Fight for new answers to the question: What is truly American?
We should be skeptical of the motivation and messengers behind calls for civility. One of my organizing mentors said the “be nice rule” was really the “be nice to those in power rule.”
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Read moreProgressive Maryland Weekly Memo for July 9-16 2018
Progressive Maryland state coordinator Beth Landry notes “an important point to make is how close the result of some of these races were shows how important it is for every person to get involved… for instance, literally one canvasser's shift changed results for Montgomery and Baltimore County Exec races.”
Read moreMaryland's bail reform is failing in Prince George's. Why?
MARYLAND’S BAIL REFORM IS FAILING IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY. WHY?
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The study finds "while the use of cash-bail has decreased, judges have largely replaced it with 'no bail' holds rather than releasing people on their own recognizance..." and concludes “Keeping people out of jail and in the community where they can work, learn, and be with loved ones is good for public safety, these individuals and their community as well as the overall health of Prince George’s County.
Read moreBen Jealous: Deep history outlines the stakes in the 2018 elections
Progressive Maryland, along with other progressive organizations in the state, endorsed and worked hard for the victory of Ben Jealous as Democratic nominee for governor. Behind Jealous, and the rest of us, are the long history of struggle against inequality and oppression. In this post-primary message, Jealous harks back to an earlier pivot point and Frederick Douglass's great oration of 1852 as the clouds of civil war gathered. Douglass said then "We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and to the future." And he adds, a few lines later, "You have no right to enjoy a child’s share in the labor of your fathers, unless your children are to be blest by your labors." As Jealous makes clear here, the struggle is far from over and our responsibilities are clear on this day celebrated as the nation's birthday.
Read moreProgressive Maryland Weekly Memo for July 2-9 2018
Welcome to the week after the Day After –
Congratulations to all our progressive volunteer activists, especially those in Progressive Maryland who recognize the value and usefulness of solidarity. We have some big wins – starting with Ben Jealous and Susie Turnbull as Democratic ticket for ousting Larry Hogan and taking the state in a progressive direction again. That’s the crest of the Progressive Wave.
The next step is victory in November. We know what we have to do. Stay with us.
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Read moreStafford: A Progressive Earthquake hits Maryland
Progressive Maryland's Executive Director, Larry Stafford, writes: "Last night, a Progressive earthquake shook Maryland’s establishment politics to their core. Ben Jealous’s primary victory puts Maryland within striking distance of the progressive governor we deserve and need. His victory marks the ascendance of a movement that’s grounded in progressive values, led by women and people of color, to shape a new direction for politics that breathes new life into the electoral system, in our state and beyond."
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Protecting your vote against the MVA pothole
Here's your Election Day version of the Weekly Memo -- the second one sent this unusual week. Watch our PM BlogSpace this week for calendar updates once the Primary Day rush is over -- political life will go on after June 26, and you'll need to know about it. Today: Vote, and mind the pothole (see below).
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Read moreMaking your plan to cast a vote on Tuesday
Readers will see two Memos this week. Today’s is all about elections. On Tuesday about midday you’ll get one that’s more like what you are used to seeing Monday, with calendar items and brief reports.
This one is about Tuesday’s Primary Election.
But you already voted in Early Voting? Awesome. Now you have time to get out the vote for your neighbors -- all over the state.
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Read moreWe need a State's Attorney for the people
"I support Senator Victor Ramirez," activist Qiana Johnson writes, "because he understands that charges are often based on complex laws—and enforced by long mandatory minimum prison sentences—creating strong incentives for defendants to capitulate to lesser charges, perhaps even to crimes they did not commit."
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Read moreHow we can transform our communities now
Montgomery County, seen from the outside, may seem an idyllic collection of affluent suburbs and single-family homes: a place where you can live your American Dream. But when you start knocking on doors, you learn there’s a lot more to who we are. My place, my status in this diverse county "qualifies me to understand the real challenges families face, and to find real solutions that meet their needs," Council at-Large candidate Brandy Brooks says.
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