schools, and do not want to see those programs dismantled.
Thank you for your time and attention. [IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]
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Call and thank our senators
+1 202-224-2742 (Office of Edward J. Markey, one of our Senators)
+1 202-224-4543 (Office of Elizabeth Warren, one of our Senators)
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, # STREET, ZIP].
I'm calling today because I am outraged that House Republicans passed the American Health Care Act without a Congressional Budget Office review and without fixing the issues in the plan that would leave millions uninsured and drive up premiums for millions more.
[IF CALLING SENATOR, ADD: I urge [SEN NAME] to vote against the AHCA and ensure the ACA's expansion of Medicaid and protections for people with preexisting conditions remain in place.]
[OPTIONAL: Share a personal story about how this bill will impact you or someone you know]
Thank you for your time and attention. [IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]
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Call state-level senator, representative, and Governor Charlie Baker.
+1 617-725-4005 (Office of Governor Charlie Baker)
+1 617-722-1410 (Joan Lovely, Senator)
+1 617-722-2396 (Paul Tucker, Representative)
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I'm a constituent from [CITY, # STREET, ZIP].
I'm calling to support the Safe Communities Act.
It is important to realize there is no real correlation between any rise in crime and immigrant populations residing in an area. It's actually more important for everyone to feel safe reporting any sort of crime in their neighborhood rather than worry about deportation if they contact their local authorities. A Muslim registry would strike fear into the hearts of our neighbors who have done nothing to warrant such treatment. The Safe Communities Act doesn’t stop immigration police from doing their jobs and does not stop state or local police from cooperating with them. What it does do is ensure Massachusetts dollars do not get spent on federal initiatives to deport our friends and neighbors. [FOR BAKER: I URGE you to attend the June 9th committee hearing on the Safe Communities Act to hear real stories from real people about how federal immigration policies affect our neighbors.]
I’m calling today because I’m extremely concerned about the AHCA which strips away protections for the sick and the elderly. If the AHCA passes, state governments will have increased power, so I expect the Governor to commit to upholding fair rates and minimum coverage standards, including coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Thank you for your time and attention.
[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]
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Choose two events and go to them before the next Witching Hour. Find a buddy, or a few and carpool.
Find all links to Facebook Events in our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/WitchingHourDoc
Before the Moon on 06/09/17:
5/30/17 Public Beaches Hearing for Lynn, Nahant, and Swampscott
5/31/17 Feminist Art Wednesday (May)
5/31/17 North Shore Voter Choice MA Kickoff
6/1/17 Suitcase Stories LIVE! - Lowell, MA
6/1/17 Give Liberty a Hand 2017
6/1/17 Senator Ed Markey Hosting Boston Town Hall
6/3/17 2017 MA Democratic Convention
6/3/17 March for Truth
6/4/17 Black Lives Matter Cambridge Haiti Initiative
6/5/17 Cocktail Resistance Meetup
6/6/17 Campaign Kickoff Rally for Kim Driscoll
6/8/17 Saving Africa's Witch Children: A Documentary
6/9/17 Safe Communities Act Hearing
6/9/17 Elderflower Physick: An Evening of Compassion
7. Notes from Caroline Reilly on Abortion Advocacy
Be an advocate for legal abortion:
Donate your time:
Volunteer at our local Planned Parenthood or NARAL chapter (become a clinic escort etc.)
Become an abortion doula (The Boston Doula Project offers trainings, and other states also have abortion doula orgs)
Call your reps and advocate for pro-choice policies
Volunteer for the Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund (these exist in almost every state as well!)
If you live out of state, see if your state has a safe haven program for people traveling for out of state abortions (MA currently does not have one officially)
The easiest way to donate your time to this issue is to learn about it and TALK to your friends, coworkers, peers, family, anyone who will listen about how profoundly important these issues are. Arm yourself with statistics and research and the stories of people who have had abortions. Check out Guttmacher for awesome research, Rewire for fantastic journalism, and Shout Your Abortion or We Testify for abortion storytelling.
Donate your money:
- Planned Parenthood
- NARAL
- The Center for Reproductive Rights
- National Network of Abortion Funds (or your local fund)
- The ACLU
- All Above All
- Lady Parts Justice
- Reproaction
- Shout Your Abortion
- Jane’s Due Process
- Guttmacher
- National Abortion Federation
- Whole Women’s Health Funds
Teen Access to Abortion: Quick Facts
37 states have parental involvement laws – meaning that in 37 states, minors (typically under 18, under 16 in a few cases) need to notify a parent or obtain consent from a parent to have an abortion. If they cannot involve a parent in the decision, they have to obtain a judicial bypass, which involves going before a judge and arguing that they are mature enough to make the abortion decision. If the judge finds they are not mature enough, they must then decide if it is in the minor’s “best interest” to have the abortion
Studies show that without parental involvement laws, the majority of minors involve a parent in the abortion decision, and 99% involve at least on adult
For minors who cannot or chose not to involve a parent, they often have a good reason: many come from homes with some kind of abuse, or they fear they will be kicked out. These laws also increase the chances their parents will find out about their unwanted pregnancy which makes them even more vulnerable to abuse
Leading medical organizations including the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Pediatrics oppose these laws
Studies show minors are competent enough to make the abortion decision, and that abortion bears better academic and economic outcomes for teens long term than teen parenting
Teen Access to Abortion in MA
Minors in the state of MA either need parental consent or a judicial bypass to obtain an abortion
Teens who cannot involve a parent in their decision should call Planned Parenthood, where they will be counseled on how to go through the judicial bypass process, and get paired with an attorney
The judicial bypass hearings involve questions about things like how the minor became pregnant, what the abortion procedure involves, and how they plan on preventing pregnancy in the future
Public hospitals in MA (e.g. Boston Medical Center) offer free abortion care for minors, the Boston Doula Project offers ride and appointment support, and the EMA and Jane fund offer payment support
Teens living in the custody of the state (foster teens) cannot obtain parental consent from their foster parents or the state, and default to the bypass process
Friendly Reminder:
Our Moon Meditation starts at 8pm. If you come to The Witching Hour to get political and then want to stay for the meditation please remember to buy your ticket ahead of time next time at stag.hauswitch.com/events. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay in the shop…without a ticket ;).
Questions? Email hello@hauswitch.com.
