Do you believe Republican presidential candidate and reality show star Donald Trump should face criminal charges for inciting violence? Left Action‘s BOLD PAC says yes.
From the group’s recent action alert:
Donald Trump has built a campaign around offensive and divisive comments. And now, he’s directly inciting VIOLENCE!
Time and time again, peaceful protesters have been beaten by Trump’s supporters while spectators look on and cheer.
In one incident in North Carolina, Trump even offered to pay for the legal fees of one of his supporters who punched a protester.
The law is clear: by going from state to state and expressly encouraging violence, Trump is guilty of inciting a riot.
18 U.S. Code, Section 2101: Whoever travels in interstate or foreign commerce… to organize, promote, encourage, participate in, or carry on a riot; or to commit any act of violence in furtherance of a riot; or to aid or abet any person in inciting or participating in or carrying on a riot or committing any act of violence in furtherance of a riot… shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
Regardless of Trump’s dangerous political platform, his behavior has crossed the line, and it’s only a matter of time before even more people get hurt.
The group is gathering 100,000 petition signatures calling on Attorney General Loretta Lynch to charge Trump for inciting violence. If you agree, sign the petition at ChargeTrump.com.
The second activism notice of the day regards a nationwide #FightFor15 strike and protest taking place today.
Locally, the Nashville Feminist Collective and a host of area progressive groups and individuals are holding two rallies to demand a living wage for low-income workers. As the local Nashville #FightFor15 effort notes on its Facebook page, “McJobs cost workers a chance a fair wages and good life and cost taxpayers billions in safety net spending just so working families can survive.”
Progressive Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders supports the effort. Last year, he introduced federal legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
“It is a national disgrace that millions of full-time workers are living in poverty and millions more are forced to work two or three jobs just to pay their bills,” Sanders said. “A job must lift workers out of poverty, not keep them in it. The current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage and must be raised to a living wage.”
Progressive Green Party presidential and vice presidential candidates Dr. Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala also have spoken out in favor of #FightFor15.
“The greed of the One Percent knows no bounds. The rest of us are paying the price, as over 60 percent of Americans now report that the cost of living exceeds their income, while the stock market continues at near record highs and income disparities hit the most extreme levels since 1928,” they wrote in a joint statement. “We must transform this economy for the 1% into an economy that serves us all. We need jobs at living wages, free universal health care and education including college, and affordable housing, transportation and utilities. We need an Emergency Green New Deal to provide jobs for everyone while eliminating fossil fuels, halting climate collapse, and making wars for oil obsolete. This is all within our reach if we the people lead the way. …We stand with you. Thank you for leading the charge. Onward to $15 Now!”
(Despite turning up to be visible at New York’s recent celebration for instituting the $15 minimum in the Empire State, the Democratic establishment candidate — aka NOT progressive, however much the establishment insists the opposite — is on record as being willing to settle for $12 per hour for everyone else.)
April 14 gatherings take place in Music City in the morning and late afternoon. At 10 am, join demonstrators at Charlotte Avenue and 47th for a rally. Another is at 5 pm at the Centennial Park Parthenon. Be there and add your voice to the call for economic justice and for a $15 per hour minimum wage. The people, united, can never be defeated!
