Congress listened – now we keep going. FREEDOM UNITED.

“For six months, Rose was beaten and forced to sell her body on the street. Her pimp kept her under 24-hour surveillance and deprived her of food and vital medicine.”[1]

Congress has finally introduced the bill we’ve been supporting that will help protect youth in America from trafficking and exploitation – the Runaway and Homeless Youth Trafficking Prevention Act (S. 2571; H.R. 5339). And this announcement is timely as April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Now, you have a chance to help ensure that kids like Rose don’t fall through the cracks.Tell Congress to pass the RHYTPA and protect kids from trafficking.

Traffickers target homeless children and youth because they are low risk and easy to manipulate. Their vulnerability, combined with inadequate support, makes homeless and runaway children and youth particularly susceptible to human trafficking, often being forced into exploitative labor or sex to receive basic necessities.

36% of all labor trafficking and 49% of all sex trafficking cases reported in the United States in 2016 involved victims whose exploitation began when they were only children, between the ages of 12 and 17, but there are likely many other cases that go unreported.[2]

Call on Congress now to protect children in the United States from exploitation and abuse.

Senator Heitkamp, one of the bill’s introducers said, “We know that children and teenagers who run away…are at greater risk of being trafficked and exploited, and they lack the support networks and wrap-around services they need to succeed. We must provide them with every opportunity to reach their full potential in a safe and supportive environment.”[3]

That’s why reauthorizing the RHYTPA is so important – because it better protectsrunaway and homeless youth in the US and ensures their access to life-saving services. The bill must now be assigned to committees in Congress for voting. And if it passes that vote, it has to be voted on twice more before it becomes a law.

We still have a journey ahead of us, but we will keep raising our voices together for America’s vulnerable youth! Keep up the momentum...

In solidarity,

Joanna, Alex and the teams at Freedom United and National Network for Youth.

©2018 Freedom United is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
4501 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 132, Raleigh, NC 27604 USA

Endorsement I'm really proud of. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE PAT RYAN.

Hi David -- Yesterday, Moms Demand Action added me to their list of candidates they're supporting. That means a lot to me, especially after I've taken an outspoken position on stopping gun violence, bucking the "DC conventional wisdom" that you can't talk about guns in places like NY-19. Now less than 90 days from the primary. Thanks to your support, the campaign is going really well. 

 

Every day is a sprint. And we have a major deadline on Saturday--my FINAL quarterly filing deadline before the primary. (Honestly, I don't think anyone is more excited than I am that this is the last one.)

 

It's going to take more than money to win. Which is why I told my team I want to knock on thousands of doors before the primary. 

 

Conor Lamb's win in a district that Trump won by 20 points still has me fired up. He did it because earned the trust of voters that Dems haven't been able to reach in a while. I'm following a similar path in my race (in a district Trump won by 7). My approach is getting noticed. Charlie Cook (one of the top political forecasters) ranks me as a front-runner in the primary and I've earned the backing of former DCCC Chairman Steve Israel.

 

Truly: THANK YOU.

 

Best,

Pat

patryanforcongress.com

 

 

 

 

 

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION- THE VALUE OF PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY.

(I AM A MEMBER.- DAVID.)

Dear DAVID,

I am writing today to let you know that the APA board of officers has approved the following statement, which was proposed by the committee on public philosophy and the committee on the status and future of the profession:

The American Philosophical Association values philosophers' participation in the public arena. This includes work that engages with contemporary issues as well as work that brings traditional philosophies to non-traditional settings. Public philosophy may also bring the discipline into dialogue with other humanities, the arts, natural sciences, social sciences, and interested people outside of academia. Public philosophy is done in a variety of traditional and non-traditional media. Public philosophy can be especially valuable when it reaches populations that tend not to have access to philosophy and philosophers. Further, the APA notes that public philosophy raises the profile of the discipline, the scholar, and the home institution.

The APA encourages departments, colleges, and universities to recognize public philosophy as a growing site of scholarly involvement. To that end, the APA encourages institutions to develop standards for evaluating and practices for rewarding public philosophy in decisions regarding promotion, tenure, and salary, so that faculty members who are interested in this work may, if they choose, pursue it with appropriate recognition and without professional discouragement or penalty. Although peer-reviewed scholarly publications remain central to the profession, the APA applauds philosophers' contributions to public policy, to consultation with government, medical, business, and civil society institutions, and to public opinion in general. Public philosophy presented or published outside of standard academic venues has evident value as external service to the profession and/or community. But we also urge institutions to consider broadening their standards for evidence of excellence in research and teaching and to consider whether their faculty’s work in public philosophy is more properly counted as contributing to these latter categories of faculty evaluation.

We encourage you to use this statement as a tool in your own institution to advocate for policies and practices that recognize public philosophy and all scholars who do publicly engaged work.

All the best,

Amy E. Ferrer

Executive Director

This isn't about politics or fundraising. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE JASON RITTEREISER.

(AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, I HAVE SUSPENDED MY RULE AGAINST PUBLISHING ANY REQUESTS

FOR DONATIONS. THIS RARELY HAPPENS, BUT I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE IN THIS CASE.)

David,

Tonight I’m taking a few hours off of the campaign trail for something much more important than political fundraising deadlines.

Earlier this year, Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel McCartney was killed in the line of duty and his loss has been felt throughout our community. Please take a moment to read this touching obituary from his family.

I grew up in a law enforcement family, so my dad and I will be attending a concert tonight to benefit Deputy McCartney’s wife and three sons. If you’re in the area and can attend, I encourage you to do so. If you can’t make it, please consider making a donation to the legacy fund established by TAPCO Credit Union in his honor. I know anything you can give to help Tytus, Tate, and Traxton will be greatly appreciated.