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Kaz Weida

23 Mar, 11 tweets, 5 min read

I dunno who still needs to hear this but voting rights are vital to democracy.

Republicans have rigged the system so they choose their voters rather than voters choosing them. This has eroded democracy & held progress hostage through the oppression of minority rule.
(THREAD)

(2) So how are we going to fight back against a wave of gerrymandering and voter suppression laws that threaten a new era of Jim Crow?

This is a fight that'll be fought on 3 fronts.
In our legislatures. In the courts. And in our communities.

brennancenter.org/our-work/resea…

(3) First, we need national action on voting rights in order to curb voter suppression efforts in GOP-held state legislatures.

Right now, there are 43 states that have introduced over 253 bills to curtail voting rights.

brennancenter.org/our-work/resea…

(4) What can you do? Advocacy and activism, plain and simple. Research the laws being proposed, organize and take action to lobby your representatives and keep the media spotlight on these efforts.

All politics is local. Do the work.
indivisible.org

(5) At the national level, lobby your congressional representatives to support H.R.1. It's a powerhouse of desperately needed democratic reforms.

It expands voting rights, addresses campaign finance reform, and shores up congressional ethics.

rantt.com/for-the-people…

@marceelias

(6) We've also seen what a robust, competent legal defense can do in the 2020 election as @marceelias and his team successfully weathered wave after wave of lawsuits contesting election results.

They are fiercely organized. And they need your help.
democracydocket.com

(7) We can't all be lawyers (although some of us certainly try to play one on Twitter). But we can spotlight cases on social media and donate to campaigns to challenge the legislation in court.

Find out what cases are on the docket in your state.
democracydocket.com/case_type/acti…

(8) And last but not least, we can take action in our communities. On the ground. As you saw in Georgia, it's possible to vote in numbers too big to ignore or gerrymander away.

But don't wait until an election year. Start now.
fairfight.com/join-our-fight

(9) And even if you live in a state solidly blue, we still need you. This is a national effort.

Enlist with an organization like Sister District to get organized to support candidates and take action in districts that need your help.

sisterdistrict.com

(10) Finally, let's call voter suppression efforts what they are. A concerted effort to keep communities of color from participating in democracy.

We need to hold Democrats responsible for using every tool at their disposal to end white minority rule.

theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

@ScottysParadigm

(END) Thanks for stopping for our #TuesdayThread , suggestion courtesy of @ScottysParadigm . Come back Thursday and we'll do this again.

Like threads like this and want to keep them coming? You can support my work here:
paypal.me/kazweida
patreon.com/kazweida

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More from @kazweida

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

23 Mar

When people ask what Fibro pain is like, I describe it this way:

Imagine feeling hungry or your leg or neck muscles are sore. Now imagine that instead of feeling that as hunger or stiffness, nerves tell your brain you’re being stabbed by knives.

That’s what my fibro feels like.

The thing is you are certainly not being stabbed by knives and often there’s no real reason for the pain except something in that area has attracted the attention of your nervous system.

So while the pain is very real, the reason is often a miscommunication.

This is why meditation & yoga has been a huge help for me. Yoga helps me stay in my body and be gentle with it. Mediation helps find some distance from my pain and experience it without judgment.

I eat well. I exercise daily.
I take care of myself.
The rest isn’t up to me.

Read 4 tweets

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

11 Mar

For our Thursday thread today we’re trying to answer a pretty simple question.

What the hell is wrong with the media and what can we do to stop enabling false equivalences and “both sides” coverage?

(THREAD)

kqed.org/education/5319…

(2) I think there are two things fueling the current infuriating headlines and leading to false equivalences and both sides coverage.

The first is competence.
When government is functioning as it should, outrage clickbait becomes harder to manufacture.

nymag.com/intelligencer/…

(3) The second factor in play here is pure laziness and a reliance on access journalism.

Far too many media outlets have leaned into this problematic approach for far too long. It prioritizes scoops from those in power over independent accountability.

pressrun.media/p/access-journ…

Read 11 tweets

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

9 Mar

This week our high-risk household is celebrating (commiserating?) 365 days in quarantine.

If you’re wondering what it means to go back to “normal,” I share your confusion. In so many ways we’ll never be the same.

Here’s what I think our new normal looks like.

(THREAD)

(2) Because I have two children too young to be vaccinated, one of whom is high risk, our new normal includes wearing masks for the foreseeable future.

There will be no birthday parties. No sleepovers. No family gatherings. That’s the normal this country has left us with.

(3) My new normal likely includes struggling with fierce agoraphobia and anxiety.

Continuing to track our exposure and limit interaction is the only weapon I have in the face of a red state government that insists on dropping mask mandates ASAP.

Read 11 tweets

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

25 Feb

(3) After yesterday's hearing, Biden followed up with an announcement that he'll move to appoint three Democrats to fill vacancies on the USPS board of governors. This would give Dems the majority on the board.

Problem solved, right? Not so fast.

washingtonpost.com/business/2021/…

(4) There are two hurdles to jump. The first may not be a big deal but the second is nearly insurmountable at this point. Let me explain.

First, these nominees to fill the board openings have to be approved by the Senate. Sigh.

apnews.com/article/joe-bi…

(5) If we can get all three nominees onto the board without too much fuss, then we can fire DeJoy, right? Yeah, not so fast. One of the Dems on that board is actually a DINO and he's part of the problem.

Democrats would need his support to remove DeJoy.

slate.com/news-and-polit…

Read 9 tweets

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

23 Feb

I spent 2019 struggling with health issues that confounded diagnosis. In early 2020 I became convinced I had fibromyalgia & began exploring triggers & treatments.

Here's what I've learned after a year of living with fibromyalgia that might help others who are suffering.
(THREAD)

(2) FIBRO CAN FEEL DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE

For the longest time, I got hung up on the fact that I didn't have spots that were sore to the touch that followed those trigger point diagrams. Those diagrams are a VERY outdated way of diagnosing fibro.

(3) The light bulb went off when I went to see an ortho specialist who could manipulate trigger points in my neck to produce symptoms in various parts of my body.
I started to put the pieces together.

Read 31 tweets

Kaz Weida

@kazweida

2 Feb

This morning we're asking why on earth Lindsay Graham is holding up the nomination of Merrick Garland?

Why is Graham still judiciary chair when Dems effectively won control of the Senate?
(THREAD)

thehill.com/homenews/senat…

(2) The short answer is Dems don't have committee control because an agreement hasn't been reached on power-sharing. I know we like to say Dems have "control" of the Senate but for all intents and purposes, the Senate is split evenly.

NO ONE HAS CONTROL

cnn.com/2021/02/02/pol…

(3) It's possible the Senate will pass a rules resolution on how the Senate will work today, but in the meantime, Durbin (the new judiciary chair) has been pushing Graham to schedule Garland's confirmation.

And Lindsey has found all sorts of excuses.

newsweek.com/lindsey-graham…

Read 11 tweets

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