Download this GIF on Into Action’s website.
Hi, all, and happy Thursday.
Of course, it’s anything but. Yesterday was dreadful, and today’s likely not going to be much better.
I don’t need to tell you that we had twin shooting events—both horrifying—almost simultaneously yesterday. One of these tragic shootings, of course—the assassination of Charlie Kirk—is being already weaponized by the right in ways that are pretty scary. The other, a school shooting in a Colorado suburb, has, sadly, been largely ignored by them. It’s all pretty ghastly, and I’m certain I’m not alone in feeling a mix of sorrow, fear, confusion, and rage. If you are, too, let me assure you that that is the only sane reaction to what is a truly insane situation.
About Charlie Kirk: He was a far-right extremist who didn’t deserve to die the way he did. No one does. Political violence is horrific, disgusting, and wrong. Whether it’s the attack on Kirk or the assassination of Melissa Hortman and her husband, there is no place for political violence in our democracy. Period. All Americans need to settle political differences with words, not violence.
Also, we must do something about the guns.
Yet we will hear no calls for common sense gun laws from the right, nor calls for unity, nor for de-escalation. Quite the opposite. They will decry political violence from the left, while refusing to acknowledge the political violence they have both fomented and, often, celebrated. They will talk about “war.” They will turn the heat up, when it should be going down. All of that is shameful and dangerous, but it’s hardly surprising. We’re dealing with fascists. This is what fascists do.
We, on the other hand, can be better, and we must. We must hold on to hope, even though hope feels lost. We must hold on to love, even though love feels inadequate. We must hold on to community, even when our fear makes us want to hide. We must hold on to nonviolence, even when our opponents fuel the opposite. We must hold on to a positive vision of the future, even if we fear there is only bleakness ahead. We must hold on to helping others, even when we feel depleted.
Most of all, we must hold on to decency, even though hate feels ascendant.
Why must we do these things? Because humanity demands it. So does our future. So does our democracy.
Also? Because in the long run it is our approach that will work. Hate burns brightly and creates a large flame, but it uses fuel rapidly and eventually destroys that which it needs to survive. It’s unsustainable over the long term. It cannot, and never does, build anything of worth.
Hope, on the other hand, can. It burns more quietly, but it gathers as it goes. It increases upon itself. It can sustain itself indefinitely. Hope is an action taken resolutely, sometimes in the stark face of despair, and repeated even when evidence suggests it’s useless.
We are being asked to practice such hope right now. It’s hard, but I know you are up to the task.
I believe better days are ahead. But even if I didn’t, I would continue to act. Because to do otherwise is to capitulate to hopelessness, and therefore hate. And that I will never do.
If you’re with me let’s get to work.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling because I’m exhausted by our gun violence epidemic. I’m also frightened and angered by some Republicans’ talk of civil war and retribution for Charlie Kirk’s murder. His assassination was awful and should be condemned. The school shooting in Colorado was also awful and should be condemned. But using hateful or inflammatory language right now is irresponsible and wrong. Every lawmaker should be asking themselves two questions: 1) how do we tone down the rhetoric so no one else gets hurt? And 2) how can we pass common sense gun laws so that American citizens can live without fear of being mown down by weapons of war? Anything else is exploiting this situation for political gain and making the problem worse. Thanks.
[If Republican add:]
Also, I understand that Senate Republicans just blocked an effort by Senator Schumer to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files. Why? I am furious about this. Release the files!
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling because I’m exhausted by our gun violence epidemic. I’m also frightened and angered by some Republicans’ talk of civil war and retribution. Charlie Kirk’s assassination was awful and should be condemned. The school shooting in Colorado was awful and should be condemned. But using hateful or inflammatory language right now is irresponsible and wrong. Every lawmaker should be asking themselves two questions: 1) how do we tone down the rhetoric so no one else gets hurt? And 2) how can we pass common sense gun laws so that American citizens can live without fear of being mown down by weapons of war? Anything else is exploiting this situation for political gain and making the problem worse. Thanks.
Also, a new analysis published by The Budget Lab at Yale found that Trump’s tariff hikes will increase the number of Americans living in poverty by 875,000 in 2026. This includes an additional 375,000 children in poverty. What is the Congressmember doing to get these tariffs repealed? They are NOT LEGAL. And they are hurting us. Congress must take back the power of the purse and end the tariffs now.
Extra Credit ✅
on Substack have a sample comment and a link for those who want to comment on the safety and availability of vaccines. They are asking as many people as possible to do so. [H/T reader Aurora]
Here’s a link:
People’s CDCSave Vaccines! The CDC Must Preserve Universal Access to Vaccines and Establish Science-Based Expert Oversight - Public Comments Due September 13, 2025Speak up to demand universal access to vaccines. We need tens of thousands of comments, flooding the CDC with our voices in support of vaccines and to protect the future of public health and medicine. We are facing one of the largest public crises in decades and on multiple fronts…Read more4 days ago · 59 likesGet Empathetic! 📚
My friend wrote a beautiful post about Charlie Kirk’s assassination and why we should still practice empathy. Well worth a read.
Let’s Address This with Qasim RashidReflections on the Death of Charlie KirkI’m hesitating to publish this because emotions are high and social media is volatile. But I’m doing so anyway because I believe erring on the side of empathy is only human. Hannah Arendt once wrote, “The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism…Read morea day ago · 1287 likes · 250 comments · Qasim Rashid, Esq.Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
New numbers show inflation climbed in August as Trump’s terrible tariff policy drives up costs for working families, while jobless claims unexpectedly jumped to their highest level in four years, proving Trump’s economic agenda is devastating Americans on multiple fronts. Tell a friend.
Win Races! 🗳
Join Sister District to help elect top-priority Dem candidates to the VA House of Delegates, drive votes up the ticket to help flip the Governor’s mansion, and send a powerful message to Trump and the GOP in November: not on our watch.
Join them to Call for Virginia:
Tuesdays at 6pm ET with our partner, Every Vote Matters, for VA Candidates Leslie Mehta OR Kacey Carnegie!
Wednesdays at 6pm ET with host Ashton, for VA Candidates Shelly Simonds & Kacey Carnegie!
Thursdays at 4pm ET with host Lauren, for VA Candidates Jessica Anderson OR Lindsey Dougherty!
Saturdays at 12pm ET with host Lindsay, for VA Candidates Phil Hernandez OR May Nivar!
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T ] [Text SIGN PCHGJC to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
Chief Justice John Roberts has abused his office by granting Donald Trump an unconstitutional “pocket rescission,” giving him unilateral power to withhold and redirect funds already appropriated by Congress. This is nothing less than a resurrection of the line-item veto—a power the Supreme Court itself struck down in Clinton v. City of New York (1998) as a violation of the separation of powers.
Congress controls the purse. The President has no authority to cancel or rewrite duly enacted appropriations. Yet Roberts’ ruling effectively hands Trump a financial weapon to fund his campaign and shield his criminal defense, while depriving Congress of its constitutional role. This is not judicial interpretation—it is judicial legislation, and it empowers an authoritarian agenda.
Justice Sotomayor warned in dissent that this maneuver is a grave distortion of the law, and she is right. By blessing Trump’s use of a “pocket rescission,” Roberts has turned the Court into an accomplice to executive overreach and high crimes.
When a Chief Justice abandons his oath and aids corruption, the remedy is impeachment. To protect the Constitution, the balance of powers, and the survival of democracy itself, Congress must act now to impeach John Roberts.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
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