posted
Reading the discussion on the topic of SSM in various threads on this site, I am strongly reminded that I may not get a say and not just on this topic but on any modern issue. Sure, I vote. I have voted in every election that I have been eligible for since I turned eighteen. Here's the problem.
Unless the referendum comes before my state in such a way that "the people" are required to vote for it, the real decision will be made by people who are elected to office. I voted for some of those people and against others. They may or may not represent my interests. We live in a Republic, not a Democracy and as such I don't get a voice in many of the major decisions made in the country and in my state.
I write to my Representatives and Senators. I've even written the President if I felt strongly about certain issues. Unfortunately the reality is that they are under no obligation to take my opinion into consideration when they go to vote. Sure, if they upset enough people, they may not get re-elected the next time around but there's no guarantee.
The only way for everyone to truly have a voice would be to become a true Democracy, unfortunately there's a problem with that too. The apathetic turnout of voters for President once every four years is bad enough. If we were a true Democracy we'd have to vote at least once a month. Can you imagine the voter turn out if that happened? Never mind.
So, for now, until someone comes up with a better idea, I'll keep voting. I'll keep writing my Congressmen. Every year I'll try to wade through all the political garbage in order to figure out just who I'm going to vote for, despite the fact that I'm not really a Democrat, Republican or any other party. Despite the fact that the Religious Right has usurped the Republican Party and claims to speak for all right-minded Christians and the Left often seems to have no respect for the religious peoples of this country at all.
I'll keep doing my part. But in the end I still have to wonder...who speaks for me?
posted
Wow, I didn't expect this thread to inspire people but I didn't expect it to fall flat either.
Posts: 1214 | Registered: Aug 2005
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I've been wanting to write to my elected officials a lot recently. I've spent more time on my state legislature website and realized how many important things they do that most people don't notice because they're so focused on national issues.
However, I don't have the faintest clue even how to start writing letters.
Should I find a form letter online and use that, or should I write one myself? Should I explain my position, or just state what it is? Should I list all of the issues I'm concerned about in one letter, or write a seperate letter for each issue?
Do you have any advice on how to get started writing these letters?
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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quote:Should I find a form letter online and use that, or should I write one myself? Should I explain my position, or just state what it is? Should I list all of the issues I'm concerned about in one letter, or write a seperate letter for each issue?
Do you have any advice on how to get started writing these letters?
You can do all of these things you mentioned, it depends on your personal choice. If you're not sure how to structure your letter, you might want to find a template letter or something. Personally, I prefer writing my own. I find those form letters too wishy-washy.
As for explaining your position... Keep in mind that your elected representative receives volumes and volumes of mail every day. My advice is : keep it short and sweet and to the point. State your position, maybe explain it in one additional sentence or two, but no more.
And I would suggest writing seperate letters for each issue. It's part of the short and to the point thing. Also, it wouldn't surprise me if they count and categorize these letters according to which issue they address (that is, if they pay any attention to them at all.) A three-page rant on everything from taxes to fishing industry rights would just confuse them.
That's my advice. Hope it helps. Posts: 109 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
There's nothing horrible about form letters, but you're much less likely to get read.
Print it out on decent stationery, use a formal letter style (don't forget to put the addresses in the appropriate locations).
Right off the bat, say what you want. What information you want. What you want their position to be. What you want them to stop doing. Avoid "I think"; they know its what you think, and using the phrase merely detracts from the efficacy of the letter.
Immediately after that, give a brief summary as to why. This can take several forms, but with politicians a good variant is "If you do this, _____, ____, and ___ will happen" (exact number and length of resulting things is highly changable). This is because politicians are almost always interested in forward-looking reasons.
Then explicate your what and your why as much as you need throughout the letter. Make sure to include sources for any factual statements, if they don't have the source on file they're likely to add that even if they don't end up following your letter's advice. Plus, sources make you look more professional and more likely to be heard.
When your letter reaches their office, it will go through several sorting stages by staffer. Most likely your representative will never see it, though it will remain on file. If you in the relatively near future decide to visit DC and stop by your representative's office (which they love) when he or she is there, that letter will be pulled out and read (most likely).
If your letter is particularly poignant or has some good rhetoric/information in agreement with the representative, it may well be read and/or filed away for use in a campaign event.
Always be polite, even if you're disagreeing. Try to sound sincere in this politeness. Some politicians have directives to forward particularly good and polite opposing letters to them.
There's more, but that's a basic overview of some stuff.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
I would like to better formulate my argument for voting.
My argument: if a million people vote, you have 1 millionth of the say in the outcome. That's about the right level. You don't have a right to much more -- or much less. Use the power you have.
Counter-argument: unless the tallies are within 1 vote of each other, my vote won't change the outcome; so I won't bother.
Best I can think of: (If the other is likely to vote against my candidates): You're absolutely right -- stay home.
(If the other is likely to vote with me): If I can get you to vote, I've just doubled my voting power. Convince a few others to go, too, and we'll both have power beyond our numbers.
...but that's not very convincing either.
OR:
OK, don't vote -- but do write letters. Politicians pay a lot of attention to that. Oh -- that's too much trouble? OK, you can vote instead.
Thing is, I'm sure I'm right: voting makes sense, and the counter-argument is illegitimately ignoring numbers. I think we have a paradox. But I can't express it yet.
Posts: 1877 | Registered: Apr 2005
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