Dear friends,
We are three days into the five-day Diwali festival. It is a celebration of light in both literal and metaphorical senses:
the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and the human ability to overcome. The word Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word deepavali, meaning "rows of lighted lamps."
For Sikhs, Diwali honors the day when one of their ten Gurus was freed from imprisonment.
More people have died in NYC jails this year than any year since 2013, when the population in lock-ups was double what it is today.
Last week, Comptroller Brad Lander acknowledged the need for federal supervision of the facilities at Rikers, even as he noted that it is not a magic wand.
“Since the City’s Jails Action Plan was ordered by the courts in June, 10 more people have died, while awaiting their day in court, in the City’s custody,” said Lander. “It is an unacceptable loss.”
including on unstaffed posts (given the staffing crisis) and the number of suicide prevention aides (given the historic highs in suicides by incarcerated people).
Contact the Mayor to tell him that we cannot accept the situation on Rikers. It’s time for federal intervention.
Folks have been throwing food at fine art in order to call attention to the climate crisis and the threat to society. Yesterday’s attack on Monet’s Haystacks followed the tomato soup attack on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
“We are in a climate catastrophe and all you are afraid of is tomato soup or mashed potatoes on a painting. You know what I’m afraid of? I’m afraid because science tells us that we won’t be able to feed our families in 2050,” the protester said. “Does it take mashed potatoes on a painting to make you listen? This painting is not going to be worth anything if we have to fight over food. When will you finally start to listen? When will you finally start to listen and stop business as usual?”
The protesters are from a group called Letzte Generation (Last Generation). The name of their group is heartbreaking, and they are championing our ability to overcome.
I am not the only art lover who finds their protest acceptable. One Twitter user noted:
For those of us who are disinclined to throw food, glue our hands to the wall, and face arrest, there are still many opportunities to take climate action.
RSVP to attend tomorrow’s climate action rally at Pace to let Governor Hochul know that climate voters are counting on her!
New York’s Climate Action Council is scheduled to meet tomorrow and the members need to hear from us about the importance of going forward with building electrification.
Activists and advocates have been showing up to remind the CAC that
buildings contribute 32% of New York State’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Send a comment to the members of the Climate Action Council. This quick action is from NY Renews. You do not need to be a NYS resident!
Heather Cox Richardson has placed the disturbing reports of voter intimidation into historical context. She notes that in the post-Civil War era,
the violence of the Ku Klux Klan simply hardened Republican resolve.
I trust that your resolve to vote is wide and deep. Jess Craven wrote recently about the importance of voting early.
Candidates are helped when voters who strongly support them vote early because when those votes are tabulated, those voters’ names will come off of the GOTV lists the campaigns refresh daily.
She explains that in the final push to get out the vote, getting our names off the lists enables campaigns to focus their efforts on undecided and less likely voters.
An added bonus, she says, is that we will reduce the alarming number of texts and calls that we receive in the run-up to Election Day. Please let that be true.
Resolve to vote early! Early voting in NYC begins on Saturday, October 29. Find your early voting site!
with love,
L