July 14, 2025
One Million Rising Kick-Off Event
| Ready to engage in some strategic non-cooperation against the autocrats, technocrats, oligarchs, and sociopaths in DC? Well here’s your chance to build the foundation to that resistance and be a part of the work-force for freedom, democracy, and the power of we the people. Join us on Wednesday, 6pm, Lewis and Clark Library, when we will live-stream the first of three trainings. Please arrive early (we expect a crowd) and bring a friend who wants to learn to build from the best — Indivisible. Here’s The Plan: |
Every week, Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, co-founders and co-executive directors of Indivisible, host their hour-long “What’s the Plan?” call with tens of thousands of members, to update our progress and answer member questions. This past week, they provided an articulate “theory of change” that motivates the One Million Rising campaign starting this Wednesday evening.
If you ever wanted to know why Indivisible is so successfully leading the national grassroots resistance to authoritarianism — which will escalate into a fascist America if we do not prevail — watch this Zoom recording. If you’re short on time, be sure to start at the 7:00-minute mark, and watch for at least 12 minutes. Then, share the video and bring a friend on Wednesday night.
Join us on Wednesday, 6pm
Lewis and Clark Library
to watch the first live-stream training with other Indivisibles!
Update on
Christopher Martinez
In the past week, Christopher Martinez, abducted by ICE after being racially profiled by local law enforcement, had a court appearance in Missoula last Monday. In addition, Helena residents gave our elected representatives on the Helena City Commission and the Lewis and Clark County Commission an earful about how we don’t want ICE in our community or for our local law enforcement to cooperate in any way with Trump’s secret police. Thank you to all the members of our community, including lots of Indivisible Helena members, for providing such powerful and thoughtful testimony. Meanwhile, the vigils for Christopher and his family will continue every Saturday at noon in Constitution Park until they receive justice.
Let’s make sure there is no ICE in Helena this summer, or ever!
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows*, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
Frederic Douglass, 1857
* Indivisible is fundamentally committed to nonviolent civil disobedience. Without that inalterable commitment, we give authoritarian police state all the permission they need to escalate violence against us and all innocent people.
Good Trouble
Join Good Trouble National Day of Action by marching against the authoritarian policies of the Trump administration, with the Sewing Circle, a group of Helenans who come together informally, to speak up and “say something … when you see something that is not right, not fair, not just …” — John Lewis, Congressman, Freedom Rider
Thursday, July 17, 4pm, in Women’s Park
March up Last Chance Gulch 4:30pm.
For more information call Mary Sivula, 406-437-1817.
Good Reads
The Trump administration targeted 80,000 employees of the Veterans Affairs Administration for layoffs as part of the Big Billionaire Boss Bill. Montana has the third highest percentage of veterans of any state, and yet all of our representatives in DC —Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy as well as Representatives Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing — voted to dramatically cut the agency staff that directly serves them.
But veterans fought back. Though not a complete victory, they saved 50,000 jobs at Veterans Affairs. This is their story.
Tom Homan’s Heart, An Autopsy in Real Time
This article is not hyperbolic, as much as we might wish it to be. It’s true and it’s horrifying. And you won’t read these facts or see the images in the New York Times, Washington Post, or even the Los Angeles Times. The raging truth-tellers are making us look at the full hell our country to headed to — the hell our immigrant community is already inhabiting. We must rage with them, back at the Homans, the Noems, the Stephen Millers.
“Reanimated as Trump’s Border Czar, Homan has returned not to repair the system, but to finish the job — to erase due process, to deport millions, and to transform ICE from a fear-based agency into a full-blown paramilitary arm of the American right.”
“Tom Homan’s heart is the pulsing, authoritarian rhythm of a government losing its soul. It’s a glitching pressure valve pumping fear into federal policy.”
“He’s not a patriot. He’s not a lawman. He’s a warning. A red-faced emissary from a future where borders are policed by AI, children are evidence, and legal rights are conditional — on your accent, your zip code, your skin.”
Trump appointed Homan as his “Border Czar.” In reality, he’s Trump’s Border Nazi.
Indivisible Helena is Planning for the Long Game
At the June 26 Indivisible Helena Membership Meeting at Lewis and Clark Library, Barb Barnes facilitated a session to gather input from members about the issues they care about most and how they want to support Indivisible’s growing efforts. Using information collected from IH members at that meeting, the IH Steering Committee met last week to engage in planning a strong and sustainable organization with a structure that can get us through the long game – ’cause it looks like we are going to need that!
The group drafted these Mission and Vision statements:
- The Mission of Indivisible Helena is to take action to promote, protect, and strengthen Democracy and our shared values and principles of liberty, equality, justice, and civic responsibility.
- Our Vision is for a strong Democracy based on the rule of law that elevates separation of powers, separation of church and state, human and civil rights, economic equity, tribal sovereignty, protection of the public commons, journalistic integrity, public education, science, and culture. We reject authoritarianism, the rule of money, corruption in government, discrimination, oppression, disinformation, and militarized rule.
The Steering Committee is also working to create committees to include the following:
- Communications (need to expand to include more social media)
- Outreach and Recruitment
- Good Trouble (Actions and Events)
- Partners and Coalitions
- Finance and Fundraising
More information will be forthcoming about opportunities to volunteer through these committees.
Please Bear With Us
Indivisible Helena has grown rapidly in the past four months, expanding on the base that was built by Helena Rising after the Women’s March in early 2017. This newsletter is published using different solutions and consequently there may be a few bugs to work out. Please bear with us as we use newer technology to grow even more to meet the challenges of organizing strategic non-cooperation to fight authoritarianism in Helena.
As always, we welcome your constructive feedback on our approach at indivisiblehelena@gmail.com.
Solidarity 🌹
Indivisible Helena
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n: Indivisible Helena
w: https://indivisiblehelena.org
e: indivisiblehelena@gmail.com
i: https://indivisible.org/groups?terms=59601
f: https://www.facebook.com/groups/indivisiblehelena
b: https://bsky.app/profile/indivisiblehelena.bsky.social
d: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/indivisiblehel1357330964
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