- Don Lichterman
- Aug 19, 2020
- 7 min read
Voting is one of our most fundamental rights as Americans. But in order to vote, we must first register – and nationwide, people are having trouble doing just that. Act NOW to support online voter registration!
We’re only a few months away from one of the most important elections in generations, and many voter registration hotspots – such as DMVs and town clerks’ offices – have been closed for months to protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The recent protests against anti-Black police violence did create a brief surge in voter registrations,1 but the vital canvassing efforts that normally happen at college campuses, at concerts, and in the streets have been entirely shut down. Despite some states moving towards reopening, it’s likely that these registration options will be severely curtailed through the rest of the year.
That makes a nationwide increase in online voter registration crucial for maintaining our democracy.
Experts say that the loss of in-person registration opportunities during the pandemic this year will especially keep students, people of color, and naturalized immigrants from voting. Every person deserves a chance to have their say in our government, and that’s why it’s so urgent that you act today!
Online voter registration is a proven and secure way to modernize and increase the accessibility of our voter registration systems. Wherever online voter registration isn’t yet an option, state officials need to act NOW to have it ready in time for November’s general election!
AB Animal Warrior Series!
Here we will get to know some of our incredible Animal Warriors a little better. Our next interviewee is AB board member and the founder and director of Synergy Animal Hospice in San Diego, California - Carla Naden
Emma: When did you begin to have an affinity towards animals? Carla: I always have - especially animals that were broken. For example, if there was a bird and a broken bird, I would always go to the broken bird, if that makes sense. Like a baby bird who had fallen out of the nest - I’d just always help. All my life.
Emma: Would you tell us a little about your history and path to becoming involved in animal rescue? Carla: I started off rescuing animals in Baltimore, MD (where I’m from), finding animals on the street, really anywhere I went, it seemed I’d happen upon animals that were lost or injured or needed my help in some way. Then I went to Florida, then Montana - where I became more involved with animal rights activism - as there was a lack of that in Montana at the time. I was vegan, and I began to wonder why there wasn’t more of a correlation between the animals we rescue - like cats and dogs, and the animals that we ingest, that suffer to become food. I never really ate animals, I always rescued them, and that concept began to marinate in my brain a little more about the injustice, and other things that didn’t make sense. It just seemed like common sense to me to not eat them. I made my way to Seattle and then on to San Diego around 2003, where it all blossomed in that realm.
When I first moved to San Diego, I stumbled upon some people who were doing spay/neuter in Mexico. I started going down with them every weekend for clinics and it was super rewarding helping the street dogs there. I just fell in love with the work and found myself more and more involved, learning every aspect of it. It was all so fascinating to learn and to see the need and the love behind it, the community, I just fell in love with it as a whole. I became really passionate and wanted to do more. We were doing a clinic in Tijuana at the fire station and I looked across the street and saw a dog that had passed away. I was afraid that on the busy street that other dogs would try and cross the street and investigate and I didn’t want anyone to be hit by a car, so I went to pick up the body and lo and behold he got up! He started stumbling away and I caught up to him and was able to pick him up and I knew he needed our help. I got him over to one of our vets who quarantined him and worked with him, and I got a call once I was back in the States telling me they had “my” dog and were crossing the border with him! And I was so confused, like, I wanted you to help him and put him back living where he was used to. But that’s not how it happened, and so then he came to California and that’s how “the Blind Rabbi” came to me.
Long story short, he changed my life. He enhanced my passion for it all. I knew that it had to go beyond Mexico, that something else must be out there. Then someone turned me on to Animal Balance! That night, I applied to a campaign in the Galápagos.
Emma: Then you came to the Galápagos with Animal Balance for the first time in, what was that, 2005? Carla: Yes, and it was so amazing that I kept doing campaigns… and I may have also purposely missed my flight home to stay there and keep an eye on a special dog - Benji. He was on Santa Cruz and I was on San Cristobal, so I went back and found him and hung out with him during the day, and found a shopkeeper and her son who agreed to take care of him once I left. I couldn’t leave until I had found him a safe place to stay. Thank you for that opportunity! That made me realize that this was such an amazing organization bringing together people from all over the world doing such incredible things for the communities and the animals. I was just hoping you’d let me stick around then, and look at us now!
Emma: So then in 2007, you came to the Dominican Republic with us? Carla: Yes, the Dominican always reminds me of canned tofu and peanut butter. Ha! I learned a lot about being vegan in the DR. I remember us going to people’s houses, and it was amazing! They were all beautiful, it was so educational - the level of kindness and compassion and gratitude that these beautiful humans had was incredible because AB was sterilizing their animals. It made me realize that literally anything and everything is possible. You can be so happy and not have all the “stuff” we have in the States. I loved learning about their culture and they were all so generous and kind.
Emma: Carla, you were one of the only ones who could walk behind the person's house with the slip lead, with the dogs going nuts and barking at the end of the leash, but you’d stay with them, gain their trust and confidence, and walk out with them. The dogs just trusted you, even when people did not think you’d be able to handle their dog, there you were, with this “fractious” dog, walking on a slip lead! Incredible stuff. Carla: There was a lot of adrenaline, a lot of laughter, and so much beauty. It was very humbling to be able to communicate with an animal with just patience and not force, as a lot of these were animals who weren’t accustomed to a lot of human interaction and lived out behind the homes instead of in them. So we needed to gain the humans' trust and the animals' trust, and also it gave us a chance to show the humans a different side of their animals. They would come into the clinic and their dog would be there on a leash, and it just changed the way they saw their companion animals. So many things happened within each home, with each animal, just by us providing a little assistance and changing the quality of life for the dog and the humans.
Emma: Was there something about a whale? Carla: Ha! Yes, if I had a bucket list it would read as follows...
[1] “George Floyd protests created a surge in voter registrations, groups say.” (CNBC, 06/05/2020.)
Candidates, General Election, The Senate, The House, Voters Suppression, Voters Rights, Gerrymandering & Making Sure of a Fair Vote in 2020!
Nancy Pelosi & Jimmy Carter are joining the call for a National Vote by Mail Option...
Nancy Pelosi said that she’s sprinting to pass a National Vote by Mail Option, “Voting by mail is central to this in any event, but at the time of the coronavirus, very essential.”
Donald Trump hates Vote by Mail. He HATES the Postal Service! He’ll do anything to stop us and sink voter turnout. Donald Trump will silence voters! We must pass a National Vote by Mail Option -- so we’re running a 50 State Campaign to get it done! If we can pull this off, all registered voters will have the necessary options to be able to cast their ballots!
Get your up to date coverage along with all results District by District and State by State with coverage on your Voters Rights, Gerrymandering, Voter Suppression Tactics while fighting for a fair election in 2020. A Look at the Candidates we Back and at the Presidential Race this year in 2020!
Recipe of the Week
Our companies are known for creating products that enhance people's lives. Through Sunset Corporation of America and its companies, we’re equally dedicated to improving lives. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.
The Sustainable Action Network (SAN), A Don Lichterman non-profit organization dedicated to building a global community raising awareness of corruption, injustice and the need for action across a full range of issues impacting people and animal/wildlife welfare around the world, such as conservation, climate change, campaign law, lobbying, government action and rescue work. SAN’s vision is to create safer world, free from political, environmental, and social oppression, where all the inhabitants of Earth can live in harmony within their own natural environments. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
ANIMAL RESCUES WELFARE, CRIMES & ABUSE
PROTECT OUR WILDLIFE
Whales & A Whale of a Week!
