So a while back, I reminded you to contact your Congressional representatives because y'know, their actions represent us. When they pass stupid shit like the Patriot Act or No Child Left Behind, we do too. Yikes.
But it's kind of intimidating, just calling up your rep and demanding stuff, right? What do you say? Who should you talk to? How should you go about it? Well, I came across an eHow article detailing just that. They're your representatives in Congress; you pay their salary and they work for you. So there is no reason why you can't contact your Congressional representative. You might want to explain why you think she should vote a certain way on a bill, or get him to help solve a problem you're having with the federal bureaucracy
It's specific to just the House of Representatives, but you can easily translate the ideas to the Senate, as well as your local and state legislators. It recommends emails, which is a good first step. I've sent a few to my representatives, but have only received form replies. If you're concerned that you'll be disregarded, it's a good idea to get on the phone. That way you'll know that at least 1 person has heard what you have to say.
2 comments:
Very good post. I get emails quite frequently about speaking with my representative and I sit there thinking "That's a good idea! But can I really call them? What if I yell at them?" Hahaha! But yeah, I have been frightened to call before, while I have emailed. This is a great post, though, really puts everything into perspective and takes away that fear.
Thanks Holly! Sometimes I think that they won't listen to me or that I should just stay out of it and let them do their jobs, but (shocker!) it's their job to do what I want! That usually helps me get up the courage to make the call.
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