Newsletter – May 9, 2025

KCfD Members,

When this group formed in early February, we had no idea what it was going to look like. The only thing we knew for certain was that we had to do something. Even though we are just everyday citizens who have no remarkable accomplishments or name recognition to speak of, we could not sit by and watch the last remnants of our Constitutional Republic (which has already been nipped away at for decades by monied powers) be shredded by a authoritarian-minded President who would love nothing more than to rule our land as some form of dictator or king. My wife and I could not look our kids in the eyes ten or twenty years from now and tell them we were as guilty as those in the past who stood by while their nations slipped into fascism.

We quickly discovered that there were like-minded people like yourselves who were feeling frustrated and hopeless by the barrage of negative news coming out of the new administration, and who also wanted to do something, but did not know what. We could feel the wide range of emotions that came pouring through as each and every person got to speak at our first meeting. There is a hunger for this work right now!

We do not have a magic bullet to cure all our nation’s problems. In many ways, we are “building this airplane as we are flying it.” However, we know there is power in a group of like-minded citizens coming together to defy authoritarianism and lift up the public good.

Many of you have responded to the call to “build this plane” with us by signing up for one of our three committees (Educate, Activate, and Elevate). In the coming weeks and months, these committees will be refining our mission and vision and deciding how this group can make a difference in our communities, state, and country. They will then become the catalyst for direct action steps we can all take to counter the tides of authoritarianism and “be the light” for our fellow citizens.

I am proud of what this group has already been able to accomplish in a little over three months. We have hosted a town hall, been interviewed by multiple media outlets, and members of our group have spoken at large rallies. We have shown a bright light on an issue (Oldham’s relationship with ICE) that might have otherwise been ignored by most.

In today’s edition of our Newsletter, our Associate Director, Anita Davis, will be offering some quick action steps you can take right now if you are looking for something you can do on an individual basis.

Starting next week, our Newsletter will begin to include sections from all three of our committees. Just like our group, our Newsletter will evolve as we grow.

Thanks to each and every one of you for supporting this amazing organization. I am proud to be in the fight right along each and every one of you, and I am incredibly excited to see what we can accomplish in the coming months!

If you are tired of turning on the news and feeling angry and frustrated, do not sit around feeling hopeless. Turn that anger and frustration into a purpose. Go to our website, fill out the volunteer form, and get in the fight with us!

We would love to have you be part of our team.

Hello KCfD!

I am excited to introduce to you the Educate Committee!

Ian Akers, Genie Fortunato, Daniel Hamilton, Alex LeBlanc, Laura Parker, Eric Ruppel, and Mike Toibin

Thank you all for joining our mission to counter the corrosion of our civic discourse by providing resources for our members and fellow Kentuckians with the aim to help inform them on constitutional principles, democratic norms, and current political developments.

We have already had a couple of meetings and the ideas are percolating! But, we can always use more. If you have a great idea for a resource or topic or event, please send them our way. We want to make sure we are providing what you, our members, need. Even better, consider joining us, we want to voice as many perspectives as possible and love to have you.

Alright, taking my recruiter hat off and back to the ideas. Recognizing that community must be the cornerstone of everything we do, the Educate Committee is hard at work hammering out the details for hosting an informal, recurring, group discussion on civic and political topics. We are calling it…drumroll…Spill the Tea with KCfD!

We would love for this to be a fun and relaxed event where we come together and share our thoughts and perspectives on the specific topic, maybe over a cup of joe or a brew. Being able to speak on your principles and viewpoints is more crucial than ever, but something we do increasingly less and less, so practice is a must.

We’ve decided to tackle the biggest and perhaps most important questions first. What is government for anyways? While you mull that over, keep a lookout in the next couple of weeks, here in the newsletter and on the Facebook group, for details on time and venue for our inaugural meeting.

Fighting Fascism- One Action at a Time, One Thing a Day

Doomscrolling or watching the news and feeling hopeless and/or angry? You aren’t alone. Millions of us are watching the growing threats to our democracy with a sense of dread and uncertainty. Authoritarians thrive in environments where citizens shrink back and refrain from pushing back. Now, more than ever, each of us must act to stop the grab for power, destruction of democratic norms, and outright indecency of the MAGA movement.

In this and upcoming newsletters, we will share ways for you to let your voice be heard and ways for you to replace doomscrolling with action. We will outline the what, why, and how of each, along with a doable goal for you to achieve. This week, we start with the most effective way to influence change with elected officials: Personal Contact. This is a two-parter. Part One is Why Calls Matter; Part Two is Flooding the Zone. Let’s jump in.

What: Phone Calls to Elected Officials

Why: Personal Contacts Get More Attention

Congressional staffers are hired to listen to constituents’ concerns and record these for the elected official. Personal phone calls are cited as the most influential way to get an elected’s attention and desired future action. Postcards, emails, and letters take time to process and be tallied. Calls are tallied right away.

Since Trump returned to office, phone call volume to DC was reported at 40x the normal. Staffers stated that it was difficult to keep up with the voicemails and calls coming in. Two things are a given when dealing with electeds:

1) They want to be re-elected; and 2) The squeaky wheel gets the attention.

Translation – The issues that constituents are lighting them up about creates situations in which the elected will receive spotlighted attention on their actions. Knowing that their actions may alienate a segment of their constituents becomes a dilemma and often can push them to make a stance or decision that they could not have otherwise.

Calling is the number one way you can exert influence on an elected. It’s quick and easy. It works on all levels, from the school board to your DC officials.

How: Begin with the End in Mind

Chances are, when you call an official, you won’t speak to them directly. Someone is going to translate your call for the official. The goal is to have a clear and succinct message that the aide can translate to the official or staff member assigned to gather constituent feedback on issues. If you call often enough, you will encounter all types of staffers or aides and will get used to being sent to voicemail. Most staffers are polite and just want to quickly get your message. A few staffers may be a bit more prickly to deal with, but it’s a small price to pay in our efforts to preserve democracy.

We have prepared resources for you that you can use when reaching out to your elected officials. “Why Calls Matter” and “Calling Your Elected Official.” Remember, in the end, your message is most likely going to be translated to a short note with the issue you called about and your stance on it. Keeping that end in mind helps shape how your call should be crafted. Hopefully, our resource page becomes a useful guide for you.

Challenge: You Can Do This!

Replace five minutes of social media or tv time with phone calls to your elected officials. Save the phone numbers of your elected officials to your contacts. Use the 5 Calls script if you need help organizing your thoughts. Then, start calling. Daily or weekly, make it a top priority of your Fighting Fascism action plan. We also encourage you to share this resource with others.

Hello!

The first meeting of the Elevate committee was this week, and we have decided to commit to a couple of opportunities as a group to get started. Our goal is to do good work in the community to lift up our neighbors!

Food Drive:

At the next meeting we would like to donate items to the new food pantry (Mission House) that has opened up in Crestwood. Please bring one or more of the following items to the next meeting!

Personal Care Items:

• Soap
• Shampoo/Conditioner
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Deodorant
• Toilet Paper
• Paper Towels

Food:

• Macaroni & Cheese
• Peanut Butter
• Jelly
• Spaghetti and Sauce
• Pop-Tarts
• Fruit
• Canned Chicken or Tuna

Events!

In the interest of building community with like-minded folks, please save the date for KY Citizens for Democracy night out on 6/20/25 at 3rd Turn Oldham Gardens! This is a family and pet-friendly establishment owned by similarly like-minded folks! Please come spend a Friday night and meet other folks in our area!

We also plan to host a trivia event this summer, details forthcoming!

Ways to Participate Now:

Bring items for the drive to the May 22 meeting and ATTEND!

Save the date (6/20) to build community this summer!

We will be bringing red cards to the next meeting that clearly explain rights if approached by ICE. We will have them at the meeting, and we encourage folks to take them and distribute them in the community.

We would love more volunteers who want to help our community, or even ideas on how you think we could help, even if you can’t commit to being on the committee! If you are interested, please let us know!

May 6-12: National Boycott of Amazon

May 15, 22, 29: Indivisible Weekly Chat 3:00-4:00 pm

May 16-22: National Boycott of Walmart

May 22: KY Citizens for Democracy General Meeting 6:30-8:00 pm at St. James Episcopal Church

June 14: No Kings National Protest Day

Check our calendar on the KCfD website for more information about these events.