Alito is sooo NOT sexy…terrifying seems more accurate.
This is an attempt to organize actions involving groups on a local level, as well as, directly adding to the voices speaking to Senators and the Judiciary committee.
Perhaps such actions will help Senate Democrats and, maybe, even some Republicans gain the courage required to reject Alito.
Following the “12 Days of Christmas,” I am offering reasons to reject Alito and suggest actions that can be taken.
Days 1 and 2 are described “here”
Humming, “On their third day back from recess I worked for Justice by…”
Day 3: Action directed to Senators and Judiciary Committee (e-mails, faxes, phone calls, snail mail),
Is Alito a man to be trusted? A man of his word or ethically challenged?
“Democrats said they will press Alito to explain other circumstances in which his statements have conflicted to some degree. When confirmed to a federal appeals court in 1990, Alito told senators he would not rule in matters regarding the investment firm Vanguard Group Inc., in which he had several accounts. Alito did rule in a 2002 case involving Vanguard, however, and later gave several accounts of the circumstances. He said a courthouse computer program failed to alert him to the potential conflict of interest; that he was not legally or ethically bound to recuse himself; and that his statement to the senators applied only to his first few years on the court.”
Think Progress has an update on Alito’s excuses for not recusing himself.
A possible visual aid might be the scales of justice tipped to one side with a bag of $ on it.
Day 4: Action directed to Senators and the Judiciary Committee and local actions.
People For the American Way has a 24 page PDF providing a preliminary view of Alito’s records. He was not very supportive of people with disabilities.
The Coalition for a Fair & Independent Judiciary includes the American Association of People with Disabilities. However, the AAPD site does not have info on it about Alito.
The action for today would be to let senators and Judiciary Committee would be an expression of importance of protecting rights of ALL citizens.
MilitaryTracy when we began thinking about this suggested sending photos (with permission) of family and friends with disabilities – personalize the issue – remind our senators that Alito’s decisions would affect real human beings.
On the local level, this action would be to contact (via e-mail or phone) local organizations involved with disabled people (and their families), letting them know they need to beware of Alito and to contact senators and the judiciary committee.
Day 5: (humming that tune) Prot-e-e-e-ct Roe v. W-a-a-a-de
Direct action to senators and judiciary committee.
In Man Eegee’s Diary, “here”, ConnecticutMan1 offered a coat hanger with the universal NO symbol – a reminder of days before Roe v. Wade.
Brinnainne suggested photo of mom with kids, and a caption, “I had a choice.”
My thought was an outline of a woman with the Capitol building in a universal NO symbol “in utero” and a caption, “The government doesn’t belong here.”
NARAL is offering an activism packet.
Day 6 and 7 (Sat. and Sun.): Action directed locally.
Think Progress has two notices now on conservatives pushing an “Anti-Alito= Anti-God” campaign and using Alito’s court opinions to present him as the “Christmas candidate.”
There are a couple of religious groups in The Coalition for a Fair & Independent Judiciary; one is the “Religious Coalition for Reproductive Rights” which includes Episcopal, Presbyterian, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Unitarian, and Jewish.
Action would be to contact religious communities to beware of Alito and begin taking actions contacting senators and the Judiciary Committee.
Day 6: Direct Action to senators and judiciary committee and local action.
Alito was a member of CAP (Concerned Alumni of Princeton); this group was concerned with the admittance of minorities and women to Princeton – lowering “standards.”
Alternet has the story.
My suggestion is to send a “graduation CAP” with the caption, “Education is for All Americans.” And a letter about Alito’s past in CAP, noting his pride in membership in his 1985 application and his reluctance now to own up.
Local action would be contacting local teachers associations and unions, informing them of Alito’s membership in CAP and the importance of being informed about Alito, inviting them to contact senators and the judiciary committee about their concerns.
People For the American Waywrite, “Alito’s decisions on civil rights raise a number of troubling questions about his commitment to strong enforcement of the nation’s laws intended to protect people from discrimination. In a number of instances, Alito issued opinions that made it far more difficult for victims of discrimination to get to court and prove their cases. Alito’s decisions appear to be especially harsh in the areas of gender and race discrimination, where he has dissented from Third Circuit decisions and sought to make it much harder for victims of race and sex discrimination to prove discrimination.”
Day 9: race discrimination – HUGE – ideas needed
Day 10: gender discrimination – HUGE- ideas needed
Day 11: immigration/environment/workers rights? – ideas needed
Day 12: sending a photo of you/family/friends/neighbors to senators and the judiciary, “This is what America looks like. Reject Samuel Alito.”
Is it possible to do this?
I keep wanting to throw up my hands and say, “This is too much. It is too hard.”
But when I think of Alito on the court I can only think, “How can I not do this?”