This week in political activism April 12-16

Ready to take action to build the community, state and nation you want, but not sure what to do next? Here are some opportunities for political activism this week.

Start local by getting to know your county supervisors and city council

Practice your phone-banking skills and help win a congressional race

Iowa elections are closer than you think. Warm up for election season by making calls side by side with veteran activists from IC Eastside Dems, and help Jon Ossoff win his April 18 special election in Georgia’s 6th district. Bring a laptop and cell phone to participate.

Bring your guns to dinner with your congressman

Have dinner at Godfather’s Pizza and celebrate the 2nd Amendment with Rep. Rod Blum at this monthly event, sponsored by the Iowa Conservative Union. Send your name, mailing address and phone number to iowaconservativeunion.icu@gmail.com for “extreme vetting” to get a seat at this event, which is listed as kid friendly on the Facebook page. Didn’t pass the background check? Join Action Iowa outside at 5:45 p.m. and ask Rep. Blum to hold a public town hall meeting so you can have a word with him.

Get involved with a political party

Check in with the Linn County Libertarians at their monthly meeting, which will include a convention recap, distribution of work, upcoming events, donations and book reports.

Learn about the intersection of media, policy and environment

Jordan Chariton, field reporter for the Young Turks, will speak about independent media’s role in the conversation about sustainability and climate change policy. University Of Iowa Environmental Coalition and Office of Outreach & Engagement are sponsoring the event.

Learn why 1984 is flying off the shelves this year

Explore dystopian fiction’s parallels to present-day America with a day-long symposium, then head to Public Space One for performance art, readings and a panel discussion. Presented by the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights.

Talk mental health with local legislators

Get a word in with your state senators and representatives at a town hall meeting led by the League of Women Voters and the National Association on Mental Illness. Senators Rob Hogg, Wally Horn, Liz Mathis and Dan Zumbach and Representatives Liz Bennett, Ashley Hinson, Ken Rizer, Kirsten Running-Marquardt, Art Staed, Louie Zumbach and Todd Taylor have been invited.

Fight for just taxation, responsible use of tax dollars and presidential transparency

Marches are planned for all five Iowa IRS locations on Tax Day, April 15. The organizers’ demands are a non-discriminatory tax code, a release of the rest of Donald Trump’s tax returns and a reallocation of state and federal tax dollars to fund education, healthcare, infrastructure, housing and government employees and agencies. They also demand Iowa’s congressional delegation fight the use of tax dollars to build a wall along the Mexican border and the Dakota Access and Keystone Pipelines.

Get a crash course in local government

Learn what county and city officials actually do, including boards and commissions. Learn about local government’s role in the food system, where local taxes come from and where they go, how to be an advocate in your town and county and the function of local political parties. Join a discussion about the path forward to create a more welcoming Linn County, and celebrate the 200th birthday of George Greene, one of Cedar Rapids founders. RSVP preferred.

Did we miss something? Feel free to comment below with other events!

The author is an active member of the Democratic Party.