Hi there! Welcome to Easy A–Your go-to source for quick and easy actions you can take in five minutes or less about the issues you care about.
Are you a busy mom? Or maybe your work is so hectic you can’t think about anything else during the day? A lot of us are also taking care of parents or other loved ones too, leaving little time for anything else.
The good news is that these are things you can do while you’re waiting in the school pick up line, on your lunch break, or even at your kid’s soccer practice – anywhere you happen to be! And you can easily share Easy A with your friends so they can be in the know, too! We’ll send you a new action to take every week–just one, we promise –and it will always be something you can do in five minutes or less. Ready to get started? Let’s go!
Do This: Call Your Senators About the SAVE Act
America may have a history of voter suppression, but that doesn’t mean we have to let it continue! It’s up to us to use our voices to speak out against restrictive voter laws and voter suppression tactics, and we have the opportunity to do that right now.
Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act. It’s an incredibly restrictive voter ID law that could keep tens of thousands of Americans — especially women — from voting.
The SAVE Act would require showing a passport or a birth certificate, in person, that matches our current last name to register to vote or to update our voter registration for any reason. Let’s be honest, how many women have one of those things handy? (Spoiler: 69 million married women don’t!) Not to mention, the bill would remove online and mail-in voter registration, making it harder for all first-time voters to register, even if they do have the required documents.
The good news is we can stop this outrageous bill from going any further. It will take 60 votes to pass the U.S. Senate. We can make sure that never happens by calling our senators today, and we have a calling tool that makes it really easy for you to do!
Pressed for time? No sweat. Our members’ calls are averaging less than a minute and a half, so you can call both of your senators in under 5 minutes!
Never called your elected officials before? Have no fear! Our tool walks you through it step by step, and we even provide a script to help you figure out what to say. What matters most is that you are using your voice and speaking out.
Let’s make sure this bill — the most restrictive voter bill Congress has ever considered — is dead on arrival. Call your senators today!
Read This: What’s Up With All The Book Bans?
These days it might feel like everyone is talking about book bans, from the U.S. president to the PTA. That’s because these bans are happening all over our country, and affecting every community. Whether it’s a ban in a school, a bookstore, or a public library, these bans affect us all, so it’s important to learn about these book bans and why they are happening.
Ok, so what exactly are these book bans all about? Despite the fact that 80% of Americans oppose banning books, in the last few years extremists have become laser focused on trying to control what our kids can read. It’s not enough to just tell their child to not read a book – under the guise of “parents’ rights,” they want to stop all kids from reading certain books. And it’s not because these books are actually dangerous or harmful. It’s because they are written by or about people of color or the LGBTQ+ community or they discuss things extremists don’t want kids to learn about, like accurate American history, sexual education, mental health, even climate change!
Who is banning books? Are you ready for a really crazy statistic? It turns out that just 11 people are behind nearly all banned or challenged books in the US! In many cases, just one person can get dozens of books banned, simply by filing a complaint – even if they haven’t read the literature. They don’t even have to be a local parent or member of the community to do it. This is why the same books tend to get banned across several communities – well-funded, national groups posing as grassroots organizations are targeting these books.
How are our kids impacted by book bans? First, we want to make sure it’s clear these books are being banned and challenged under false pretenses. Age-appropriate books are being pulled from shelves every day for misleading reasons with really harmful consequences. Not having access to these books prevents kids from better understanding the world around them and better understanding themselves, making them less prepared for the real world. We are not helping our kids by banning teaching accurate American history, by erasing LGBTQ people from our schools, or by eliminating comprehensive sex education curriculum.
Want more info? Check out the map below from American Library Association or click here to see a map from Pen America of where books are being banned and why.