Floating for Freedom
Hello Fellow Freedom Advocate!
This week we CRUISE.
That's right! The time has come for our second fundraising event:
The Maine Stands Up Freedom Cruise
This Thursday the 15th, The Casablanca will be sailing at 6pm sharp from the Porthole in Portland.
The tickets are capped at 150 and what’s left is going to go quick. Secure yours in advance so you don’t get left on the dock!
Don’t miss the boat. Get your tickets here.
Friendly reminders:
Arrive no later than 5:30 to secure your wristband for entry
Ages 16 and up are welcome
You may bring food but no outside alcohol
Bags will be searched at the door
Cash bar
Go back in time and wear garb from your favorite decade . . . think 60’s, 70’s, 80’s
Be ready to DANCE
T-shirts, stickers, and magnets will be available for purchase
Advocacy
It is happening. Schools and colleges across the US are reversing their decisions to require masks. Keep the faith! Our Advocacy Group has composed sample letters to distribute to schools and businesses. Now we need YOU to send them. Please request to join the Advocacy Signal thread and email winchestersheryl@gmail.com to get on the mailing list for updates and Zoom meeting links.
Education
The Homeschooling group is organizing quickly. Their website is projected to be up by the end of this month. Resources to be found on the website may include: Tutors, Co-ops/Drop-off Programs, Workshops and Classes, Arts, Music, and Dance, Teen Programs, Meet-ups, Skill Shares/Apprenticeships, Education Swaps, Classifieds, Sports, and a Calendar of Events.
The Education/Youth/Homeschooling group is seeking people to volunteer to be leaders in the different regions of Maine who will act as guides for new families seeking support within their network, as well as a Newsletter coordinator. The next meeting will be July 11th. To get involved contact sashakutsy@protonmail.com.
https://wgme.com/news/local/school-enrollment-drops-in-maine
Update from the Legislative Committee:
The legislative committee held its first meeting this past Friday with Diane Miller, an attorney who sits on the Board of Directors for the National Health Freedom Coalition. Diane reiterated that the dynamics in the Maine Legislature will present a challenge in moving RTR bills forward. Relationships are important and relationships with legislators on both sides of the aisle are especially crucial. Because of this, we will be reaching out to a few trusted legislators to run some ideas past them and report back to the larger group.
We will also be combing through Right to Refuse bills from other states as we craft language for our own bill that works best for Maine and has the highest chance of success.
Maine Legislative Watch Dogs will be working on cleaning up voter rolls this summer and is a place where MSU members can volunteer to assist, as we touched on in a recent meeting. Please find us here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mainelegislativewatchdogs
Taking Action & Leading by Example
Presque Isle Group
Amazing news coming in from our Presque Isle group . . . As a unit, they are focusing on spreading the news about MSU across the upper Aroostook area. They will be visiting businesses and talking with owners about what MSU is and posting our flyers. They have also signed up to work on the Right to Refuse bill with Gina Leduc, Dick Campbell, Heidi Sampson, Premal, and others.
Portland Group
The Portland group has committed to scouting the local businesses not enforcing masks so that the community can support them. They will also be reaching out to the businesses still enforcing masks. They plan to print, sign, and seal letter templates from the Advocacy Committee at the next meeting and then distribute them to these businesses. These letters will be asking for the use of masks to be lifted. They are also planning to set up a booth very soon at a busy location in Portland to spread the word about MSU.
Ellsworth Group
Persistent efforts are being made by this group to confront shopkeepers whose stores still have "face mask required unless vaccinated" signs posted. One beautiful example:
An overweight employee was spotted by a member in the Shaw’s parking lot. Face-masked in the 80+ degree heat, he was pushing carts around and looked to be totally exhausted. She spoke to him while passing by and gently suggested that he needed to breathe plenty of good oxygen without the mask on, especially while engaged in heavy work. She then called to speak to the manager to report her concern, she was told that it was that employee's choice to keep their mask on. The young worker struck her as possibly having some developmental delays and she wasn't sure that he had really been given informed consent by the manager. She followed up with an email stating:
“I am not satisfied with this situation. Somehow that young man just didn't seem competent and NO one should be allowed to wear these breathing-impairment devices while doing physical labor. Where is Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration?”
The Ellsworth group are grateful for all of those who speak up on behalf of the 'voiceless,’ the innocents, and those who may not realize they have a right to speak up and protect themselves from detrimental practices.
The Northern Freedom Tour (Round One)
What a way to ring in Independence Day! Last weekend two members from the Yarmouth group, Isaiah and Emily (along with their mascot, Pooch), had a blast cruising north to spread the word about MSU. The mission was to visit large towns in the counties that have yet to establish a meeting. We know a huge base of support lives out where they “didn’t get the COVID memo,” and Maine is still “the way life should be.” Their route included Waldoboro, Bangor, Machias, Cutler, Lincoln, Houlton, Danforth, Dover-Foxcroft, Skowhegan, and many random gas stations, corner stores, gun shops, and bathrooms along the way (posting a flyer across from a toilet is a sure-fire way to get someone’s undivided attention).
Our two members were so well received by the good folks of Maine. Many shop owners were happy to have our flyer front and center. In response to the flyer’s headline, people reacted with, “You’re suing the Governor?! Awesome. That's amazing. Thank you,” and, “We’re not going to be taking her out to lunch anytime soon, that's for sure.” Isaiah and Emily connected with many folks and heard their stories, hearing similarities and common threads within them. These included: parents pulling children out of public schools, people avoiding unnecessary medical interventions, and business owners keeping their doors open even when the fear was high and they were asked to shut them. Though there may be distance between us in this great state, our beliefs, mindsets, and experiences are not so vastly different from one another’s.
The work will not get done unless we do it. That is the motto that motivated these two MSU members to take on this tour. It was inspiring for them, and hopefully for you, too! We saw a large increase in visits to our website during their tour. People want to know about MSU. We have flyers and business cards available on our website, with t-shirts, stickers, and magnets coming soon. Take initiative like Isaiah and Emily did. Let us know about your experiences!
Some of their fun was captured over on Instagram in both posts and highlights—check it out!
Your Turn to Take Action
Get involved in a committee today.
Seeking Committee Leaders for:
Fundraising & Event Planning
Emotional & Spiritual Support
Street Activism
Email info@mainestandsup.org to learn more and stand up as a committee leader.
