Inequality In America

Almost every problem America faces has its roots in inequality; social and economic. Addressing inequality is critical if we are to make any headway in the fields of health care, employment and the future of work, education, and even dealing with climate change.

Equality is the American ideal; "With liberty and justice for all." So it is important to understand that we cannot succeed as a Nation without confronting social and economic inequality head on.

This means, that we must strive for equal rights, no matter your race, gender, age, or any other physical description. It means we must strive for equal opportunity no matter your family's net worth. It means, improving schooling, improving our social safety net, and investing in our people as an investment in our Nation. And, it means redefining the role of our Nation's police, re-examining the goals and the means of policing. We need to find ways to include more direct community involvement in policing, and raising the standards for entry for recruits. We must see a reduction in the unnecessary use of violence, particularly against black Americans.

Our economy needs work as well. We can no longer accept the concept of "Trickle Down" without a comparable and perhaps even more robust application of "Trickle UP." The leaves of our national tree have been getting plenty of sunshine and water; it is time to pay attention to the roots. To the very wealthy in America, I have good news: your lives will be better if the rest of us are healthier, better educated, and a little better off.

We will strive for balance. This is one of the most difficult goals toachieve - it is a moving target, and the instant we find balance, things are already shifting. It is a job that is never finished.

And yet, it is a job that must be done. We must put in the effort now, to plant seeds for trees we may never see, to build an America that works for all of us. Our Nation, and our world, depend on us.

NøPE

No Plastics In my Environmemt

We all use too much single-use plastic, and often we don't have a lot of choice in the matter. For example, if you order a cup of coffee on a flight, it can arrive with a single-use plastic lid and stirrer. Wearing a NøPE button lets your flight attendant know you don't want any single-use plastic. If you go to a coffee shop wearing a NøPE button, the server at the counter knows you want a ceramic cup or a paper cup with no plastic lid. At restaurants, your NøPE button means you want cardboard go boxes, that you don't want a plastic straw, that you want to do what you can to eliminate single-use plastics.

NøPE means "No Plastics in my Environment". It can also mean you want your school or other organization to divest themselves of petroleum based investments. It means you want to preserve the Earth for future generations.

It may take some time to achieve these goals, but raising awareness is the place to start. Every time someone notices your NoPE button, you have made a tiny difference. These tiny differences will add up over time and lead to minds and actions being changed.

We came up with NøPE as part of our campaign for Congress in Kentucky's 2nd District - that's why our campaign is a small part of the NøPE button. If you want to use the artwork we have created for your organization or political campaign, please feel free to use our artwork to order your own buttons, you are free to replace our campaign info with yours. We reserve the right to withdraw this permission if your organization is trying to undermine the elimination of single-use plastics.

We will also send out a NøPE button with a thank-you note for every contribution to our campaign of $50.00 or more. Contribute here at ActBlue .