On March 1, 2020, Legal Insurrection Foundation, for which this website is a platform, celebrated its first anniversary since launch.
Our Anniversary post detailed our first year of operation, including many highlights, videos and photos. As a tax-exempt 501(c)(3), donations to the Legal Insurrection Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law.
We had planned a separate fundraiser for our First Anniversary, but postponed it because the signs already were in place of a stock market and economic panic over the emerging Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. Although reader donations always have been a key source of fundraising for us, the timing didn’t seem right.
We’re now running our first fundraiser of 2020 to coincide with a relaunched May 5 national Giving Tuesday. With the situation finally settling out, with many states reopening and with the horrific unemployment situation hopefully bottoming out, we’re again turning to readers.
The pandemic has forcesd us to rework our strategy. During our inaugural year 2019 into early 2020, our strategy was to (1) pursue research and investigation on selective issues in a depth not seen elsewhere, and (2) get out from behind our computer screens and meet people, readers and other audiences alike.
That first goal, research and investigation, continues, though we have had to put on hold the plan to add an additional team member because of the financial uncertainty. That’s something we’d like to be in a position to move forward on this year, but time will tell.
The second goal, getting out and meeting people, has needed a change of plans. Our February 2020, Los Angeles speaking appearances and reader reception were a hit. But then the pandemic hit. Our March 2020 Florida free speech tour and reader reception were cancelled due to travel restrictions, and Samantha’s appearance at Northeastern University also was canceled as the university shut down. It’s unlikely we’re going to be able to arrange in-person appearances before mid-to-late summer, maybe even the fall. We’re already looking into that.
In place of travel, we’ve started doing online live events. That is the future, at least for the next several months. While the first two events (on April 26 and May 5, upcoming) were open Facebook and YouTube Live events, the next phase may be more limited Zoom events, with registration required. The goal is to try to replicate the reader reception experience. We’re open to ideas.
BIG PICTURE. The narrative above is details. The big picture is that long before the pandemic hit, we focused on issues of free speech and related repression (governmental, campus, tech industry) that have become even more real. The word police are out in full force, the crackdown on social media is worse than ever, and petty government tyrants are run amok.
The themes and concerns we have been covering in the almost 12 years of Legal Insurrection and 1 year of Legal Insurrection Foundation now are at the forefront. In some ways, fighting this repressive environment is just what we were made for, and with your support we hope to bring the legal insurrection spirit to the fight.
From all of us at Legal Insurrection, we appreciate reader support and look forward to busting out of lockdown soon.
You can donate using credit card or PayPal at this link, or using Donate Button below. Checks can be mailed to Legal Insurrection Foundation, 18 Maple Ave #280, Barrington, RI 02806.
[FEATURED IMAGE: Leslie Eastman, Samantha Mandeles, Me, Kemberlee Kaye, at Los Angeles reader reception.]
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