Freedom Writers 3/19/2025
Rowing in the same direction is our superpower.
Hello, Freedom Writers!
In Today’s Post:
Introducing: The CAD Weekly Action Dispatches
Today’s Actions > > >
INFO SHEETS - For Your Information
(If you’re reading this post in the Substack app, you can use the little bars to the left to navigate between bullets.)
Introducing: The CAD Weekly Action Dispatches
Back in December, before Trump took office, — Remember December? It feels like a decade ago now. — anyway, back then, as we were all still reeling from the election results, Swing Blue Alliance of Boston and the Indivisible Massachusetts Coalition (IMC) held meetings and sent surveys asking their activists for ideas on how to navigate the new landscape.
Then, as now, there was a plethora of action ideas circulating from a wide swath of collaborating groups. Some of the actions had great impact potential, others did not. Some of them had accurate information about upcoming legislation, others did not. Some were of high or urgent priority, others, not so much. With all that, as well as the added threat of trolls producing fake actions, well meaning activists and newsletter editors were overwhelmed. How could they possibly find the time to vet all these actions and share them with confidence?
We weren’t all rowing in the same direction.
One idea that came out of the surveys and meetings was this: We could form a group of dedicated volunteer activists to leverage the knowledge of legislative experts, and vet current action ideas based on criteria like ‘priority’ and ‘impact.’
In other words: Don’t just collaborate, but coordinate.
And the concept of the “CAD” (Coordinated Action Dispatch) team was born. Swing Blue and the IMC did the hard work of creating a new IMC Action Team, the “CAD Action Team,” and today, March 19, the CAD just issued its first dispatch of vetted actions! Yay!
NOTE: The CAD’s weekly suggested actions actions are NOT intended to replace all other acions! The CAD is requesting that its subscribers please do this handful of weekly actions first so we can maximize our power by rowing in the same direction, and then do all the other actions they care passionately about.
Going forward, any activist can submit action ideas to the CAD for consideration through the CAD Team Action Submission Form. In addition, CAD team members will meet bi-weekly with, and get input from, legislative experts including the ACLU, Common Cause and MIRA (Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition). Then, each week, the CAD Team itselft will meet to vet/prioritize the actions, based on criteria approved of by the IMC Board, then write the action sheets for the weekly dispatch.
This first dispatch sent out today was sent to a group of existing newsletters including IMC’s newsletter, which comes out on Saturday, the RUWMI newsletter which comes out on Monday, the Freedom Writers, the Northapton Indivisible - Swing Lef to f Western MA, FCCR and others. In the next week or two, CAD will be ready to receive subscriptions from the public (individuals, representatives of actions groups, etc.).
So hooray! This is a great day to row in the same direction. Please check out the CAD Actions below, and share your thoughts!
Today’s CAD Weekly Actions > > >
Please consider doing these priority CAD actions before you do other actions this week, so we can multiply our power and increase our impact! All actions can be done either by individuals or groups.
This week’s CAD Priority Actions:
April 5th National Day of Action (Source: Hands Off!) - Our strength will come from turning out the largest numbers possible in one location.
Call elected officials about protecting your data from DOGE (Source: ACLU) - As an optional extra step, File your own FOIA request!
Protect Free Speech - Contact your Elected Officials to Demand the Release of Mahmoud Khalil (Source: ACLU, 5Calls App) - This is a blatant attack on the First Amendment … for all of us.
Oppose Cuts to Medicaid with Tax Cuts for Rich (Source: Indivisible Oppose Cuts to Medicaid) - There is bipartisan opposition to Medicaid cuts, but where’s the resolve?
Freedom Writers INFO SHEETS - For Your Information
If you’re new to the Freedom Writers, WELCOME! Check out these INFO SHEETS with lots of great background information:
INFO SHEET: Get Started - Taking Action with Indivisible - Get the most up-to-date information about what is happening in your area through a local Indivisible group!
INFO SHEET: Keeping Your Cool Under the Trump Regime - Access reliable, free news when it counts the most!
INFO SHEET: How to Contact Your Elected Officials - Find out why we act the way we act.
Three AOC Videos About the Importance of Phone Calls Now - Don’t let the MAGAts win the calling our elected officials game.
5 Calls App - Set Up Instructions - This beautiful instruction sheet was written by 3 people who are all over 70 years old. If they can do it, you can do it.