To: Linda Johnson, President and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library
Tell Brooklyn Public Library to stop funding the Koch Brothers
Dear Brooklyn Public Library,
Your Night of Philosophy event on January 28 was an emblem of what makes Brooklyn great - an all-night celebration of art and intellectual discourse that attracted a diverse crowd of thousands.
One thing about the evening, however, did not fit in. Your paper products supplier is Georgia-Pacific, a division of Koch Industries. As you may already know, Koch Industries is run by Charles and David Koch, two brothers who are among the most prolific Republican donors in modern history.
Through their political arm Americans for Prosperity, among others, the Koch Brothers have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into positions like opposing environmental protections and fighting the reelection of Barack Obama.
The Koch Brothers were one the biggest beneficiaries of Citizens United, and bankrolled a multitude of Tea Party candidates, fueling the rise of the reactionary conservatism that has led to the election of Donald Trump. Though they are not direct allies of Trump, he has greatly benefited from their influence, and the Koch brothers gave millions to help Republican Senate and Congressional candidates in the last election, further aiding Trump.
Perhaps more than any other private citizens, they bear responsibility for the horrifying political state we find ourselves in today, and, more than any other private citizens, have bought our political system. They are now promising to spend $400 million influencing the 2018 midterm elections, and will likely spend more than that on the next presidential campaign.
Brooklyn has welcomed immigrants for hundreds of years, since before this nation was founded. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Italians, West Indians, Irish, Puerto Ricans, Poles, Mexicans, Chinese, Yemenis, Syrians, Indians, Russians, and many other peoples have flocked to our borough in large numbers in search of peace and a better life, and have found a place to call home.
Nowhere in this country better tells the American immigrant story than Brooklyn.
Before Donald Trump's inauguration, the rising tide of racial animus brought out by his hateful rhetoric was already evident. Swastikas and other hate symbols appeared in our neighborhoods. Epithets were shouted at Muslims and other vulnerable minorities, and hate speech online jumped exponentially.
The news of the last few days brings the urgency of this moment into stark relief.
Donald Trump's executive order banning Muslims is a vile, un-American act. It threatens our neighbors, shopkeepers, students, teachers, doctors, lawyers, police, and firefighters - our whole community - in a way this country hasn't seen in generations.
Brooklyn, like the rest of New York City, voted overwhelmingly in November to reject Donald Trump's disgusting brand bigotry and racism.
We are now calling on you, our public library, one of our cherished institutions, to heed the demands of your constituents and refuse to allow our tax dollars to support Republicans and Trump's racist agenda.
We are calling on you to boycott all Georgia-Pacific products immediately.
We ask that you similarly boycott any others services or products you purchase from other divisions of Koch Industries, and call for an audit into your other vendors to ensure that our tax dollars are not supporting causes that are against our collective interests.
Please consider replacing Georgia-Pacific with an environmentally friendly, socially responsible alternative that better aligns with the values of your constituents.
May those around the world who are struggling and striving always be able to call our borough home, and may our libraries continue to educate us and enrich our lives.
Your Night of Philosophy event on January 28 was an emblem of what makes Brooklyn great - an all-night celebration of art and intellectual discourse that attracted a diverse crowd of thousands.
One thing about the evening, however, did not fit in. Your paper products supplier is Georgia-Pacific, a division of Koch Industries. As you may already know, Koch Industries is run by Charles and David Koch, two brothers who are among the most prolific Republican donors in modern history.
Through their political arm Americans for Prosperity, among others, the Koch Brothers have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into positions like opposing environmental protections and fighting the reelection of Barack Obama.
The Koch Brothers were one the biggest beneficiaries of Citizens United, and bankrolled a multitude of Tea Party candidates, fueling the rise of the reactionary conservatism that has led to the election of Donald Trump. Though they are not direct allies of Trump, he has greatly benefited from their influence, and the Koch brothers gave millions to help Republican Senate and Congressional candidates in the last election, further aiding Trump.
Perhaps more than any other private citizens, they bear responsibility for the horrifying political state we find ourselves in today, and, more than any other private citizens, have bought our political system. They are now promising to spend $400 million influencing the 2018 midterm elections, and will likely spend more than that on the next presidential campaign.
Brooklyn has welcomed immigrants for hundreds of years, since before this nation was founded. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Italians, West Indians, Irish, Puerto Ricans, Poles, Mexicans, Chinese, Yemenis, Syrians, Indians, Russians, and many other peoples have flocked to our borough in large numbers in search of peace and a better life, and have found a place to call home.
Nowhere in this country better tells the American immigrant story than Brooklyn.
Before Donald Trump's inauguration, the rising tide of racial animus brought out by his hateful rhetoric was already evident. Swastikas and other hate symbols appeared in our neighborhoods. Epithets were shouted at Muslims and other vulnerable minorities, and hate speech online jumped exponentially.
The news of the last few days brings the urgency of this moment into stark relief.
Donald Trump's executive order banning Muslims is a vile, un-American act. It threatens our neighbors, shopkeepers, students, teachers, doctors, lawyers, police, and firefighters - our whole community - in a way this country hasn't seen in generations.
Brooklyn, like the rest of New York City, voted overwhelmingly in November to reject Donald Trump's disgusting brand bigotry and racism.
We are now calling on you, our public library, one of our cherished institutions, to heed the demands of your constituents and refuse to allow our tax dollars to support Republicans and Trump's racist agenda.
We are calling on you to boycott all Georgia-Pacific products immediately.
We ask that you similarly boycott any others services or products you purchase from other divisions of Koch Industries, and call for an audit into your other vendors to ensure that our tax dollars are not supporting causes that are against our collective interests.
Please consider replacing Georgia-Pacific with an environmentally friendly, socially responsible alternative that better aligns with the values of your constituents.
May those around the world who are struggling and striving always be able to call our borough home, and may our libraries continue to educate us and enrich our lives.
Why is this important?
To keep NYC tax dollars from funding Republican operatives and initiatives.