Todays Homework
I don’t know about you, but I am in the process of being snowed in, which gives one a chance to think a bit. I see a lot of social media posts about calling your Senators. Personally, I hate calling people. And then everyone says the mailboxes are full anyway. Well, I just did an internet search for my Pennsylvania Senators, John Fetterman and Dave McCormick. They have very easy email forms where you can send them a letter. I just did that. It felt good and reminded me of the power old-time letter-writing campaigns used to have for Organic Gardening and Prevention Magazines.
But here is the catch. I know you want to vomit out your feelings. But there is an art to communicating with politicians, which I recently learned from a person I interviewed for my book who has had more success than anyone I know with creating political change. So here is what you are going to do today:
Do an internet search for the Senators in your state.
Go to their websites and find the place where it says to contact them. They should have email forms to fill out. Fill them out.
When you write your letter, start by saying something positive about them. Thank them for their service. This is your secret weapon.
Be specific about what you are asking them to do on your behalf. Ask in a firm, thoughtful, confident, but not antagonistic way. The minute you call someone a name or threaten them, your message is in the trash.
Close by appealing to their higher selves (or egos) and their legacy.
Thank them.
Hit the Submit button.
There now. That wasn’t so hard, was it? Takes five minutes. Don’t overthink it. Keep it simple.
Thank you. I appreciate all of you!
I too have a horror of picking up the phone and dialing a stranger, especially when my feelings are running so hot. But I take a moment before hitting “dial” on my Five Calls App (get it! It makes all of this so easy!), and making notes on what I want to say. Last week we Five Callers were urging our senators to turn down the appropriations bill for ICE and DHS. And look at that, they did! I know, I didn’t do that. OTOH, I felt part of it, which is important. About one out of five times an actual human picks up the phone, and I thank them for speaking with me, right off the bat. Then I tell them I’m a voter and constituent, and give my address, as the app instructs me. My longest phonecall has been about a minute; it takes much less time to just leave a message, which I always do. Not so hard, I’m finding out. These times make you find your voice quickly.
off-topic, but that image of the thinker or… weeping buddha? fantastic sculpture.