The following is from an email list that I am on for a libertarian oriented group. It gives some very good basic advice about contacting your Congressperson and other elected officials - even at all levels. From Consent Chronicle email 9/4/2014 (Jim Babka): The original version of this message was sent out March, 2013. I consider it one of the ten or so most important messages Ive ever written. Moreover, it deserves frequent repeating. So, this updated version is being republished today. Does Congress read your letters? Not much and not well. It shows in the stupid canned responses they send. I write my letters for other reasons, and you should too... SIX REASONS YOU SHOULD WRITE CONGRESS 1. Notice can still be served to politicians who dont read their mail. Can you avoid the responsibility of paying your bills by refusing to open your mail? Neither can Congress avoid its responsibility by failing to read your letters. When you write Congress you put the burden on them. But when you fail to write Congress the failure lies with you. Put the burden where it belongs; write Congress. 2. Justify your cause to outside observers. The Declaration of Independence followed a string of appeals that King George refused to read. These appeals paved the way for the Declaration. They justified secession to all outside observers. You must do what the Founders did. Ask for reasonable reforms. Share your appeals with others so they can see you doing it. You win either way... If Congress responds then things improve. If Congress ignores your reasonable requests then they lose legitimacy, and this paves the way to erect new forms of government. But you must go through the steps. They cannot be skipped. Do your duty, and enjoy the process! 3. Quantity matters more than eloquence. We have always said that size matters. Larger forces generally win battles. Every political controversy resolves down to one question: You and what army? 4. To get an army, you must recruit. You must “practice what you preach” to recruit others. If you dont send your letter, its far less likely you can get your friends to do it. But… With recruitment, we can get so big Congress cannot afford to ignore us. Moreover... 5. When you share your letters to Congress with friends, you actually reach your most important audience. Heres a SHOCKING INSIGHT... You dont need to convince your Congressperson. But if youre sharing your letters with others, then you are reaching people who can and will hear. Lets face it... Members of Congress werent elected by the Russians nor appointed by Martians. They were given their positions by people you know! So… What matters most is winning the battleground of your neighbor’s mind, the district of their heart, and the precinct of their conscience. So… Let Congress ignore you, until trouble springs on these “representatives” like thieves in the night. But DO try to persuade your friends. They’re your most important audience. 6. You can make staffers “uneasy.” Someone on Capitol Hill will read your letter, even if it isn’t your elected rep. Congressional staffers must read your letter to count your position and choose which form letter to send. Congressional staffers are your second target audience. We want to make these handlers uneasy. Why? Because Congressional staffers hold a lot of the real power. No politician can get anything done without them. So what if these staffers... were required, by the letter writers you recruit, to confront being an accessory to immoral and evil acts? lost sleep or dreaded going to work because they felt like accomplices? became self-conscious, wondering if others thought less of them for associating with the “criminal-political element?” What if they started lobbying their boss? What if your letters led them to quit? And if that happened, how much do you think your Congressperson would get done? NOTE: I caution you on this last point, because were not making personal attacks. We dont believe in initiating force. Were not trying to hurt these people. But we certainly want them to feel uncomfortable with the coercive and violent actions with which theyve voluntarily associated themselves. YOU HAVE POWER. USE IT! Write Congress... To serve notice -- put the burden on them To share your letters with friends so others can witness your appeals for reasonable reform So your views can be counted, and make the CapHill crowd uneasy
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 17:36:33 +0000
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