AMERICAN LEFT HISTORY

This space is dedicated to the proposition that we need to know the history of the struggles on the left and of earlier progressive movements here and world-wide. If we can learn from the mistakes made in the past (as well as what went right) we can move forward in the future to create a more just and equitable society. We will be reviewing books, CDs, and movies we believe everyone needs to read, hear and look at as well as making commentary from time to time. Greg Green, site manager

Friday, July 19, 2019

Get to know Ayanna Pressley and #TheSquad Massachusetts Peace Action Cole Harrison

Massachusetts Peace Action Cole Harrison<info@masspeaceaction.org>

7/17/2019 3:30 PM

To Al Johnson

Dear Al,

In the past few days, President Trump has taken to Twitter in a series of xenophobic, racist rants targeting four members of Congress, Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). “Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came,” he tweeted. In fact, all four are U.S. citizens, three of them born in the U.S. The fourth, Ilhan Omar, was born in Somalia, spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp, arriving in the U.S. at age twelve. She's a naturalized U.S. citizen. Telling these four women of color to "go back from where they came" is racist, divisional politiics and nothing less than a direct message to whip up Trump’s white-nationalist base.

Now, we need to show these courageous leaders that we have their backs by helping securing their place in Congress! The four freshmen you see above are perhaps the strongest pro-peace core we’ve seen elected to Congress in recent memory. Now, to help them keep their seats and climb in seniority in their respective committees, I need you to chip into their campaigns in support of their staunch, pro-peace leadership.

Collectively, these four women have been leading advocates for the progressive changes to U.S. foreign policy you and I seek. These four progressive champions, who collectively call themselves "The Squad," have already changed the face of American politics for the better. They have foregrounded a national conversation on Palestinian rights and the U.S.-Israel relationship. They have worked to end endless war and promote government spending that reflects the priorities of the people instead of corporate interests. They have each dedicated themselves to the causes of peace, justice, equality, and environmental sustainability. It’s imperative that we protect and keep pro-peace leaders like them in Congress. Please help them today by chipping in what you can to their courageous campaigns!

Don’t just take my word for it though.

Upon receiving our endorsement, Rep. Pressley said: My first priority is always to reduce violence and trauma, and to affirm the dignity and humanity of survivors — that means ending endless war and pursuing peace by all possible means. It also means fundamentally altering our approach to foreign policy — investing more in foreign assistance, specifically to improve conditions for women and girls around the world, and decreasing our military budget to provide more funding for critical domestic priorities like education, healthcare, and housing. We need a foreign policy that represents the best our nation has to offer, and I will continue working with Peace Action and other advocates to advance one.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar added, “I share Peace Action’s conviction that we are safest when our foreign policy helps make others safe, that we are strongest when we invest in our communities instead of in endless war, and that we are greatest when our values extend beyond the water’s edge. I look forward to continuing to work with Peace Action to advance the cause of peace.”

If these sound like the kind of pro-peace leaders you want to see casting votes in Congress, then chip in today to show them the support they need!

Trump’s attempts to motivate his white-nationalist base must be pushed back at every opportunity. The path to defeating Trump is to stand beside pro-peace champions like Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The actual election may be in the distance, but the work to build up the campaigns for our pro-peace allies is at our doorsteps today.

Thank you for helping to build the most progressive, diverse, pro-peace Congress we can!

	For peace and justice,
	Cole Harrison Executive Director Massachusetts Peace Action P.S. To maximize your impact, be sure to forward this message on to your friends, family and colleagues!