What You Can Do Right Now

(Updated 2008-01-25)

Contact Your Local Councilman and ask that your Mayor and Council send a Resolution to Congress and the President supporting the An American Cares bill (See link on the left for reference. ).
Contact Your County Freeholder (or whatever your county government system may be called) and ask that Freeholders send a Resolution to Congress and the President supporting the An American Cares bill (See link on the left for reference. ).
Contact Your State Assemblyman or State Senator and ask they (co)sponsor the/an An American Cares Resolution (See link on the left for reference. ).
Contact Your Congressman and Senator and ask he support Bill Number ### (No bill has been introduced as of yet Jan 2008) for An American Cares ...
Write Letters to the Editor of your local newspapers ( see link on left for sample letters to use as guidelines ...) in support of An American Cares.
Ask any Civic Organization(s) you belong to send letters of support to Congress. (Local Rotaries, Elks Clubs, ...)
Petitions - Download or print petitions to send to Congress. (see link on left) Get your friends and neighbors to sign, maybe get kids involved (Great civics example to set for the kids.)
Celebrities - If you know, or somehow have a connection to, any well known or prestigious or media people ( tv, radio, newspapers) ask them to support An American Cares by writing their Congressmen. Ask them to send copies of their letters to http://www.AnAmericanCares.com so they can be posted here.
Talk Radio - Call in to one of the ubiquitous talk radio shows and tell them about An American Cares. Ask them to come to the website to find out about us.

You may think calling or writing a Councilman (or Senator) is a fruitless effort but it really isn't. These people really want to hear from you. As you go higher up the food chain, the less likely you will get to speak with him personally, but he will get to hear you, I promise. An aide will update him on all calls and letters received, and they are important to his decision making.

I have a sort of "formula" or rating system I use when dealing with politicians, especially the higher up they are, and it sort of goes like this:

Emails to Congressmen have almost next to no value. Emails are just so easy to shoot off they tend to get ignored or forgotten quickly, especially those "Click This Button to send a letter to ..." types. At the very best what will happen is staff will tell the Congressman how many emails for or against a particular issue.

Emails are suspect because of the proliferation of automatic send type programs. One person or interest could generate (10's, 100's of) 1,000's of emails on a subject trying to make it appear ther is more interest than there really is. And Congressmen know that.

A phone call equals a thousand emails on a subject. It takes a little time, effort and expense to make a phone call. Phone calls are not so easy to automate or orchestrate. And Congressmen know that too.

A personal letter, not a form letter, is worth 10 phone calls. That's because personal letter takes time and thought to compose. It's more effort than picking up a phone and the Conressman appreciates that.

Personal Contact trumps everything, especially if followed up with a letter outlining and explaining the subject at hand. Politicians have extraordinary demands for their attentions. It's difficult for them to keep ready knowledge on every subject in their heads all the time. A letter is a ready reference/reminder for them when dealing with the subject at a later time.

Think of it this way. Say an issue comes up the Councilman (or Congressman or ...) doesn't have a position on and he has to vote on it. If he receives just one phone call or personal letter in support (or opposition) it could be enough to sway him to the caller's position.

Now think about this -

If Not You, Then Who?

If YOU don't so something ( at least one of the things above) to support An American Cares, then who will? Obviously I will, but do you really think that's going to be enough?