Protesting the Muslim ban

Donald's Muslim ban has been enacted. He called for it a year and a half ago, and it was condemned. People are being stopped in airports for their religion. Families are going to be separated. Muslims will lose their green cards, face violations of their human rights--violations that stand in direct opposition to the American Constitution.

I really can’t describe the depth of how evil and horrific this is. You’ve seen it. You know. So what do we do now?

We protest. Tonight, I stood in the BWI airport with my friend and fellow activist, DeJia. The airport is bears the name of Thurgood Marshall, who would have been horrified by the Islamophobia that defines Donald’s new regime. At the international gate, a crowd of people screamed out against fascism, racism, and the religious registry.

Representative John Sarbanes shook our hands. He had come to protest. So had Representative Elijah Cummings, who spoke to the crowd of protesters and encouraged us to keep fighting. They promised to stand up to the tide of right-wing nationalism in the House.

Apologies for the position, Blogger does not like videos. Credit for filming goes to DeJia.

I believed them, because they showed up. Democrats have to get tougher--the country depends on it. And they have to keep showing up. Representative Jamie Raskin came too, as did Martin O'Malley and C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger.

Governor Hogan has been silent, something Maryland has noticed. One of our chants was “Larry Hogan, where are you?” But our elected congressional representatives showed up.

Keep calling your congresspeople and senators. You can check out the inauguration post for information on how to get in touch with them.

You can also call your county legislators and executives and tell them you want to either keep your county a sanctuary county (in the case of Prince George’s County, Baltimore City or parts of Montgomery County) or make it one. I’m going to post more about that soon.

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmmain.aspx?pid=legisrpage&tab=subject6

This website is also a good one to have bookmarked when you want to call your elected officials

Remind Governor Hogan that Marylanders won’t put up with his silence.

There will be more protests. Keep an eye out for ones in your area, and be ready to protect the people around you.

A Rally to stop the Repeal

This Sunday, my family and I attended a rally for healthcare at Bowie State University.

Maryland senator Chris Van Hollen 

Democratic Whip and District 5 representative Steny Hoyer

Anthony Brown, representative for Maryland's 4th district (apologies for the horrible lighting.) 

It was an amazing event. Maryland’s elected congressmen, senators, county officials and citizens called for protection of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Being there felt like breaking out of the cycle of fear and isolation that has defined existence as an American with a conscience since November 8th. I took some notes on how to protect the ACA at the rally, and I’m going to share them with anyone who wasn’t able to make it.

First off, if you want to sign up for healthcare: marylandhealthconnection.gov can help you find good health insurance at an affordable price. They have financial help for people who might need it. Enrollment deadlines are soon, so make sure to have a look at it today if you need insurance.

Currently, the voting on repealing the ACA is split down party lines in a 48-51. If three senators cross party lines, then they can block the repeal. The rally workers handed out lists of people to lobby. If you know someone in these states, encourage them to contact their senator and tell them they will be held accountable at the ballot box if they take away 22 million people’s healthcare.

Marylanders can also call Governor Hogan and tell him to defend the ACA. Yes, Hogan is a Republican, but he’s also a supposed moderate, and other “moderates” have condemned the planned repeal. Ohio governor John Kasich is a great example.

Remember, it’s better to call or handwrite your officials.

http://governor.maryland.gov/contact-the-governors-office/

    There are going to be more rallies and protests as the year goes on. Keep in touch with your local officials--follow them on Twitter and Facebook and check in on what they're doing. A good page to follow is Together We Will--Maryland, which can keep you updated on what's going on in our state. Remember, we can fight back. And as long as we can, we must.