Stopping hate, protecting abortion rights, and holding athlete abusers accountable: Your civic action to-do list for 1-6-20
3. Tens of thousands of people marched yesterday to stand against Hate and Fear. The rise of white supremacy and anti-Semitism is an undeniable threat to the safety our communities, and we must stand together in solidarity.
In a nutshell: There is legislation, at the local and federal levels, that can help stem the tide of hate crimes. The NO HATE Act and the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act would improve hate crime reporting, expand resources to victims of hate crimes, and require federal law enforcement to regularly assess threats and provide training to local law enforcement.
Take Action: Call your Senators and Representative and urge them to co-sponsor these two bills! You can also add the AJC's #JewishAndProud frame to your Facebook photo to publicly support the issue.
2. For years the anti-choice movement has been using state laws and the courts to try and covertly limit women’s reproductive rights. But now more than 200 members of Congress have directly asked the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
In a nutshell: Overturning this landmark decision would put millions of women at risk. Losing access to safe abortion providers would not only limit women’s self-determination, it would return us to the days of dangerous, sometimes deadly back-alley abortions.
Take Action: The Women’s Health Protection Act in Congress would prevent restrictive regulations and laws at the state level, assuring women access to safe and legal abortions. Tell your Senators and Representative to co-sponsor this bill! (And don't miss actress Michelle Williams' moving words about the importance of reproductive rights from her Golden Globes acceptance speech last night!)
1. Major League Baseball suspended Yankees pitcher Domingo German for 81 games in response to a domestic violence incident last September. This is the fourth-longest suspension issued since the league's domestic violence policy was implemented in 2015.
In a nutshell: Domestic violence casts a long shadow over all of the big leagues, but only Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association have policies that cover incidents that do not result in criminal convictions.
Take Action: We know that most domestic violence situations go unreported, so it is imperative that the National Football League and the National Hockey League step up and implement policies that protect women and discourage violence. It's up to us to hold the leagues and our teams to a higher standard!