All posts tagged gun laws

How did your Senators vote on background checks? Let them know what you think.

Well, despite the fact that 90% of Americans want to see background checks for gun purchases written into law; despite the fact that the bill actually got a majority of votes in the Senate; and despite the fact that some 3,500 Americans have been fatally shot since the Newtown massacre on December 12 – the Senate voted down the Manchin-Toomey background check bill.

I will be honest: I am so angry, I can hardly see straight. This is not right. By any measure.

At the same time, I agree with the President: This is Round One (you can watch the video of his very powerful, and very angry, statement, below). This will happen, if we don’t lose focus, if we don’t lose our passion. If we continue to stand up and say that something has to change – we will bring that change.

Here’s how we do that: We don’t let up. We keep the pressure on.

Click here to see how the vote broke down, and if your Senator(s) voted yea, please call and thank them, especially if it’s one of these Republicans:

  • McCain (R-AZ) 202-224-2235
  • Kirk (R-IL) 202-224-2854
  • Toomey (R-PA) 202- 224-4254
  • Collins (R-ME) 202-224-2523

If, on the other hand, your Senator(s) voted no, call them and tell them what you think – here’s the list of all the nays, by state, followed by their direct phone numbers* (if you’re looking for email addresses, go here).

CALL THEM.

  • Alabama: Sessions (202) 224-4124  Shelby (202) 224-5744
  • Alaska: Begich (202) 224-3004  Murkowski (202) 224-6665
  • Arizona: Flake (202) 224-4521
  • Arkansas: Boozman (202) 224-4843  Pryor (202) 224-2353
  • Florida: Rubio (202) 224-3041
  • Georgia: Chambliss (202) 224-3521  Isakson (202) 224-3643
  • Idaho:  Crapo (202) 224-6142  Risch (202) 224-2752
  • Indiana:  Coats  (202) 224-5623
  • Iowa:  Grassley (202) 224-3744
  • Kansas: Moran (202) 224-6521  Roberts (202) 224-4774
  • Kentucky: McConnell (202) 224-2541  Paul (202) 224-4343
  • Louisiana:  Vitter (202) 224-4623
  • Mississippi:  Cochran (202) 224-5054  Wicker (202) 224-6154
  • Missouri:  Blunt (202) 224-5721
  • Montana:  Baucus (202) 224-2651
  • Nebraska: Fischer (202) 224-6551  Johanns (202) 224-4224
  • Nevada:  Heller (202) 224-6244 Reid (but Senator Reid gets a pass for voting against the thing he supports for the reasons you can read about by clicking here)
  • New Hampshire:  Ayotte (202) 224-3324
  • North Carolina:  Burr (202) 224-3154
  • North Dakota:  Heitkamp (202) 224-2043  Hoeven (202) 224-2551
  • Ohio: Portman  (202) 224-3353
  • Oklahoma: Coburn (202) 224-5754  Inhofe (202) 224-4721
  • South Carolina: Graham (202) 224-5972  Scott (202) 224-6121
  • South Dakota: Thune (202) 224-2321
  • Tennessee: Alexander (202) 224-4944  Corker (202) 224-3344
  • Texas: Cornyn (202) 224-2934  Cruz (202) 224-5922
  • Utah: Hatch (202) 224-5251  Lee (202) 224-5444
  • Wisconsin:  Johnson (202) 224-5323
  • Wyoming:  Barrasso (202) 224-6441  Enzi (202) 224-3424

*Please note: I copy-pasted these numbers from the Senate website. If something’s amiss (my fault or theirs) you can always call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senators by name.

*

Big, big h/t to my internet pal @ferallike, who started tweeting out phone numbers almost immediately upon the completion of the vote.

by emilylhauser on April 17, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Do the Right Thing, Domestic Politics
Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by emilylhauser on April 17, 2013

https://emilylhauserinmyhead.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/how-did-your-senators-vote-on-background-checks-let-them-know-what-you-think/

You know what you need to do.

America is no different than any other collective of people and leaders: If we want our leaders to do something, we have to make them act, and the only way we have ever made our leaders act is by letting them know that we in our millions want them to act.

If we want to see reasonable, life-saving gun laws in this country, we need to support President Obama in the efforts he alluded to last night, and we have to tell our US Representatives and Senators that we support him. We have to flood them with calls and emails. Flood them.

Here are those numbers again:

White House: 202-456-1111

US Representatives & Senators: 202-224-3121

Please call.

by emilylhauser on December 17, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Do the Right Thing, Domestic Politics, Social Justice
Tagged , , ,

Posted by emilylhauser on December 17, 2012

https://emilylhauserinmyhead.wordpress.com/2012/12/17/you-know-what-you-need-to-do/

I’ll take any good news you got.

Super Heroine is Super. And also quite stern.

In the Sometimes-Good-News-Comes-in-Tiny-Increments-But-It’s-Still-Good-News-Department (aka: The Department of SGNCITIBISGN):

1) Judge blocks Kan. law stripping Planned Parenthood of fed. funding, says law unlikely to last

An incredulous federal judge on Monday rejected the state’s claim that a new Kansas statute that denied Planned Parenthood federal funding did not target the group, ruling that the law unconstitutionally intended to punish Planned Parenthood for advocating for abortion rights and would likely be overturned.

(My favorite word here is mos def “incredulous.”)

2) Insurers must cover birth control with no copays

Health insurance plans must cover birth control as preventive care for women, with no copays, the Obama administration said Monday in a decision with far-reaching implications for health care as well as social mores.

The requirement is part of a broad expansion of coverage for women’s preventive care under President Barack Obama’s health care law. Also to be covered without copays are breast pumps for nursing mothers, an annual “well-woman” physical, screening for the virus that causes cervical cancer and for diabetes during pregnancy, counseling on domestic violence, and other services.

This one’s actually kinda bigger than a “tiny increment.” It’s actually fairly huge (if you’re insured. Which a lot of women aren’t. See how hard it is to decide if something is tiny or huge?)

3) New Law [in State of New York] Ensures Domestic Batterers Can’t Legally Buy Guns

“We have seen too often the tragic consequences of domestic violence. This new law provides further safeguards to keep firearms away from those with violent records,” [Gov.] Cuomo said.

“New York state must stand strong against domestic violence by protecting victims and making sure those convicted of such crimes cannot inflict further damage.”

4) Married lesbian couple rescues 40 kids during Norway shooting rampage

“We were eating. Then shooting and then the awful screaming. We saw how the young people ran in panic into the lake,” says Dale to HS in an interview.

The couple immediately took action and pushed the boat into Lake Tyrifjorden.

Dalen and Hansen drove the boat to the island, picked up from the water victims in shock in, the young and wounded, and transported them to the opposite shore to the mainland. Between runs they saw that the bullets had hit the right side of the boat.

Since there were so many and not all fit at once aboard, they returned to the island four times.

They were able to rescue 40 young people from the clutches of the killer.

Kickass lesbian heroes. ‘Nuff said.

by emilylhauser on August 3, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Body, LGBT, Personal/Political, Social Justice
Tagged , , , , ,

Posted by emilylhauser on August 3, 2011

https://emilylhauserinmyhead.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/good-news-for-women/