MARCH FOR OUR LIVES…STOP GUN VIOLENCE

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2022

GREENFIELD TOWN COMMON

Noon to 1 pm

Over the last year alone, 41,000 lives were taken by gun violence in the US. A disproportionate number of these deaths occur in Black and Brown communities, highlighting once again that gun violence prevention is a racial justice issue. Firearms are the second leading cause of death among U.S. children and adolescents, after car crashes. Yet Congress has refused to pass legislation for universal background checks, bans on assault weapons, and other needed measures.

Enough thoughts and prayers….we need action!

This is why FCCPR, friends, allies and concerned residents are rallying on this coming Saturday, June 11th — in conjunction with over 300 March for Our Lives actions taking place across the country. This will be a powerful moment in the critical fight against gun violence. Join us. Bring signs and bring your friends and families to the Greenfield Common.

And after this action, join the Franklin County Pride rally at the Energy Park starting at 1 PM.

Rally for Women’s Rights and Against War

Join us Saturday May 7th at 11:00am
 
Against War and for Women’s Rights
 
Greenfield Town Common

Tuesday’s revelation that the Supreme Court is ready to decide to overturn Roe v Wade and allow the states to restrict and prohibit the right to an abortion is a horrendous outcome of years of chipping away at reproductive rights and democracy in general. This is an attack on women’s rights.

This is crazy – it’s hard to believe what is happening to our country. The anti-rights group have taken over the Supreme Court and the Citizens’ United decision has replaced our democracy with the power of money.

There are two ways the Democrats when in power could have stopped this from happening.

First, they could have passed a law making a woman’s right to choose a law, that could have happened under Obama, and second when they didn’t do that Biden could have added more judges to the supreme court.

We need to get serious about defending our rights, and that means we need stronger defense of democratic rights in general in this country and in particular the rights of women.

Join Baystate Franklin Nurses

Virtual Community Forum on Wednesday, March 9 at 6:00pm

Greenfield City Council President Sheila Gilmour and the Western Mass Area Labor Federation

The forum will feature nurses and community advocates and is open to participation from the public. It will provide an opportunity for transparent discussion about the needs of Baystate Franklin Medical Center frontline staff and the community during the pandemic and beyond.

 Join via Zoom  — March 9, 2022 at 6 p.m.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88378593195

Russia out of Ukraine, U.S. out of Europe!

Yesterday at noon, roughly 80 people gathered on the Town Common in Greenfield to protest Russian’s invasion of Ukraine and the role that NATO has played over the past 70 years in dividing Europe, threatening the security of Russia, and furthering the goals of US imperialism. Thanks to local musicians Ben Grosscup and Annie Hassett for their participation.

Pro-Ukraine, Anti NATO rally

About 80 people gathered in Greenfield to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the imperialist role of NATO

A Statement on the Ukraine Crisis

Initiated by CodePink and RootsAction

FCCPR has signed onto this statement.

As organizations representing millions of people in the United States, we call upon President Biden to end the U.S. role in escalating the extremely dangerous tensions with Russia over Ukraine. It is gravely irresponsible for the president to participate in brinkmanship between two nations that possess 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons.

For the United States and Russia, the only sane course of action now is a commitment to genuine diplomacy with serious negotiations, not military escalation – which could easily spiral out of control to the point of pushing the world to the precipice of nuclear war.

While both sides are to blame for causing this crisis, its roots are entangled in the failure of the U.S. government to live up to its promise made in 1990 by then-Secretary of State James Baker that NATO would expand not “one inch to the East.” Since 1999, NATO has expanded to include numerous countries, including some that border Russia. Rather than dismissing out of hand the Russian government’s current insistence on a written guarantee that Ukraine will not become part of NATO, the U.S. government should agree to a long-term moratorium on any NATO expansion.

Reluctantly, due to the bad weather coming, we are postponing the Voting Rights Rally scheduled for Monday Jan. 17th on the Greenfield Common.

We will be in touch with other national groups that are organizing around voting rights to plan when we will reschedule the rally.

Please be sure to contact our Senators and urge then to end the filibuster and pass both the voting rights acts.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would make illegal voting rules that discriminate on the basis of race, language, or ethnicity and empower voters’ to challenge discriminatory laws.

The Freedom to Vote Act would solidify comprehensive voter protections, including a minimum of 15 days for early voting, mail-in ballots, and making Election Day a national holiday.

  • Overturn Citizens United.
  • End the Filibuster and Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.
  • End racist voter suppression and partisan gerrymandering.
  • Abolish super PACs and replace corporate funding with publicly funded elections that amplify small-doner donations.

Please contact Senator Markey https://www.markey.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion

Senator Warren https://www.warren.senate.gov/contact/shareyouropinion

Let Us Honor Dr. Martin Luther King by Standing Out for Voting Rights

Monday January 17th

10:30 to 11:30 am

Greenfield Town Common

In 2021, 52 restrictive voter laws were passed in various states across the country, limiting options to vote and undermining local elections officials’ ability to mind elections. Georgia’s law, SB 202, criminalized handing out water to voters standing in long lines. Texas’ SB.1 would have election officials face prosecution for regulating poll watchers’ inappropriate behavior in the polling place.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would make illegal voting rules that discriminate on the basis of race, language, or ethnicity and empower voters’ to challenge discriminatory laws.

The Freedom to Vote Act would solidify comprehensive voter protections, including a minimum of 15 days for early voting, mail-in ballots, and making Election Day a national holiday.

  • Overturn Citizens United.
  • End the Filibuster and Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.
  • End racist voter suppression and partisan gerrymandering.

  • Abolish super PACs and replace corporate funding with publicly funded elections that amplify small-doner donations.

Please contact Senator Markey https://www.markey.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion

Senator Warren https://www.warren.senate.gov/contact/shareyouropinion

No Room At The Inn: Urgent Need for Emergency Shelter Beds in Franklin County

On Friday afternoon, December 24th, Christmas Eve, from 2 – 3 PM, concerned citizens gathered in front of the former Farren Hospital in Montague.

Rally at the Farren for emergency shelter
Just shy of 100 people gathered at the Farren Health Care facility in Montague

With winter upon us, and not enough shelter beds in Franklin County to meet the needs of people who are unhoused, many community members face this emergency by sleeping out in the cold in cars or tents. No one should spend winter nights unsheltered. And yet the former Farren Hospital in Turners Falls stands empty when only last April it housed 100 people. Why are our town governments and local non-profits responsible for homelessness services allowing vulnerable people to sleep out in the cold? Would you like to join others in addressing this issue? If so, let us know at info@fccpr.us