DAG Stuttgart and Southwestern Germany
July 2022 Newsletter
“He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
The January 6th committee shared a treasure trove of information and witness testimony in order to outline a comprehensive narrative of the attempt by Donald Trump and other Republicans to overturn the 2020 election. During the eight hearings the public received detailed accounts of the events leading up to, and on, that fateful day. Now the committee expects the Justice Department to hold those who tried to harm our democracy accountable.
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The midterms are just around the corner, and some of the main topics the US citizens we met at our VFA tables said were important to them are reproductive rights, the economy and gun control. Polls also show that about 30% of voters say the most important problems facing our country are related to guns, abortion & democracy (Times/Siena College Poll 2022).
Through reduced sex education in schools, in the absence of education about contraceptives & the availability of legal & safe abortions, girls & women will continue to risk their lives by undergoing unsafe abortions when facing the financial burdens & social stigma of unintended pregnancy (Medical News Today, October 30, 2020).
With the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, support for reproductive rights has gained momentum. Hopefully this important issue will get many Democrats to the polls for the midterms. Surveys show that 60 % of Democrats say they are very concerned about abortion policy in the US, in comparison to only 40% of Republicans. The Pew Research Center data concluded that 61% of Americans currently find abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% say it should be illegal in all or most cases. Their study shows that 60% of conservative Republicans & Republican leaning people say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases; of the moderate & liberal Republicans, 60% say abortion should be legal. Most liberal Democrats & Democratic leaning individuals support legal abortion by 90%, while 70% of conservative & 72% of moderate Democrats are in favour of legal abortions (Pew Research Center 2022).
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While the mass shootings that shocked the nation recently have caused a
surge in support for stricter gun laws, past polling indicates this kind of support rises & then falls again after a mass shooting. A poll conducted directly after the Uvalde school shooting found that 65% of registered voters are in favour of stricter gun laws, up 5% less than a week before. Democrats’ support for stricter gun laws remained steady at 86%; Independents’ support rose from 56% to 66%; Republican support of stricter gun laws went from only 37% to 44% (Politico).
Background checks, gun violence restraining orders & intervention could all be ways to reduce mass shootings, according to Garen Wintemute, an emergency medicine physician at the University of California, Davis. He has studied gun violence for more than 30 years & sees the issue of mass shootings as an issue of public health. Because gun violence is one of our leading causes for death & injury, Mr. Wintemute says we should ask the following questions in learning ways to prevent mass shootings: Who is at risk of developing this problem? Where does it come from? How does it get amplified? Can we create a prevention strategy or treatment (Science.org, 9.2018)?
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DAG News
• Intercom Training & Office Hours: Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at 4:30 PM
• Intercom Training & Office Hours: Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 4:30 PM
• Pride Parade Stuttgart: Saturday, July 30, 2022 at 2:30 PM,
Böblingerstr. Between the U-Bahn stop Erwin-Schöttle-Platz & Tannenstr.
We are group number 52.
• Ohio State Team Meeting: Sunday, July 31, 2022 at 12 PM Eastern Time
• Floridians Abroad Planning Meeting: Monday, August 1, 2022 at 1 PM
Eastern time
• August Phonebanking Stammtisch: Sunday, August 7, 2022 at 6 PM
• Democrats Abroad Oktoberfest Extravaganza: Sunday, October 2, 2022 at
11:15 AM; Festhalle Schottenhamel in Munich; tickets on sale now!
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Stuttgart & Southwestern Germany events
Our chapter held two VFA tables the past weeks, one in Tübingen at the Holzmarkt and one in Reutlingen. Thank you to Wy Ming Lin, our other volunteers and all the people that stopped by!
Join the Stuttgart & Southwestern Germany chapter for the annual Pride Parade! Help us celebrate with the LGBTQ+ community by joining us in the parade at 2:30 pm on Saturday, July 30th in the Böblingerstr. between the U- Bahn stop Erwin-Schöttle-Platz & Tannenstr. Our starting number is 52. There are several stops planned along the way, culminating at the Schlossplatz with guest speakers & a street festival offering musical & culinary delights. Please RSVP at [email protected] if you would like to join us. We look forward to seeing you there!
We are currently collecting donations for our chapter prize draw basket for the Oktoberfest Extravaganza. Whether you are a talented knitter, artist, or have some local delights you could add, let’s once again put together a prize basket that everyone would like to win! Tickets for this in-person event are currently being sold, so make sure to join us in Munich!
Wishing everyone a fantastic week,
Sasha Arrington
Democrats Abroad Germany
Stuttgart and Southwestern Germany Chapter Chair