A newsletter of simple ideas #24 -- April 2000
Political Involvement 101
A couple of issues ago, I wrote about the importance of values. In this issue, I will be showing you a way to help you get those values met for yourself. I'll be talking about getting politically involved. Now, personally, "politics" is a swear word for me. I always feel like there is some kind of coersion or manipulation involved when someone talks about politics. However, there is a fairly painless way you can get politically involved without having to be part of "the system" that has such a bad reputation.
Money-Saving Tip:Don't Watch TV. Actually, TV isn't the only problem. A more accurate suggestion would be to avoid advertising. However, I would guess that most folks in the United States get most of their daily barrage of ads from the television. If you happen to get most of your advertising exposure from, say, commercial radio or slick glossy magazines, go ahead and think of that source every time I mention TV. I saw recently (though I can't for the life of me remember where) a study that showed how much an hour of TV cost to watch. "How can it cost me money to just watch TV?" you may ask. Well, this study showed a direct linear correlation between a person's spending and the number of hours of television they watched. Much of this effect is, no doubt, the result of advertising. The rest is probably due to the more subliminal messages that come from seeing how different your life is from that of those folks you see in the media. There is no television show called "Lifestyles of the Happily Living with Very Litte Money." So limit your consumption of advertising and mass media, and you'll limit your consumption of goods that may not bring you any satisfaction... |
Looking at the political system from another angle, it's almost natural. The folks in Washington, D.C. (or whatever your nation's capital happens to be if you're a non-US reader with a representative government) are there, in theory, to represent the wishes of the people. They owe you their jobs (because they wouldn't be there if you, or people rather like you, hadn't voted for them). So, what better way to help them represent you than to tell them what it is you'd like them to do for you?
Granted, a lot of people are cynical about, for example, corporate money and its influence on politics, but how can a person represent you if they don't know what your views are? So the first step in political involvement is to write to your senators and representatives (well, the second step, actually--voting for candidates that support your views is probably the first step). And, the thing is, it's easy!
Four Easy Steps to Effective Political Action
STEP 1: Pick An Issue. Okay, this sounds kind of silly, but I did say this was easy, after all. Pick an issue that you feel strongly about. Take in the news for a bit and see what really gets you excited or hacked off. If you feel kind of confused about an issue, feel free to research it further; however, if you're not going to take the time to research it, skip that one and move on to one you do feel strongly about. It's also good to look for an issue that has some kind of legislation or decision pending--a bill in Congress, or a proposal being considered by the city council.
When you've picked an issue, note three or four important reasons why you feel this way. What effects will the issue have if passed, in your opinion? Is it a good or a bad idea? Will the solution being proposed actually work, or will it cause more--though perhaps different or unforseen--problems? Jot these down.
STEP 2: Figure Out Whom to Write. In picking your issue, you may have noted who is dealing with the issue. At the national level in the United States, most things go through both the House and the Senate (though some don't--Presidential cabinet appointments, for example, only need to be confirmed by the Senate). If you're dealing with a national issue, it's fairly safe to assume that you want to write your Representative in the House, and your two Senators. If you're dealing with local issues at the state or local levels, you may have to do a little more research into who the decision makers really are.
When you know who will make the decision on your issue, find out their mailing address (either email or snail-mail). I've included some resources at the end of the article to help you with this, at least on a national level or state level. Address the envelope.
STEP 3: Write a Letter. This may be the hardest part, but even it is pretty easy with these three easy sub-steps: First, start out with "Dear --title-- --last name--:" and the date at the top of the page. So:
25 April, 2000
Dear Senator Coffey:
Second, write a few brief paragraphs on the topic. The first one--a couple of sentences will do--should say what you would like that person to do regarding the issue, and perhaps your main concern. For example, "I am very concerned about the long-term effects that the color red has on the human brain. In the upcoming vote regarding the official colors of the United States flag, I urge you to cast your vote in support of the new Color Scheme for the U.S. Flag." I like to underline the few words that state the action I'd like them to do so that the poor person who has to read all of the senator's letters can easily pick out my main point.
Follow that up with a paragraph with a few of your best reasons for supporting (or opposing) the proposition as you have asked them to do in the previous paragraph. Talk about what you value and why those values would be supported (or not supported) by the issue at hand. To continue the example: "As you may know, both the Nazis and the Communists in the former Sovient Union used red as the dominant color of their flags. It's the color of blood--blood that we hope we don't have to see in battle. And besides, it's time to update the flag's color to something a little less garish than primary colors. We're a nation, not a preschool, after all."
And if you want, follow up with a last line restating the action you'd like them to take. "Show leadership and forward thinking in this important issue by supporting the Rose, Eggshell, and Navy color scheme."
The third and final step of writing the letter is to end it with: a salutation ("Sincerely," works well); your signature; your printed name; and your mailing and, if different, residential address. The address is an important part because it allows them to verify that you are indeed one of the people they're supposed to be representing. It also allows them to respond to you if they wish.
STEP 4: Mail the Letter. In case you didn't do it in Step 2, address the envelope to the person listed at the top of your letter; put the letter in the envelope; seal it; apply proper postage in the upper right-hand corner; and drop it in the mail.
See? Not a grueling endurance test, or one that strains your moral fiber. Just a quick note to your representative. And you have honored your values, taken part in the political process, and informed your elected officials how they can serve you best.
Political Involvement Resources
These sites have all kinds of tools and links for finding out who your elected officials
are, and what their official addresses are, what issues there are out there, and so on. So go
exploring and see what you find!
- SpeakOut.com
- Congress.org--Congress at your Fingertips (also will give you addresses of local media if you want to write a letter to the editor!)
- VoteNet Solutions: CapWeb
- CapWeb's guide to the U.S. Congress
- Project Vote Smart has an interesting feature that lets you see where in the process a particular bill is (under the "Congressional Track" heading, click on "Status of Legislation")
Quote of the Month
The more a person is able to direct his life consciously, the more he can use time for constructive benefit.
Editor's Notes
It is currently February 2001 but I'm only just posting the April 2000 Reasonably Simple. My intention is that over the next year, I will write and post a new article about every other week, so that by the end of the year, I'll be current again. So, I'd appreciate suggestions, guest writers, or anything else that could help me step up production this year.
You can contact me with your submissions, suggestions, or comments at:
Michael J. Coffey
PO Box 23221
Seattle, WA 98102
(206) 522-6224