Blog Archives - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

New Trans Action Team! What You Can Do Now

12/31/2024

Trans Action Team meeting
Monday, January 6th at 4:30 pm

Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities
2930 W Locust St
Davenport, IA (map)

Gender Equity Forum

One Human Family-QCA is taking the lead in starting a team to support the trans community during these trying times. The Gender Equity forum of PACG is part of this new coalition. Come join us if you want to help! If you can't make this meeting, but are interested, email me by clicking on my name below.

Alta Price

Action Alert! Oppose anti trans legislation in your state!

12/31/2024

Oppose anti-trans legislation in your state! Action Alert

Gender Equity Forum
From 5 Calls:
In recent months, there has been an unprecedented increase in legislation targeting transgender people, with a particular focus on banning support for trans youth and restrictions on gender-affirming medical care. Over the past two years, state lawmakers introduced well over 300 bills targeting trans people, more than in any previous period. More than 85% of this legislation focuses on trans youth. These proposed laws are riding on a surge of misinformation about the nature and outcomes of gender-affirming care for youth, and make inaccurate assertions about how often transgender people regret transitioning (which is extremely rare) when the concern should be focused on rising rates of distress, depression and suicide in youth prevented from transitioning.

In addition to bills banning necessary medical care, legislation continues to be introduced that restricts what can be taught in schools, and excludes trans people from participation in sports, as well as restricting their access to bathrooms.

Demand your state representatives protect our transgender community members from oppressive and unscientific laws by opposing any legislation that restricts their freedoms and human rights.

Learn what is going on in your state in the bill tracker for Anti-Trans legislation. Call your legislators now!

Protect children from book bans! - Action Alert

12/31/2024

Protect children from book bans in your state! Action Alert

Civil Rights Forum and Gender Equity Forum

From 5 Calls:
Since 2020 there has been a stark rise in the number of book bans with more than 4000 books banned in schools and public libraries all across America. These book bans disproportionately remove works about LGBTQ+ communities, people of color, and others who have been marginalized. Book bans to this effect are not only discriminatory – they are a violation of students’ First Amendment right to access information, and a quality education. Book bans do not protect children.

The American Library Association says: “…challenges of unique titles surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022 numbers, reaching the highest level ever documented by ALA. ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 4,240 unique book titles targeted for censorship, as well as 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources in 2023.”

Anti-freedom-to-read legislation already exists in many states, including Idaho, Utah, and Texas. You can track book banning legislation across all 50 states at the link below.

Learn what is going on in your state in the bill tracker for Book Ban legislation. Call your legislators now!

PACG Book Club - "How the West Brought War to Ukraine", January 2025

12/20/2024

PACG Book Club - How the West Brought War to Ukraine by Benjamin Abelow
Monday, January 20th at 5:15 pm - Zoom only

In January we will meet via Zoom to discuss How the West Brought War to Ukraine: Understanding How U.S. and NATO Policies Led to Crisis, War and the Risk of Nuclear Catastrophe by Benjamin Abelow. The book is short, so you should be able to get it read over the holidays. In my experience, anytime the U.S. is involved in a war, you can't believe half of what you read about the conflict. This book (I haven't read it yet) may present a different view than the standard U.S. position and therefore should lead to an interesting discussion.

Just a heads up for February. Since I'll be out of the country, we may not have a February discussion. We'll let you know later.

Contact me for the Zoom link.

Alta Price (she/her)

Here is more information from Goodreads:

"According to the mainstream Western narrative, Vladimir Putin is an insatiable, Hitler-like expansionist who invaded Ukraine in an unprovoked land grab."

"That story is incorrect."

"In reality, the United States and NATO bear much of the responsibility for the Ukraine crisis. Through a series of misguided policies, Washington and its European allies placed Russia in an untenable situation for which war seemed, to Mr. Putin and his military staff, the only workable solution."

In How the West Brought War to Ukraine, author Benjamin Abelow lays out the relevant history and explains how the West needlessly produced conflict, subjecting its own citizens—and the rest of the world—to the risk of nuclear war.

"Endorsed by leading defense experts and policy analysts, this brief and highly readable book shows how the West provoked the crisis and now labors under an existential threat of its own making."

"How the West Brought War to Ukraine looks beneath the surface of recent events. It lets readers understand the deeper sources of the Ukraine war and provides new insights into how the conflict might be resolved."

"If you'd like to hear the author respond to the claims that the Ukraine war is a "humanitarian" venture and that Ukraine has the "right" to join NATO, go to the Author's page. There you will find two short video clips (two minutes each).To get to that page, click on the author's photo beneath the cover image of the book (this may not be an option from mobile devices)."

Celebrate Las Posadas - What You Can Do Now

12/18/2024

Celebrate Las Posadas with your neighbors!
Tuesday, December 17th to Monday, December 23rd at 6:00 pm

St. Anthony's Church
3rd and Main Streets
Davenport, IA (map)

Civil Rights Forum

"We are all neighbors" initiative - Las Posadas

Las Posadas is a nine-day celebration that commemorates the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph's search for shelter for the birth of Jesus. The word "posada" means "inn" or "lodging." The celebration is primarily observed in Latin America, including Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, and by Latin Americans in the United States.

St. Anthony's Las Posadas will start at 6pm each night from December 16th through December 23rd, except on Saturday, the 21st, when the Posada will begin right after the 4:30 pm mass.

Each evening will include "activities relating to the Holy Family" and a Rosary, which will be hosted by a different family. Food will be served.

Join us to learn about a cultural tradition that is brought to our community by our neighbors of Latin American origin.

Allison Ambrose

Green Drinks - January 2025 - PACG Event

12/18/2024

January Green Drinks - Clean Energy District 101
Thursday, January 9th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

Environmental Forum

Join us on Thursday, January 9th for our first Green Drinks of the year. Please note that, due to the holidays, we'll meet on the 9th instead of the 2nd for our January event.

Joleen Jansen from Clean Energy Districts of Iowa (CEDI) will discuss how locally-led and locally owned clean energy districts can help our community transition into a clean energy future.

Please register for a link to join the meeting.

Hope to see you there. Have a safe and happy holiday season.

Susan Leuthauser

Action Alert - Contact your US Senator now!

12/16/2024

Contact your US Senator regarding Bill S. 4136 - Action Alert

Message from the Board

On November 21, the 118th US Congress passed bill H.R. 9495, which terminates the tax-exempt status of terrorist-supporting organizations. This bill is on its way to the Senate as Bill S. 4136.

We are concerned that this legislation would devastate our communities, our organizations, and the First Amendment freedoms that are essential to democracy. It would let the US Treasury Secretary (and by extension, any President) to unilaterally shut down any nonprofits they disagree with, requiring no evidence or a fair trial, and without a reasonable process for challenging the loss of nonprofit status. This would have the chilling effect of silencing organizations from using their Constitutionally granted freedoms of religion, press, speech, assembly, and the freedom to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

This article explains the two important parts of the bill that passed the House. We agree with Stop Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act portion of the bill. However, the addition of the Executive Branch’s authority to revoke nonprofit status is of grave concern.

Please take action to stop the bill. This Nonprofit Killer bill has dangerous consequences. The link gives you suggestions, including a script, to make contacting your legislators easy. It also includes lists of members of the House of Representatives who voted for the bill. If yours did, call them and ask why they voted the way they did.

Most importantly, contact your state's US Senators to oppose the bill, and encourage Senator Chuck Schumer to prevent it from coming up for a vote. Find your Senator's contact information here. And contact Senator Schumer here. Share this information with your friends and neighbors and urge them to take action as well.

Susan Leuthauser

International Migrants Day - Of Interest to Our Community

12/15/2024

International Migrants Day
Wednesday, December 18th

The Civil Rights Forum has started a new initiative to recognize immigrants as our neighbors! December 18th is International Migrants Day. We have submitted the following Letter to the Editor to our local papers:

International Migrants Day is December 18th

According to the United Nations website, on December 4, 2000, the General Assembly
of the United Nations, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants
in the world, proclaimed December 18 to be International Migrants Day. On that day in
1990, the Assembly adopted the “International Convention on the Protection of the
Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.”

On International Migrants Day, we reflect on and celebrate the contributions of millions
of migrants worldwide. Migrants and displaced people represent some of the most
vulnerable and marginalized groups in society. Migrants have proven to be a source of
prosperity, innovation and sustainable development to the countries in which they
reside.

Locally, we recognize (im)migrants as our neighbors, especially when we hear their
personal stories, like Eduardo’s, a local nurse and cardiac sonographer. Eduardo
gained citizenship 30 years after crossing the border when he was 9. His parents made
the decision to cross the border to protect their family. A Mexican cartel had targeted
Eduardo’s father, who fought for better equality in the Mexican healthcare system. He
was very involved in social justice and publicly denounced the injustices and threats
brought on by the cartels, which exposed the family to danger. Once across the border,
Eduardo’s parents remained undocumented but worked hard to provide their two sons
with the American Dream, which Eduardo is happy to say he has been able to pursue.

Today, let’s celebrate our (im)migrant neighbors!

Allison Ambrose
Davenport
(This was written on behalf of the Civil Rights Forum of Progressive Action for the
Common Good.)

Holiday Party - After Action Report

12/11/2024

Annual PACG Holiday Party - After Action Report

A Message from the Board

We had a record turnout of almost 100 people at our Annual Holiday Party in Davenport! This is a time for us to welcome new members, acknowledge our appreciation for our members and friends, and start thinking about our priorities for the coming year.

Once again, we enjoyed food catered by Maria's Tamales for Hope. We presented the annual Dick Fallow Endowment for Social Justice award to Clock, Inc and Kinna's House of Love. Attendees donated over 50 gifts for children funded by Quad Cities Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees (QCAIR).

Unfortunately we only got a few pictures from the event this year, but it was still a wildly successful evening.

PACG Holiday Party Committee

No PAU on December 31st - Message to Our Community

12/5/2024

No PAU on December 31st

As in recent years, the PAU team will not work on the Progressive Action Update (PAU) right before the New Year. Our last email for 2024 will be on December 24th. We will return to our regular schedule the following week on Tuesday, January 7th.

If you have any events or actions to submit for publication for early January, please consider submitting by noon on December 22nd. Scroll down on this page to find the submission form.

We hope everyone is holding our community close as we navigate the remaining days of 2024 in prepartion for next year and what it may bring.

The PAU Team