Engage Like a Hungarian
The news of what the Hungarian people accomplished last week was felt around the world. After 16 years of a corrupt, authoritarian rule, the opposition victory was a landslide too huge to contest. What are ways, in our American context, that each of us can “engage like a Hungarian”?
- Call out corruption and cronyism. Connect the lies, cruelty, and grift of the powerful to the struggles of ordinary people like yourself and people you know to make ends meet.
- Talk about the record number of No Kings demonstrations and rallies in deep red communities around the country, and the joy, and community people experience when they stand up to demonstrate what they believe in.
- Talk about how autocrats want us to give up. How they want to divide us and control us.
- Talk about how Americans are turning against them, special election after special election.
- Talk about the recent record turnout of first-time voters in Texas and the massive, record-shattering voter turnout in Hungary (an estimated 77.8%) despite great odds in Orbán’s favor.
- Talk about the power of unity and need for tenaciousness.
Speak from the heart, about what you know and what you are seeing, and engage with the people around you.
Upending an autocratic power takes organization, active participation, patience, and resilience. Setbacks and losses will occur, but unerring dedication and optimism will help us weather them. We know we need to take back the House and the Senate in November – and we can do it by devoting our time, energy, hard work and enthusiasm. It will take each of us acting on the inspiring example of the Hungarian people.
Here are some ways to engage this week.
Surveillance is Not Security
This week, lawmakers passed a two-week extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act while they continue to negotiate the terms of Section 702, a controversial part of FISA that allows the government to spy on Americans without a warrant. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are asking for changes to Section 702, which was added to FISA in 2008. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged that there will be a political battle ahead to reauthorize Section 702 without reforms, which the President wants.
The US Constitution requires the government to go to court and obtain a warrant before accessing our private data. But the government has repeatedly abused Section 702 to spy on Americans, including protestors, members of Congress, and journalists, without a warrant. Now, it looks like we have a real chance to change this unconstitutional practice.
The current extension of the bill expires on April 30th.
Community Not Cameras
Surveillance may be coming closer to home than you realize. The City of Issaquah recently received a federal grant to purchase and install Flock cameras. The proposed plan would install 12 cameras across the city that would capture data on everyone entering and leaving Issaquah, including vehicles traveling on I-90.
Flock sells their cloud-connected cameras to police departments and private customers across the nation. On the surface, it is a tool that can help local police investigate crime. But most Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) store the license plate readings they collect on their own servers, allowing law enforcement to conduct nationwide searches of the resulting database. This creates a dangerous nationwide infrastructure for mass surveillance. Other states and the federal government, including ICE, have used this type of surveillance system to locate and detain immigrants, bring charges against women accessing health care in our state, and LGBTQIA+ persons seeking gender affirming care.
Other cities in the Puget Sound area are turning off their cameras due to concerns about the potential abuse of people’s information collected by ALPRs. When local community members began to express opposition to the city’s purchase and use of Flock cameras, the original timeline for an open and transparent discussion about it was removed from the agenda for the Issaquah City Council meeting. No new timeline has been revealed, and no public information has been shared about why Issaquah needs this surveillance system.
State lawmakers recently passed a new law on the use of ALPR cameras (SB 6002), but it was watered down and does not go far enough to protect our information from abuse.
If you live, work, shop, volunteer, get medical care, or socialize in Issaquah, please express your opposition to the city’s adoption of Flock surveillance cameras and to the lack of transparency and public information before the next City Council meeting on April 20th.
Learn more about Flock form the ACLU
Email Issaquah Mayor Mark Mullet & City Council
Welcome Newer Indivisibles
Our movement is growing!
Are you newer to Indivisible? Join us for brunch in May! You will meet like-minded people and learn about Indivisible’s national strategy for fighting and winning against the authoritarian regime, how we put that into action here in Washington, and how YOU can make a difference. If you haven’t attended one of our new member events before – this is for YOU!
These gatherings are being held in private homes. The private registration links are available in your newsletter email or by contacting us at indivisiblewa8@gmail.com.
- Sammamish, May 2nd
- Issaquah, May 16th
How to Protect Your Workplace from ICE
Tuesday, April 21 7:00 – 8:30PM PST
Join WAND (Washington Neighborhood Defense) and immigration attorney Jay Stansell for a Know Your Rights virtual training for employers. This session will provide employer-specific information about business owners’ rights and responsibilities and what to do before, during, and after ICE is at your business. The training will include 30 minutes of Q&A. You will receive a link after registering.
