Dear friends,
I can’t send this post without acknowledging that this is a hard day here in Brooklyn. I maintain my habit of looking up at the sky. It’s a gorgeous day, in spite of everything.
Yesterday, the president announced new steps to reduce gun violence by making rules for 'ghost guns.' Any action that stands in the way of putting guns in peoples’ hands, especially untraceable guns, is a move in the right direction.
As violence unfolded in a Brooklyn subway station this morning, I was finishing my work with a class of sixth graders who had elected to focus their own activism on reducing gun violence.
When we discussed the idea of corporate responsibility, I asked them if they thought that gun manufacturers should be held accountable for the harm caused when people used their products.
Only one student said no. Here is some strong reasoning from his classmates:
C: They should be held accountable because they were the ones who created the product and it’s dangerous. It is a weapon.
J: These manufacturers are killing people by selling guns.
T: Yes, due to the fact that they are the source of the problem.
A: Gun manufacturers need to be held accountable because they sell guns and after that they don’t know what [people] will do with them.
M: Yes, because they are selling bad products to people.
On behalf of the beautiful young people of class 6K, I invite you to take action, too.
Call on Congress to hold gun manufacturers accountable for the harm they cause. This 15-second action is from the Juggernaut Project.
A few days ago, signs appeared in my apartment building from the city’s Commission on Human Rights. The headline reads:
THERE’S NO ROOM FOR HOUSING DISCRIMINATION in NYC
The sign details the lies that landlords tell prospective tenants to ‘explain’ why they can’t build ramps or accept federal Section 8 housing vouchers. It also spells out that if you think you are facing discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and/or disability, if you are being told that your immigration status does not entitle you to the same building services or necessary repairs, you have rights.
I frequently refer to the game whack-a-mole when discussing our approach to fossil fuel projects, in the absence of a comprehensive and effective climate strategy. The same exhausting game goes on in the fight against white supremacy and all of its ugly cousins.
So, here’s some good news of a mole that got whacked by litigation (and a likely explanation of the signs that sprouted in my building):
Although they admitted no guilt, 23 of the 88 landlords and brokers accused of discriminating against prospective tenants with Section 8 vouchers have settled a suit which will prevent those with vouchers from having to accept poor quality housing in segregated neighborhoods.
Compass will begin paying agents a higher commission for renting apartments to voucher holders, conduct regular training for agents on voucher programs, and recommit to banning income requirements for voucher holders. The deal compels the 22 other companies to make similar changes, such as setting aside units for voucher holders and maintaining records of inquiries from voucher holders.
Housing Rights Initiative, which was behind the suit, notes that the settlement also requires landlords to reserve apartments specifically for tenants with vouchers and to maintain records of the number of voucher holders who have secured housing.
There is still a case pending against the remaining 65 respondents.
Support Housing Rights Initiative, which is fighting the good fight to end housing discrimination.
In Chile, environmentalists are working to shape the nation’s new Constitution, due to be finalized by July 5. They are aiming to
enshrine an array of environmental rights and obligations to create a so-called “ecological constitution,” similar to the constitutions of neighboring Ecuador and Bolivia.
Among the concepts already approved for inclusion in the convention’s draft constitution are the rights of nature (the idea that ecosystems have legal rights to exist and regenerate), the rights of animals to live free from abuse and human rights to environmental information and participation in environmental decision making. The draft also includes recognition that the climate crisis is a consequence of human activity, and the recognition of the government’s duty to promote efforts to mitigate and face the climate crisis.
A young person I love, who is working on an undergraduate degree in law and society, is in Chile right now, taking notes. I am counting on her to bring back seeds to plant here.
Saving and replanting seeds is the work of restoring harmony. The Indigenous people of Ripá, Brazil are working to restore central Brazil’s Cerrado, a wooded grassland that has been deforested by industrial plantations.
Seven years ago, Ripá joined a movement to help restore the Cerrado’s vegetation and bolster the community’s own gloomy fortunes by selling seeds gathered on its land. Its villagers make frequent harvest journeys called dzomoris, long expeditions that have honed their superb seed-collecting skills.
“With the seeds, we will reforest,” explained chief José Serenhomo Sumené Xavante. “That’s why we need native seed.”
It is important to look beyond our own borders to see the future and the possibilities beyond mole-whacking — a regrettable image in a world where animals (even toy animals!) should be free from abuse.
We can help to plant some seeds here in New York by taking advantage of the public comment period on New York State’s Climate Leadership Scoping Plan. This week’s comment, fittingly enough, is about agriculture and forestry.
Call on NYS to create more farms, gardens, forests, urban greenery, and state parks for the good of public health. The ready-made comment is from NY Renews.
Children are much more likely to think that livestock should be treated the same as people and pets, a new study has found.
With age, people were more likely to categorize farm animals as “food” rather than as “pets,” while children were equally likely to place pigs in either of these groups, according to the study.
Is it time to reread Charlotte’s Web?
It all started with a music librarian named Anna Kijas, who posted a message on Twitter in late February to recruit volunteers for “virtual data rescue” of Ukrainian music. The post catalyzed a broader mission:
The efforts, dubbed Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO), have resulted in over 2,500 of the country’s museums, libraries, and archives being preserved on servers they’ve rented, eliminating the risk they’ll be lost forever. Now, an all-volunteer effort has become a lifeline for cultural officials in Ukraine, who are working with the group to digitize their collections in the event their facilities get destroyed in the war.
Learn how to volunteer with SUCHO!
A Florida student schooled his classmates — and their teacher— about Stonewall in a class presentation. In a unit about landmark historical events in the US in the late 60s and early 70s, the teacher had not planned to include a lesson about Stonewall.
When Will Larkins asked about it, their teacher admitted that he was unaware of the rebellion against police harassment that galvanized the gay rights movement.
Larkins, who is 17, organized a massive student walkout to protest the state’s Don’t Say Gay bill. Larkins is an honorary wiffijista, even if they don’t know it.
Maryland passed legislation to expand reproductive rights by allowing health professionals — including midwives and nurses — to carry out abortions. The bill was passed over the governor’s veto.
The law, which may face legal challenge from anti-choice groups, also requires most insurance companies to cover the cost of an abortion at no cost to the patient. The average cost of an abortion is $500 but costs vary widely across the US and can be much higher when accounting for travel and days off work.
Contribute to Birth Justice, SisterSong’s care fund for Black and other birthing people of color, especially Queer and Trans folks in need of support during their pregnancy and within one year postpartum.
I’m taking the rest of the week off. I’ll be back on Monday, 4/18. Have a good week. If you’re celebrating something, may it be joyous.
with love,
L