Does Writing Your Congressperson/Senator REALLY Help?

[bobd]

It sures seems like an exercise in futility to me. Most of these people seem to do what they want most of the time and most of the time they don't do the right thing. There are exceptions, of course, but man, if you got thousands of bitchy, whiney letters from morontic constituents how long would it be before you ignored it all?

Whenever I write to these jerks I get a form letter (it LOOKS real but, yeah right, the congressperson REALLY wrote it, reviewed it, and signed it :eyes: ) full of warm and fuzzy language that says nothing of substance. My bet is that you-all get these too.

Our system is SO fucked up it's not funny anymore. I have NO faith in our so-called elected jack-offs doing anything except for what's in THEIR personal interest, not anyone elses.

Where's the revolution when you need it?

Bob D.

[Caution]

1. YES

I can say that without reservation as doing this caused my congressman to help me out in a manner for which i will be eternally grateful. Sorry no details due to personal reasons, but the answer to your question is a DEFINITE yes. Additionally, even better than writing is a to drop by your congressperson's local office or the senate office and tell someone your views personally.
on edit
p.s. my congressperson had absolutely nothing to gain from this other than the undying loyalty of myself and my family.

[HereSince1628]

2. I think if you are a lone whiney voice it means less than if your voice is

singing the same song as thousands of others...hence I write and encourage others to do the same.

[Chef]

3. Letters

Did you enclose an "access fee" check? If not, why would you expect any consideration?

[MuseRider]

4. I believe

in some cases it really does help. In my case writing to my Republican Reps, they just blow it off with form letters. However, in writing and calling Democratic Reps it has not seemed to matter that I was not in their area. They listened and I believe responded to us. I have actually had feedback from some of them. I will continue to badger my reps, my husband and I must get 10 letters from them a week put together. They certainly know how we feel and I doubt they will be asking us for donations anytime soon.

[KT2000]

5. Yes it does

Of course there are issues you know they are not going to change their opinions on BUT a congressman, instructiing a group, told us that they way it works is that each letter is considered X number of constiuents. A phone call reperesents Y number, but less than a letter. I don't know about e-mail but probably even less than a phone call.
Each letter representing a certain opinion is logged, for and against etc. each day.
That is why it really doesn't do much good to write a long letter - it will really be reduced to a pro or con position.

[Don_G]

6. Not Mine

Senator "Bitch" McConnell is the #2 man in the House Majority (married to Elaine Chao) and my Congresswoman Ann Northup is just as big a Rethuglican shill as the other two.

[wryter2000]

7. I think so

If you send a letter to a Congress critter to tell them you support what they're saying, they can use that as evidence. They can wave it around and quote from it. I routinely send letters to people who are doing good things even if they don't represent me. Also, two of my people (Barbara Lee and Barbara Boxer) are worth writing to. You can have DiFi.

[CBHagman]

8. It can make a difference.

I've read that congressional offices figure that for every constituent who takes time to write a letter, there are surely hundreds more who share the opinion.

It helps, of course, if you write the letter personally. It's easier to dismiss mass mailings, e-mails, and postcard campaigns than it is to dismiss letters from people who were very obviously personally motivated.

Remember, too, that there would be no public outcry against anything if everyone said, "I could call, write, fax, or e-mail, but why bother? It doesn't make any difference." As my father would say, that's a hell of an attitude.

If every activist told him/herself that there was no use in (pick one or more) fighting apartheid, demanding that the lunch counter be integrated, granting women the vote, seeking independence for the colony, getting a 40-hour work week, where the hell would we be?

For all America is devoted to the cult of the individual or/and the maverick, we're actually encouraged to shut up and watch our reality TV and not make waves. Whatever you do, don't buy into that. Would Cesar Chavez encourage you to do nothing? How about Frederick Douglass or Susan B. Anthony?

Bring on those faxes and e-mails and phone calls and letters and demonstrations. Don't let people talk you out of it.

[NYC]

9. If every constituent wrote,

how could it fail?

Meanwhile, you are not in control of other constituents. The best you can do is participate by writing your own letter. Don't give up hope that others are writing letters as well.

[shance]

10. Volume and consistency is the key Bob. Each letter and action has impact

In truth you may not see it, but it is there. Every thing I sit out on and say let someone else do it, has a negative effect as well.

Every positive action I take takes us one step further away from fascism, however small. I do think the key is going to be for all of us to start going door to door and developing neighborhood progressive communities. That is something corporations cant control, they will try, but we HAVE to continue to make activism a daily priority in all of our lives. And it helps when we all form groups in our community and here.

I live in Los Angeles and we are having a get together on October 7th which is of course D Day here in California because it is the day to vote on the recall. So start a DU meetup in your town and make things happen even more. You will be glad you did.

[Dhalgren]

11. It doesn't help for me.

both of my senators and my Rep. are republicans. The other closest Rep. is Bud Cramer and he is a DINO on most issues. I know he is a Dem. from a heavily Repub. district, but even so, it pisses me off.