Monday, June 11, 2018, State House, 107 N. Main Street

This week, the rally held a Memorial Service at the door of the State House to remember those who have died due to lack of healthcare and due to ecological devastation. Four participants staged a “die-in” during the Memorial Service and blocked entry to the State House through its front doors. Those arrested were Rev. Patrick McLaughlin, pastor of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester, Phoebe Stone of Manchester, Trudy Mott-Smith of Concord and Kathy Oliver of Marlborough.

Leading prayers at during the rally and Memorial Service were Rev. Jason Wells, executive director the NH Council of Churches, Rev. Carolyn Stevenson of St. David Episcopal Church in Salem and Father Sam Fuller of St. Anne-St. Augustin Catholic Church in Manchester.

During the rally, Sara Pereschino of Moms for Clean Air Force read a letter by Carrie Becker. Carrie said, “I’m worried about the future impacts climate change and decreasing air quality will have on my son, Justin, who also has allergies and very mild asthma. My hope is that he won’t have the breathing issues, due to air quality, that I’ve had when he’s an adult.”

Rindge resident Patricia Martin added, “Poor people pay more, as a percentage of income, for transportation, heating their homes and housing. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative helps people reduce their heating costs. In New Hampshire, the RGGI program is under attack every single legislative session. If we are really going to save the planet from climate disaster in time, we need a level of mobilization by people and industry that we haven’t seen since WWII.”

On Monday, June 11, we continue week 5 of our 40 Days of Moral Action!

PLEASE COME AGAIN on Monday, June 11 for another Day of Moral Action:

• 12:00 noon at St. Paul’s Church, 21 Centre Street, for an orientation to the day’s actions. This is required for people who risk arrest. If you’d rather take another volunteer role, this is a good time to show up.
• 2:00pm A rally in front of the State House with numerous, diverse speakers
• 3:00pm You are invited to support those risking arrest with your presence, signs, songs, photos and videos. Your support makes a difference!

Some of the specific national demands this week include:

• We demand federal and state living wage laws, guaranteed annual incomes, full employment and the right for all workers to form and join unions. We also demand fully-funded welfare programs for the poor.
• We demand equal pay for equal work.
• We demand equity in education, ensuring every child receives a high-quality, well-funded, diverse public education. We demand free tuition at public colleges and universities and an end to profiteering on student debt. We demand equitable funding for HBCUs.
• We demand the expansion of Medicaid in every state and the protection of Medicare until the full implementation of single-payer universal health care for all.
• We demand reinvestment in and expansion of public housing, ensuring that all have a decent house to live in.
• We demand equal treatment and accessible housing, health care and mobility, adequate income and services for people with disabilities.
• We demand public infrastructure projects and sustainable, community-based and controlled economic initiatives that target poor and rural communities.
• We demand relief from crushing household, student, and consumer debt. We declare Jubilee.
• We demand that the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share of our country’s urgent needs around decent and affordable housing, free public education, a robust social safety net and social security.
• We demand the repeal of the 2017 federal tax law and the reinvestment of those funds into social programming that helps all.
• We demand an end to mass incarceration and the continuing inequalities for black, brown and poor white people within the criminal justice system.
• We demand equality and the safety of all persons regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.