With all these letters to my congressman, I’ve realized there is one fatal flaw. I only find out about a vote as it is happening or after the fact. So for all my ranting and raving and foam-nay-finger waving, my efforts are fruitless. Sending an email or letter is an exercise in futility since I can see my congressman on the House floor on C-SPAN. And I can see that he is not going back to his office to consult my email before casting his vote.
Disheartened by this, I only sent him an email about my stamp dilemmas of late and a general ranting about federal unpreparedness. That will show him! Admittedly, it was my weakest Letter To Congress to date. I just hope it wasn’t so bland that they took me off the watch list, having re-classified me as a “non-threat.”
So, this weekend I am going to re-tool and come at this from a new direction. I am going to find out what topics are coming up for votes and send in my thoughts before they come to a vote. Here the trick though, I will have to develop my timing. Send a letter too soon and it is likely to be forgotten. Send it too late and I’ll see him on C-SPAN, blatantly not reading my email.
(Also, the 24