Newsletter #4: Sing Out For Democracy
The Audacity: Creative Action Together | AudacityCAT.com
Newsletter #4, February 20 2025
My heart is breaking. My nerves are fraying. I'm losing sleep at the grinding news every day of another set of vulnerable people losing their rights, another blatant violation of the rule of the law, another sign that even worse is yet to come.
I give up every day, some days just before midnight, some days at 6 AM. The only thing that gets me back up is the encouraging hand of a friend, a neighbor, an ally. We must be there for each other. History calls on each of us to make a public stand for our loved ones, for vulnerable strangers, for the future of democracy itself. We can only do this together.
Read on for what we're going to do next.
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Contents:
Public Actions:
Rockland/Camden Noon Saturday February 22
Rockland and Statewide: Noon on Saturday March 1
(Private) Call Jared Golden on the SAVE Act
Good Work by Working Groups... and how to join in
Next Mass Meeting: Sat. March 1 at 10 AM
Activism is Storytelling: Tell Your Story
Each one bring one
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1. Public Actions: Be There!
Rockland and Camden: Noon, Saturday February 22. This Saturday at Noon, The Audacity will be interacting with The Camden Conference in two places at once. As you may be aware, this year's conference theme is "Democracy Under Threat," and my is that timely.
In Rockland, meet at the corner of Park and Main Streets at Noon. We will rehearse songs of democracy for the first half hour. At 12:30, we will stroll up the sidewalks of Main Street to the Strand Theater to greet simulcast conference goers who will be breaking for lunch. We will serenade conference-goers with pro-democracy, anti-dictator songs, hand out a flier (attached to this email), and welcome them to join us in song. This is not a protest of the Camden Conference, but a way to bring the concerns of the conference out into the street where everyone can see.
Bring signs for visual effect. Local press has been alerted, so here's a chance for us not only to make contact with allies among conference-goers, but also to get word of opposition out to every person who reads the news.
Print out lyric sheets or load the pdf songbook onto a tablet for you to read. We have a book of democracy songs, some of which we've been working on the last two weeks, and some of which are new but will be easy to learn. Download link: https://www.audacitycat.com/s/The-Audacity-Songbook-for-Democracy-Volume-1.pdf
Hang a Poster where you live, work, stroll... or, heck, any verb. A pdf of a poster for the singing demonstration is attached to this email. The more folks who attend, the better (especially since the ice is off the sidewalks this weekend).
In Camden, the Theater Working Group has something special planned at the same time. Nothing illegal or nasty, but the element of surprise will matter here, so I've been sworn to secrecy. If you want to be in the know for future shenanigans, you've got to be in on the planning: join the Theater Group email list by visiting http://audacitycat.org and fill out the web form halfway down the page..
Rockland at Noon on Saturday March 1. This is a statewide day of protest with actions taking place in cities and towns around Maine. The theme: "It's March: End the Madness." In Rockland, we'll gather at Noon on March 1 to sing, then march to the Knox County Courthouse to demonstrate on the importance of the rule of law.
Private Action: Call Jared Golden on the SAVE Act. Nancy Davis writes in today: "In case you haven't seen the news about the SAVE ACT which has been introduced by the Republicans which would severely limit huge numbers of our population from voting (including me since I changed my name when I married and therefore cannot produce a birth certificate which matches my legal name to prove I'm a citizen). I'm sure Chellie Pingree needs no urging to vote no on this bill...but I'm never sure about Jared! Please call his office in Washington at (202) 225-6306 and insist that he vote NO on the SAVE ACT coming up almost immediately."
Frozen Art, Not Frozen Heart!
Sample from the Public Art Working Group in a Belfast action
2.Good Work by Working Groups... and how to join in. Many projects are afoot:
The Public Art and Poster Working Group met last Saturday to design posters about ICE deportations to post around town in Belfast for this weekend's upcoming Ice Festival. Their work will make visual impact.
The Theater Working Group not only met last Saturday, but crafted a bit of street theater on the spot that they're rolling out in Camden this weekend. The element of surprise prevents me from telling you about the full plans in advance, but you'll see.
The Button and Bumper Sticker Working Group has distributed political buttons at three actions already, and they're keeping on chugging. We've ordered a second button press and supplies for a thousand more buttons.
The Benefit Concert Working Group is planning a fundraiser benefit night with music at Flatbread Pizza in Rockport, with two sets of performers. Eat yummy food, raise money for the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project! The date is forthcoming.
The Website Working Group has been relentless, adding features and information including links to other groups and details about events to our website, http://audacitycat.org -- with more coming (see below). Joe Ryan is an amazing designer.
The Local Government Working Group and The Fundraising Working Group have plans percolating, and both are absolutely essential to the long-term impact of this group and the pro-democracy movement more broadly. Announcements are forthcoming.
So how do you join a working group and get involved in the planning of events? Simple: head to http://audacitycat.org and look down the right-hand side of the page. There's a web form in which you put in your contact information and choose a working group to join. Voila! You'll be in the loop for planning more actions. Many hands make light work: add your hands.
3. Next Mass Meeting: Sat. March 1 at 10 AM. During the Civil Rights Movement, meetings were held right before actions. We'll do the same, gathering at a location being confirmed as I write. Our in-person mass meetings are essential not only to move people into action, not only to get people connected to planning, but to get new ideas rolling into the thick of things. Everything that The Audacity is doing happened because somebody said "someone ought to," and then somebody signed up to work on it. If you've got an idea, bring it to the meeting!
4. Activism is Storytelling: Tell Your Story! Part of the work of activism is to shift the story and thereby to shift the momentum. We have six videos up on The Audacity's YouTube Channel, the latest of which is an interview and visit through an archive of 50 years of social movement signs with member Beedy Parker. Watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qmweFZl2og for some unique historical perspective.
But don't just watch. What else can you do? Subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@TheAudacityCAT , and share a link to a video you see there using social media or email. This is a strategy the right-wing network used to great effect. We need to do that too.
Better yet, add your own video. Each of us has a story, or a unique way of contributing, or a point of view, or something special that I can't anticipate. Contribute your own video to the channel by sharing your video to contact@audacitycat.com . If video recording and sharing is not in your technical wheelhouse, get in touch anyway to contact@audacitycat.com and we'll make arrangements in some other way.
In next week's newsletter, I'll talk about a new way for you to share yourself with the world that The Audacity has cooking. Stay tuned for the rollout!
5. Each one bring one. This social movement will have maximum impact when undeniable numbers roll out publicly across the country. Other towns and cities across the USA are doing their part to swell those numbers. Let's do our part here.
We've got to grow, and while hanging up posters is one way to recruit new folks to public actions, social science researchers know the best way to grow numbers is through social contacts. When you come to the public actions -- and you've got to come -- don't just bring yourself. Think of a friend, a neighbor, or a family member, and bring them. This is how we grow, not only in numbers, but in impact.
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Thank you for being a part of this movement. I look forward to seeing you in meetings, in planning, and in the streets!
-- James Cook, facilitator, The Audacity
