Welcome to the Linn County Democrats Weekly Update. Just a couple updates on election watch parties and also for volunteer activities on Saturday, June 11...and don't forget to vote on Tuesday.
The Linn County Democrats and Liz Mathis Campaign for Congress office is officially open. The office is at 4850 1st Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids with office hours of 11:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Friday and 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Saturday. Closed on Sunday. Feel free to stop by and say hello!
In the State of Iowa, primaries are closed which means a voter will need to declare a party (Democrat or Republican) in order to participate in the primary.
* Detail courtesy Linn County Auditors Election Service Website
We will try to include events for organizations that coincide with the beliefs of the Democratic party. If there are upcoming events or items of interest you would like to share, please send them to me.
Despite the hopelessness after Uvalde, we’re closer to understanding the kind of social movement that might actually affect gun reform.
Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic.com, May 31, 2022
The Atlantic
It’s baffling. How can there be so much consensus among Americans about the need for stricter gun laws—63 percent want an outright ban on assault weapons—while we seem locked in this house of horrors, a schoolroom of slaughtered children around every turn, with no way out?
Yet moments of such misalignment, when the ideals of a critical mass clash with the rules that govern our collective lives, can also give rise to effective social movements. Most of us are unwilling to bear this American ritual any longer. The faces of those children. The unfathomable anguish of those parents, of those broken towns. The cruel inaction of politicians. At the same time, overwhelming evidence from countries such as Australia and Britain shows that reducing the number of guns in a society diminishes the possibility of mass shootings—and, I repeat, this is what a majority of Americans want.
The argument that we’ve been here before, that the gun lobby has a generation of politicians in its pocket, that our political system, and particularly the structure of the Senate, will always give outsize influence to Second Amendment absolutists—all of it is true. And yet, as awful as it is to say, we’re learning with every killing. We’re moving closer to the kind of movement that might actually make a difference.
Today, I’m left with one conclusion: The children and parents of our country need to take the summer to organize locally, build a set of national demands, and then refuse to go back to school in the fall until Congress does something.
Let me explain. Social movements need two elements to be successful: narrative and tactics. Borrowing from the political scientist Joseph Nye, we might think of these as soft power and hard power, respectively. Activists need to tell a compelling story that brings people along to a new way of thinking and emboldens them to act. But that isn’t enough. There is also the hard work of mustering actual political power to elect different representatives, change laws, and leverage lobbying.
When it comes to narrative, those whose lives are most at risk in mass shootings make for the best storytellers....(more)
Invoking Uvalde, Trudeau out to freeze handgun sales
“We need only look south of the border to know that if we do not take action, firmly and rapidly, it gets worse,” the prime minister said as he introduced new measures.
MAURA FORREST and NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY, Politico.com, May 30, 2022
OTTAWA, Ont. — The Canadian government is hoping for speedy passage ofnew firearm-control measures meant to fight rising gun violence in Canada, in the wake of last week’s school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday announced a national freeze on handgun sales.
“It will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada,” Trudeau said during a late afternoon press conference, surrounded by Cabinet ministers, Liberal MPs and gun control advocates.
“In other words, we’re capping the market for handguns.”
The Liberal government also aims to yank firearms licenses from perpetrators of domestic violence or criminal harassment, and a press release promised a “red flag” law that would allow judges to force gun owners “considered a danger to themselves or others” to surrender their firearms.
The government will also mandate that long-gun magazines be altered to carry no more than five rounds...(more)
Here is an update to coming events:
June:
June 7:
Title:
Primary Election Day
When:
Tuesday, June 7, 2022, 7:00 am - 8:00 pm
Location:
Election day! Please see details and links above on voting locations
June 7:
Title:
Liz Bennett for Iowa Senate Election Night Watch Party
When:
Tuesday, June 7, 2022, 7:00 pm
Location:
The Bohemian, 1029 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids
Join the Liz Bennett team for drinks, a taco bar and messages from local elected and community leaders as primary election results roll in for Iowa's Senate District 39!
June 7:
Title:
Oxley For Supervisor Election Night Watch Party
When:
Tuesday, June 7, 2022, 7:30 pm
Location:
The Double Z Bar & Grill, 629 Ellis Blvd NW, Cedar Rapids.
Join Team Oxley as we celebrate all of our hard work on this campaign! Join us for apps and drinks at Double Z Bar and Grill as we watch the election results come in on June 7!
June 11:
Title:
Robins Round Up Parade
When:
Saturday, June 11, 2022, 10:00 pm Staging at 9:00 am
Location:
Starting Point: Robins Clock Tower, Staging area in that location. Ending Point: Robins City Hall
June 11:
Title:
IDP Day of Action in Linn County & Liz Mathis Canvassing
When:
Saturday, June 11, 2022, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location:
Linn County Democrats Campaign Office & Liz Mathis Congressional Campaign, 4850 1st Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids. Join with other volunteers to phone bank or door to door canvassing for Liz Mathis Campaign. Time to get the 2022 election campaign going!
June 12:
Title:
Linn Phoenix Club - Democratic Party Unity Rally
When:
Sunday, June 12, 2022, 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Location:
Ellis Park Overlook Pavilion in Cedar Rapids. The Primary will be over and it will be time to for a Post-Primary Democratic Unity Rally. We'll be featuring U.S. Congressional Candidate Liz Mathis - and all the winners of the June 7 Democratic primary will be given the opportunity to speak at this event. Free event - Bring your friends, family and neighbors.
June 15:
Title:
Stonewall Democrats Caucus of Linn County Monthly Meeting
When:
Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 7:00 pm
Location:
Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W. Wilman St., Hiawatha
June 18:
Title:
African American Museum Juneteeth Celebration
When:
Saturday, June 18, 2022, 10:00 am
Location:
New Bo City Market, Cedar Rapids
June 22:
Title:
Linn County Democrats Central Committee June Monthly Meeting
When:
Wednesday, June 22,2022, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Location:
More details to follow on the event. Zoom and In-person. Hiawatha Community Center
Current List of Candidates:
Position
Candidate
Governor
Deidre DeJear
Sec. of State
Joel Miller
Sec. of State
Eric Van Lancker
Attorney General
Tom Miller
State Auditor
Rob Sand
State Treasurer
Mike Fitzgerald
Sec. of Agriculture
John Norwood
U.S. Senate
Michael Franken
U.S. Senate
Abby Finkenaurer
U.S. Senate
Glen Hurst
U.S. House
Liz Mathis
House District 73
Elizabeth Wilson
House District 74
Eric Gjerde
House District 77
Jeff Cooling
House District 78
Sami Scheetz
House District 79
Tracy Ehlert
House District 80
Art Staed
House District 83
Kristen Nall
House District 84
Sara Yedlik
Senate District 37
Austin Frerick
Senate District 37
Molly Donahue
Senate District 39
Liz Bennett
Senate District 39
Joey Zahorik
Senate District 40
Todd Taylor
Senate District 42
Jessica Wiskus
Treasurer
Brent Oleson
Recorder
Carolyn Siebrecht
County Supervisor Dist 1
Bre Oxley
County Supervisor Dist 1
Kirsten Running-Marquardt
County Supervisor Dist 1
James Houser
County Supervisor Dist 2
Ben Rogers
County Attorney
Nick Maybanks
Upcoming future events:
IDP State Convention June 18, 2022
