Hold Perpetrators Accountable Now
ICE and the Epstein class; two sides of the same coin.
ICE and Epstein: the confluence is not a bug of the system; it is the system. Horrific violence and utter disregard for human life and basic decency is playing out on a split screen. The current government has its secret police throw people to the ground, shoot a woman and call her a “f*cking bitch,” zip tie children, kidnap anyone it wants and send them to concentration camps with rancid food, bad water and infectious diseases.
The Epstein class, many of whom are in or adjacent to this administration, rape and traffic children, jockeying for position in their lust for power over anyone and everyone, laughing and joking with each other as evidenced in the multitude of poorly spelled crude emails without any self awareness or disgust.
This is what we are fighting against. It is not political, it is moral. We have to win; perpetrators must be held to account. We are fighting for justice, for a moral and compassionate nation, with liberty and justice for all.
We must continue to call our electeds. Going forward, we will work to turn out the vote to elect those who will ensure accountablility for those found guilty. We will work for healthcare for all, affordable childcare, living wages, food and housing security, common decency and to combat climate change. And so much more. But first, we have to regain the House and Senate in 2026, give Governor Stein true veto power through our work in NCGA elections and re-elect NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls.
We are winning, but we have not won. Minneapolis is providing guidance and inspiration (ICE is still there). Keep fighting, keep working. Show up.
Over a year ago I wrote in my other Substack about this moment in history. The analogy still holds as we work to create something new and better, to bring into being the true promise of our republic.
Birth can be a dangerous process, sometimes deadly, often painful and traumatic. During human labor, the “transition” stage is the most painful and intense, the final stretch (literally!) allowing a new being to emerge.
We are here, in transition for the next [three] years, working towards a final push out of darkness that will take all our efforts…
The arc of the moral universe won’t bend towards justice without all of us jumping on it, pulling on it, screaming as we use all our strength to shift that sucker. It will feel scary and risky and messy, as birth often is.
When John Lewis was beaten that first time he crossed the Edmund Pettis Bridge, he didn’t know what the future would hold. He did it anyway.
What are your choices in this moment?
Calls-remember, offices tally calls.
You can also use 5calls.org or follow Jessica Craven for daily scripts.
Thom Tillis: D.C. (202) 224-6342
Ted Budd: D.C. (202)-224-3154
Suggested Scripts:
ICE & Camps This is (name) from (address). First, I want the Senator to agree to all of Democrats’ asks regarding DHS funding. They are the least of what we would expect from any other law enforcement agency. Not one ICE agent has been doxxed, masks need to be off. I also want the Senator to investigate the horrific conditions at detention centers, and demand that no children be held there. Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem must leave this administration immediately for their inhumane actions.
Epstein: This is (name) from (address). Epstein perpetrators are being held accountable in other countries. I want that same accountability here. Those who raped and trafficked children must be brought to justice. First, Howard Lutnick must resign. He clearly lied about his association with Epstein and cannot be trusted. As Florida AG and now US AG, Pam Bondi has not followed through on full investigations of Epstein. She refuses to meet with his victims. All the perpetrators and their protectors must be brought to justice. The cover-up must end.
Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (202) 225-1784
This is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [address].
1.I want to thank Representative Foushee for voting against any funding for DHS and ICE, and for co-sponsoring the Melt ICE ACT.
I hope she continues to stand strong against any further funding for DHS and ICE unless Democratic demands are met, and conveys that message to Democratic leadership. We can’t have them cave this time around; lives are at stake.
Also, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should never be held in prison camps. I hope the Representative can work on this issue.
Thank you.
2.Epstein: This is (name) from (address). Epstein perpetrators are being held accountable in other countries. I want that same accountability here. Those who raped and trafficked children must be brought to justice. First, Howard Lutnick must resign. He clearly lied about his association with Epstein and cannot be trusted. As Florida AG and now US AG, Pam Bondi has not followed through on full investigations of Epstein. She refuses to meet with his victims. All the perpetrators and their protectors must be brought to justice. The cover-up must end. I hope the Congresswoman can continue to work on this. Thank you.
Actions and Events
VOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTE
Early Voting has begun! Find your sample ballot here
Taking back the NCGA one phonecall at a time:
Carolina Federation phonebanks
More info and sign up HERE
Mondays and Fridays 5:30 – 8:30pm EST
We will meet for phonebanking on Zoom each Friday and Monday starting Friday February 13th 5:30-8:30pm.. There will be a training at the start of every phonebank - please join right at 5:30pm and plan to stay until 8:30pm. [I have found that if you can’t stay the whole time, it’s not a problem]
Phonebankers will be calling to talk to voters about supporting Rodney Pierce HD 27. Pierce won his 2024 primary by 42 votes. That is within the margin of effort…that is, your effort could make the difference!
Swing Blue Phone Banks for Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler sign up HERE
I did this phone bank Sunday evening, Feb. 15 calling voters who had expressed support for Dr. Sadler. I sent one person info on requesting an absentee ballot, gave two others information about early voting and encouraged them all to bring a friend or relative. Over an hour, I spoke with 5 people, had 4 hang-ups. The five I spoke with were grateful for the call, and for two it may have made the difference between voting and not. When elections are won and lost by one to two votes per precinct, every call counts. I took breaks and stopped when I ran out energy. But it felt really good to connect with voters who can make a big difference to our state.
When: Sundays, 6–8 PM ET | January 18 – March 1.
Let’s give Governor Stein veto power.
Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler is running for NC House District 106--(endorsed by Gov. Stein). His Dem primary opponent is incumbent Carla Cunningham—who voted 84% of the time with Republicans and on many of the overrides of Gov. Stein’s vetoes. She made a vile anti-immigrant speech on the floor when she cast the deciding vote requiring North Carolina sheriffs to proactively cooperate with ICE.
Swing Blue, a national organization, is running these phone banks for Rev. Dr. Sadler. Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler is a longtime civil rights leader running for North Carolina House District 106 (North Charlotte). Sign up! It’s mostly folks from outside NC; let’s show them that we stand up, too! You can call using your computer and there isn’t a need for you to have your own phone.
TeamUpNC. Multiple days. Let’s take back the NCGA. Phone bank and/or canvass. Info here
In partnership with the Democratic parties of North Carolina counties, TeamUPNC mobilizes volunteers and resources to help build party infrastructure and elect Democratic legislators in swing districts to the General Assembly.
Sunday, February 22
6–8:30pm Fight for Justice: A Launch Party for 2026
FlipNC is a great way to find your lane. A well organized, super fun group of folks. Head on over to Motorco (after registering!)
Grab a drink, play a little NC trivia, meet our statewide judicial candidates, and snap pics in our Fight for Justice photo booth. Then, we’ll share our plans and strategy for 2026 and beyond and hear from leaders like Justice Anita Earls – and you’ll leave knowing what YOU can do to help win critical races up and down the ballot.
*** PLEASE NOTE: This is a free event, but advance registration is required!***
Register here!
Saturday, February 28 9:30 – 10:30am
Virtual Town Hall Series with Justice Anita Earls
more info and register here
Durham County Democrats in Precinct 27 are hosting the second in a series of Virtual Town Halls featuring The Honorable Anita Earls, Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court and 2026 Democratic candidate for re-election. Of crucial importance is that we do everything we can for Anita Earls to retain her State Supreme Court seat for a second eight-year term as Associate Justice.
HIGHEST PRIORITYVirtual Training Mondays 6-7
We have elections in 2026 and need you to defend free and fair elections! Learn the ins and outs of being an indoor poll observer, where you’ll make sure that the new Republican precinct officials follow the law and that voters are allowed to cast their ballots in the March primary
Our agenda includes
Poll Observer basics
What to expect at the Polling Place
What you’re looking for
Solving problems + reporting issues
Sign up: Poll Greeting at Early Voting
Practice your poll greeting skills for the general election! Sign up here for shifts.
Be a vote protector with Democracy NC
Interested in serving as a Vote Protector during North Carolina’s 2026 Midterm Election (Primary and/or General)? More info here
As a Vote Protector, you’ll be on the front lines of democracy, helping to prevent voter disenfranchisement. You will observe a polling place, provide assistance to voters, and document any problems. Please note that you will be required to participate in a poll monitor training, which you will receive more information about via email.
This is a NONPARTISAN PROGRAM and is not affiliated with any political party or candidate.
For more actions, check out Marilyn Hartman’s post and or Durham Resistance
The Margin of Effort
When elections are decided by a handful of votes, our efforts make a difference. Don’t ever think that your involvement doesn’t matter.
A message from Michelle Obama, via her book, “Becoming”
“I’d seen how just a handful of votes in every precinct could mean the difference not just between one candidate and another, but between one value system and the next. If people stayed home in each neighborhood, it could determine what our kids learned in school, which health-care options we had available, or whether or not we sent our troops to war. Voting was both simple and incredibly effective.”
Let’s make sure to turn out every precinct in Durham and find that handful of votes that otherwise might not make it to the polls. The margin of effort just might be that one door you knock or phone call you make. Check out all the elections that tied or were decided by ONE VOTE here. That, my friends, is the margin of your effort.
This is good news:
Who we elect makes a difference. We need to elect more Democrats.
In New Jersey, Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill and the NJ AG have opened
a new online portal to show interactions between ICE agents and members of the public in New Jersey is now live.
The site is hosted on the official website of the New Jersey Office of Attorney General and allows individuals to upload videos, photos, and detailed reports about encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.
…Sherrill urged residents to begin using it immediately and touted the site as another tool to protect constitutional rights and hold ICE responsible for their actions, many of which she claims are illegal.
The SAVE ACT…
Finally…
Durham Black History Recommended Reading and Exploring: Pauli Murray
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the world right now, you might appreciate reading works by and about Pauli Murray. You will be inspired and renewed. If she didn’t give up, neither should you!
Murray was a critical and influential figure of the 20th Century; many have never heard of her. Her legal scholarship provided the underpinning for Thurgood Marshall’s arguments in Brown v. Board of Education and Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s arguments against gender discrimination. If you’re in Durham, start with “Proud Shoes” and learn a different history of our town. It’s a beautifully written, gripping narrative. Find it at the Durham County Library, your local independent bookseller, or order a used copy here.
As Leah Rosenbaum wrote in Forbes:
As a civil rights activist, feminist and attorney, Pauli Murray influenced Martin Luther King, Eleanor Roosevelt and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And with a single word in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, she bent the arc of the moral universe.
There is also a documentary to watch: My Name Is Pauli Murray
Visit a National Park right here in Durham: The Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice