Advocacy and You

-- Don M., Mississippi, part 2 in a series

If not me...Who? If not now ....When? We have the right to petition our government. Not only do we have the right, but also the responsibility, to let our Legislators know how we feel about issues important to us. Every one of us has special interests that affect our lives directly. These interests may seem to be of importance to us individually and we may feel that our singular opinion will carry little weight. However, our collective opinions do carry weight. Our Legislators react to messages from their respective constituents. The threshold of attention appears to be when between 30 to 35 constituents present the same issue. How do we present our message effectively?

There are several methods of gaining the attention of our Legislators. Some are more effective than others. The most effective method is direct contact. Each Legislator maintains an office in Washington D.C. and is normally there during the Legislative Session. You can make arrangements for an appointment by contacting the Legislator’s office. It is not always possible to meet directly with your Senator or Representative but arrangements can usually be made to meet with one of their staff. Each Legislator has a staff of persons to assist in areas of their expertise. You should try to meet with the staff member that is responsible for the area of your concern.

When Congress is recessed, the Legislators are usually back in their home states. Each of them maintains offices within their state or district. Contact their local office and arrange for a meeting. Some Legislators have public meetings around their state or district. During these meetings you can express a concern, or better yet, have several others present that can support your cause. Again, do not underestimate the power of numbers as the more people concerned about a given issue, the better the chance of prompting action.

It is very important that you prepare for this meeting. Your request should be specific — relating to a particular need — concrete, real, actual, and backed by actual life stories. The broader the base of your support, the more likely your Legislator will listen. Watch your local media and become involved in the beginning of an issue. You will have more effect at the beginning "grassroots" level than later in the process. However, do not give up on an issue of concern. Let your voice be heard!

Although direct contact is the best, there are several other ways to contact your Legislator. Personal letters written and signed by you are the most effective. Generally, these letters are read by a staff aide and in most cases are responded to by a "form" letter. If enough letters on a given issue are received, the Legislator will react. As mentioned earlier, 30 to 35 letters on the same issue tend to be the trigger point. Almost every Legislator receives a count of how many letters were received on various issues each week. Do your homework and prepare a letter that contains pertinent information, as well as personal stories. Find out the names of the staff member that handles the particular issues you have. Address your letters to that person. If you do not receive a response in a few weeks, write again. Persistence often pays off with results.

Telephone calls, E-mail, post cards, and even letters to the editor of your state and local newspapers have an impact. In all cases be specific, concise, practical and above all, polite.

In the next issue of the VHL Family Forum we will look at how to find out about the pending issues and legislation that will affect us.