Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/01/26/new-website-5-calls-makes-it-e.html
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I disagree. While signing a digital petition is likely a waste of time, a well-composed e-letter, with your name, address, and telephone, dropped into one of the forms from your representative’s website, gets a personal email back, with your points addressed, as well. I regularly send notes of encouragement to Senator Baldwin (D-WI) and nasty notes to Senator Johnson (R-Teaparty) and Representative Grothman (WI-R6). I believe it is important they have specific praise and gripes to read.
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What do you do when you’re already in a deep-blue state, besides giving money to various causes/candidates? I’ve called Warren on a couple of token issues (like her silence on DAPL), but for the most part my senators and representatives are already doing all they can.
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I am in the same situation, but I still email. Think of it as moral support. And really eloquent letters with personal connections can get read as evidence.
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Not clear on what you’re disagreeing about. Staffers can write down the issues callers mention in their voicemails and straight telephone calls, yes?
In the past, I’ve taken the time to write and send letters, and I had a fairly good answer rate (one of Rubio’s, I have to mention, was fucken awful), but lately I’ve been calling and leaving messages instead (if I don’t get a human on the line).
At the base level, the method used to contact elected reps is less important than contacting them in whatever way is most comfortable to the person at hand. Make the call, write the letter, send the email, whatever, but make your voice heard.
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I’ve done that, and still gotten a form letter from a staffer who barely even skimmed my original letter.
If I’m lucky, I can get in touch with a staffer who will read my letters, and (better yet) who will put me in direct contact with the politician I’m trying to reach. Usually it’s just a form letter which might not even be relevant.
I have called my MOC, but I for more often email, because writing is my strength. All three MOCs send acknowledgements, and what I believe is a form letter made for each major issue.
My favorite form letter was from Obama, which probably had the file name “ForScaredShitlessCitizens.docx”.
Dear Stefan:
Thank you for writing, and for your thoughtful input. I understand the feelings of uncertainty many Americans have had lately. But one thing I am certain of is that America remains the greatest nation on earth. What sets us apart is not simply our economic and military power, but the principles upon which our Union was founded: pluralism and openness, the rule of law, civil liberties, and the self‑evident truth—expanded with each generation—that we are all created equal.
One election does not change who we are as a people. The America I know is clear‑eyed and big‑hearted—full of courage and ingenuity. Although politics can significantly affect our lives, our success has always been rooted in the willingness of our people to look out for one another and help each other through tough times. More than my Presidency, or any Presidency, it is the optimism and hard work of people like you that have changed our country for the better and that will continue to give us the strength we need to persevere.
Progress doesn’t come easily, and it hasn’t always followed a straight line, but I firmly believe that history ultimately moves in the direction of justice, prosperity, freedom, and inclusion—not because it is inevitable, but because people like you speak out and hold our country accountable to our highest ideals. That’s why I hope you continue to stay engaged. And I want you to know Michelle and I will be right there with you.
Again, thank you for writing. Whatever challenges we may face, there is no greater form of patriotism than the belief that America is not yet finished and a brighter future lies ahead.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
Compare that to anything Trump has said, or written, ever.
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Sounds similar to me: “America über alles!”.
…or perhaps you guys over there are so over saturated with this kind of rhetoric that you don’t even notice it anymore.
Re: the sample script in this posting - I tried, I really did try to resist. But I cannot:
This guide is great and I hope to see it mentioned on Boing Boing.
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I’ve plugged it in comments, and submitted the link a few weeks back.
The website has a page where you can look up local groups to join up with Face-to-Face. I went to a meeting a few weeks back; we broke into groups and came up with a list of concerns and what we could do about it.
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