Action Items: Week of July 6, 2025
We can do better. A patriot, by shear definition, demands it.
“I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” -- James Baldwin
This Week’s Newsletter Contains…
Get Into Some Good Trouble
Top 5 Things You Can Do This Week
IGGR Events
Events from Other Organizations
Michigan Updates
Social Media Channels, Volunteer, Donate
Get Into Some Good Trouble!
This past week was tough. Take time to grieve the great harm the Billionaire Bailout Bill will cause our friends, family, and neighbors, and then continue the fight against this authoritarian administration by doing as Joyce White Vance implores: “Be a voice for democracy…and don’t let Trump steal your joy.”
To that end, one of the IGGR volunteers sent us this fun idea to share: “We have been cutting up our cardboard boxes into smaller squares (about the width of a utility pole) and working on our protest penmanship at the same time by writing protest messages on the squares. We then incorporated a newly bought staple gun into our daily neighborhood walks and are combining it with yoga-like stretching as we reach to place our cardboard pieces on poles, in restrooms (no staple, just tape), at the base of gas pumps (again no staple, duct tape) and wherever else cardboard can decompose.”
Have fun and send us your pictures! We’ll post them across social media to get more to do the same! If you have any other ideas - send them along as well. You can email us at IndivisibleGGR@gmail.com.
Top 5 Things YOU Can Do This Week
Call Senators Peters 202.224.6221 and Slotkin 202.224.4822 (see Resources for You for more contact info)
Vote NO on HR 4 Rescissions Act of 2025, which effectively defunded the Public Radio and Public TV for 2026 and 2027 House passes rescission package to claw back $9.4 billion in funding for foreign aid, NPR, PBS
Thank the senators for voting NO on One Beautiful Bill
Use your oversight authority to promote transparency and guard against human rights abuses in the North Lake Correctional Facility by visiting the ICE Detention facility in Baldwin MI without prior notice. Closed private prison near Baldwin now reopen as ICE processing center
Oppose confirmation of:
Casey Means- Surgeon General.
Paul Ingrassia - head the US Office of Special Council
Emil Bove - lifetime appointment to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Michael Boren for under secretary in the Department of Agriculture
Andrea Lucas as chair of U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Oppose and obstruct all of Trump’s lesser known nominees for cabinet posts. Make sure the nominees are questioned extensively in hearings about the duties and responsibilities for the position they have been nominated for. Make the Republicans fight for nominations.
Call for hearings on all legislation proposed by Republicans. As stated above, make the Republicans fight for everything they want to push through.
Call Representative Scholten, 202.225.3831 or Moolenaar 202.225.3561
Thank you for voting NO on the Billionaire Bailout Bill. Keep publicizing how bad this bill is for Michiganders.
Please vote NO on the Senate’s (so called) GENIUS Act, S. 1582
Use your oversight authority to promote transparency and guard against human rights abuses in the North Lake Correctional Facility by visiting the ICE Detention facility in Baldwin MI without prior notice. Closed private prison near Baldwin now reopen as ICE processing center
Join the Michigan for the Many collaboration to gather signatures for important upcoming ballot proposals on Tuesday, August 5th at 5:30pm for the inaugural Happy Hour Training Session. During this session, you will learn about the three current proposals we’re supporting: Invest in MI Kids, Taking Back Our Power: Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, and Rank MI Vote. You’ll also learn about the regulations surrounding signature gathering and the steps involved in obtaining and returning the petitions. Sign up here. Sponsored by Kent Dems, Indivisible of Greater Grand Rapids, and Distill Social.
Consider attending the Kent County annual Female Veterans Appreciation Banquet on Thursday, August 14 at the Waddell Center in Grand Rapids. The event honors the remarkable women in Kent County who have served our nation. This free event is open to all female veterans and anyone in Kent County who wants to honor them. The evening will feature a full dinner, desserts, drinks, and special guest speakers. Register to attend before July 31.
Make signs, send us pictures and attend any of the events below. Share this newsletter with a friend. And have a safe and happy July!
IGGR Events
Wednesday, July 9 at 12 pm. Protect Social Security Rally at the Social Security Office, 3045 Knapp St NE
Friday, July 11 at 4:30 to 6 pm. Bridge Takeover Protest. Veterans Memorial (North Park) Bridge. Future dates/locations:
July 18--Fuller Ave over I-196
July 25--54th over US 131
August 1--Veterans Memorial (North Park) Bridge--Last one as Food truck Fridays ends
August 8-Fuller Ave over I-196
August 15--Hall Street over US 131
Wednesday, July 16 at 6 pm. IGGR Meetup. Broadleaf Brewery, 2885 Lake Eastbrook Blvd SE, Kentwood MI. Last meetup of the summer: Wednesday, August 13 at The Mitten 527 Leonard St NW, GR
Sunday, July 20 at 1:30 pm. IGGR Steering Committee Meeting. Fountain Street Church, Room 109, 24 Fountain Street NE. The IGGR members are welcome, seating is limited. Live streaming will be available.
Monday, July 21 at 7 pm. Messaging for Solidarity - Race Class Narrative with Anat Shenker-Osorio. Virtual. Host of the Words to Win By podcast and Principal of ASO Communications, Anat Shenker-Osorio examines why certain messages falter where others deliver. She has led research for new messaging on issues ranging from freedom to join together in union to clean energy and from immigrant rights to reforming criminal justice. Anat's original approach through priming experiments, task-based testing and online dial surveys has led to progressive electoral and policy victories across the globe. Register here. Sponsored by Indivisible National.
EVENTS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
Monday, July 7 at 10 - 11:30 am. AVELO/ICE Protest. Patterson at 44th St at the entrance to the Grand Rapids Airport. Parking across the street at 4765 44th St. or Wendy’s. Every Monday! Sponsored by Stop GEO Group in Baldwin and Coalition to Stop AVELO.
Monday, July 7 at 12 - 1 pm. Tesla Takedown Picketing Events are Back! 2919 29th St SE. Every Monday from 12 - 1 pm through the summer.
Tuesday, July 8 at 6:30 pm. Rank Mi Vote Town Hall. Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain Street NE. Join your fellow citizens at a Town Hall Meeting to learn about the problems in our current voting system and an ambitious plan for a solution: ranked choice voting. Register here. Sponsored by the Rank MI Vote Ballot Question Committee. (Also: Ranked choice voting: What to know about Michigan ballot initiative)
Saturday, July 12 at 12 pm. Support Our Veterans and VA Rally. Veterans Park in Greenville, MI on M-57 Washington between Bower Street and Luray Street; rally on north side of M57 (Alternating Saturdays with Michigan Veterans Home, 2950 Monroe Ave NE, GR). Sponsored by the Support Our Veterans and VA Facebook group.
Wednesday, July 16 at 7 pm. Save Medicaid Town hall. Virtual. Join the ACLU of Michigan for a special Town hall to learn about how threats to Medicaid will impact our state. Register here.
Help Us Educate, Activate and Hold Our Elected Officials Accountable!
We are a 100% volunteer, grass-roots organization and we need all the help we can get. Right now, there are requests for more event, more rallies, more involvement which is great. However, to do that, we need more hands and money.
Can you please help us by volunteering at least an hour a week? Can you donate so we can pay for venues, sound equipment, water, etc?
WE NEED YOU!
Please let us know if you find this newsletter helpful by pressing the ❤️ button at the top or bottom of this email. You can also click on the thought-bubble icon 💬 and leave us a comment or question. Not only does the team at IGGR want your feedback but you help us make this communication better for all. Thank you for reading.
We Have More Channels To Follow/Find Us!
IGGR has some new volunteers helping out with our social media, and as they ramp up regular posting, we need your help to grow our channels! Please give our new Facebook page Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids, a follow.
(FYI - The Facebook Group is not going away and is a wonderful way to share lots of information and build connections — whereas the page doesn't require membership or moderation and is a great place for IGGR to share targeted messages. The Page is in addition to the Group.)
If you frequent Bluesky, Instagram, Threads or YouTube, find + follow us there as well!
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/indivisibleggr.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indivisibleggr/
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@indivisibleggr
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@indivisiblegreatergrandrapids
Why is protesting the obscene military budget and endless war not a priority?
Why is protesting the trillion dollar military budget, paying for endless war and facilitating starvation and slaughter genocide?