Purchase Bandcamp albums to support Civil Liberties
How often do you get the chance to do something that is quadruply good simply by doing something that you were probably going to do anyway?
Bandcamp is giving you that chance on Friday by taking all profit received (their cut) during that day and donating it to the ACLU. “Quadruply?” you may ask. “Is that even a word?” might be a follow-up question. Yes, and maybe! (1)You get to own music and merch you enjoy, (2)you get to help hard working artists make a little money to keep their dreams alive, (3)you get to help the ACLU fight for the disadvantaged, (4)and you get to help Bandcamp, a platform we love, do a good thing (and presumably get a tax write-off for their generosity).
The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) has been hard at work for the past few days. They were the group behind the lawsuit to make sure all the people who were in-transit during the signing of the “Muslim Ban” (yeah, I know that’s not technically what it was, but let’s be realistic here) weren’t detained and deported.
Due to the overwhelming outrage against Trump’s immigration policies, the ACLU received $24 million in donations last weekend alone, whereas a normal year sees only about $4 million total. The money raised will help the non-profit organization hire more staff and take on the horde of legal cases that are sure to result from this presidency.
Now, thanks to Bandcamp, you can help them while helping yourself! Pick up that album that has been dangling in your wish list for too long this Friday. If you want to be extra awesome, Bandcamp gave some suggestions for artists from the banned countries (Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen) and also Mexico, for obvious reasons. If you’re looking for something from Mexico, might I recommend the awesome space-themed doom album that I wrote about last week.
So what are you going to pick up? I think I’ll finally stop snoozing on Dischordia, The Mantle, and this awesome album that I keep forgetting about.
Don’t jump the gun! Wait a few more hours to purchase anything and let’s help Bandcamp see Friday be one of their highest grossing days ever. [Ed. Note – Buy an album for a friend, while you’re at it!]
You can also donate to the ACLU directly, obviously.