Signing petitions????

[44man]

I sign many every day but am fearful none will mean a thing. The creeps in government do not listen to those that elected them. I feel we could bury the White House in paper and they would start the wood stove with all of it.

[km101]

I get the same feeling when I write or email my representatives and get a form letter: "Dear Sir; thank you for writing. I will certainly keep your opinions and concerns in mind. Blah, blah, blah............" I know they cant answer each letter, but they never take a stand, orlet you know what their views ARE. Just pick a side............I would respect you more even if you were against me, rather than straddling the fence, and afraid of alienating someone. But you get the same old bland BS. If you get a response at all!

[10x]

A letter to your representative with your request or opinion is worth 10,000 names on a petition.
A letter sent by mail is worth 10,000 emails as they get to touch it and it takes more than a delete key to deal with it.

A fax machine that is out of paper and has crashed because of a full hard drive is even more of a message if enough people send faxes.
A full mailbag that takes days to sort through has weight as well.

[44man]

Mail still gets a form letter from office staff. Do you think a rep goes through a mailbag? It is all wood stove fodder.

[10x]

Mail still gets a form letter from office staff. Do you think a rep goes through a mailbag? It is all wood stove fodder.

His staff does and they are required to respond. They keep track of numbers. A letter by mail shows that a voter is motivated. A voter motivated enough to send a letter is motivated enough to take action as a volunteer in the next election, and donations may stop.
Gun owners have been swing voters in many electoral races. And the candidates gun policy has gotten them elected or turfed by the swing voters. Tick off too many gun owners and politicians in office become "has been" at the next election. A letter is worth 10,000 names on a petition, and a letter by mail or fax is worth 10,000 emails in the weight it carries.

If your elected representative does not know you by your first name and does not cross the floor at a political or social event to talk to you as a gun owner and voter, then maybe you should make sure he or she does.

[David2011]

The state of New Mexico has an onerous firearms and magazines bill in congress right now; House Bill 402 which is in some respects more restrictive than those of New York and Colorado. It has written into the bill specifically that guilt shall be assumed until the defendant can prove their innocence. I picked up the phone and called the offices of a few legislators. Several told me that the legislator doesn't discuss their position on bills which I found to be an unacceptable answer. Most would discuss the public sentiment, though. One told me she estimated the calls to be about 99.8% against the bill and that her boss tended to listen to the public. At the same time, another NM legislator has written and presented a bill that would make it a third drgree felony for any federal officer to enter New Mexico and attempt to enforce Federal gun restrictions, to be proscuted by the state Attorney General. Whether it's productive or not I've been on the phone and sending e-mails individually with my own messages rather than using the prepared messages that are circulating. A simple 1 or 2 sentence message that clearly states strong opposition is probably more effective than a lengthy message.

David

[Four-Sixty]

If the vote is rigged, do our efforts to write anymore even matter?

I'll think politicians will only start to listen to us when we interupt their money.

I think we need to develop where their money comes from. How do they get it? Who gives it to them? Then, we need to cut the money off or interupt it when possible. Anyone who props a system where money buys influence should be exposed!

People need to be made aware of just how much money their representatives are getting. People need to "meet" the lobbyists (and those lobbyists need to be exposed-it must be shown how much money they are making from their influence peddling) so that the people can see how much money is sloshing around.

We need to deconstruct, dissasemble and understand how this influence peddling system works. Then, we need to dismantle it from every single stinking way possible!

[Gar]

Well, I sent 12 letters out and received only two responses. Sentor McCain and none of my state representatives bothered to acknowledge my letter. My Govenor and Sentor Flake did response, granted form letters but both took a pro-gun stance.
My opinion is no one in the White house is going to listen to anyone.

[alamogunr]

I email my Senators and Representative quite often. Not always on gun issues. There are other important matters before the legislature. Usually, I get a response referencing the subject of my letter, so if it is a form email, at least they have had to fill in the appropriate subject.

Maybe next time I will try a paper letter to see if there is a different response.

I will say that, at the present time, I am favorably impressed by our junior senator from Tennessee, Senator Bob Corker. Somewhat less so by Senator Alexander, but both of them are so far above many in that uninspiring body that I fear they will be overwhelmed by Democratic stupidity and Republican intransigence.

[montana_charlie]

If you make no attemot to communicate, nobody will know what you think.
If they never hear your opinion, you can't say they ingored you when they do something that you don't like.
If you (and others like you) are the majority of his constituents you must let him see those numbers. Otherwise, he can't be blamed for concluding that the 'other side' butters his bread.

If a politician knows where the majority of his constituents stand ... and works in the opposite direction for reasons of ideology ... you have a dishonest person in office who needs to be removed as soon as possible.



If the vote is rigged, do our efforts to write anymore even matter?

We need to deconstruct, dissasemble and understand how this influence peddling system works. Then, we need to dismantle it from every single stinking way possible!
Unless you are very different from most of us, it will not be you, personally, who will accomplish the procedure you describe. It will be somebody 'in office' who has access to materials, legislative clout, and a public voice which will be needed to actually accomplish the goal.

In order for that process to begin ... you must write to him.

CM

[41 mag fan]

For the past 20 some odd year, politics has changed. What used to be compromise is now a line drawn in the sand. I don't think theres been a worse time in history for this than now. Each side could care less about the populace, its only focus is the top seat in gov't.
You can only bandaid so much, it's time they were all fired, and a whole new set of people put in their place.
Need to have a 6 mo review, every 6 mo till election. Referendum votes for each member, they aren't doing their job, they get fired before election time rolls around.
Of course, revolution will be the only way to correct the gov'ts corruptness its sank down into.



I sign many every day but am fearful none will mean a thing. The creeps in government do not listen to those that elected them. I feel we could bury the White House in paper and they would start the wood stove with all of it.

Oh no!! the great idiot in office wouldn't allow that...it's not a green policy.

[WILCO]

I sign many every day but am fearful none will mean a thing. The creeps in government do not listen to those that elected them.

We, as a nation, are past the point of petitions. They simply do not care. It's obvious what's in store for John Q. Citizen.

[Gliden07]

We as a collective group of Firearms enthusiasts need to put our differences aside and stand up for our beliefs and rights!! If your thing is writing letters then write letters, if you want to call people then call people if you want to set a soap box out on South and Main and shout then do it!! But do something!! Anyone that sits by and does nothing but complain how "there gonna take my rights away" has no right to. My letters and activism in the end may or may not affect the outcome of this assault on our Second Amendment rights. I can only hope that mine and others efforts will reflect in a positive outcome for our side. But if it doesn't at least I tried to do something. I keep posting what I do on this site to hopefully motivate others to do the same!

I am a Gun Enthusiast that is sick and tired of being pushed around by the Governmental Machine that doesn't care what I have to say anymore!! I can't understand anyone that shares an interest in Firearms sitting by while they systematically take away your Rights one at a time. And then tell you its for your own good!! At least for the time being we have the illusion of "FREEDOM OF SPEECH" use it!!! RAISE SOME HELL!!

To quote a GREAT BAND "IF YOU CHOSE NOT TO DECIDE YOU'VE STILL HAVE MADE A CHOICE". If your not prepared to fight for your Second amendment rights we have already lost!!

[wv109323]

Don't ever under estimate the power of a letter, e-mail or a phone call. The pro gun lobby has caused the Democrats to back away from gun control since 1994.
They will listen if they think they will loose seats in the Senate or HR.
I am sure that WV Senator Joe Manchin was a guinea pig for the Democrats when he recently said " No one needs an Assualt Rifle to deer hunt." The Democrats just wanted to test the waters to see what the level of outrage was and what they could get away with.
I think the issue of gun control is the single largest political "lightning rod".
Keep writing and calling your Representatives.

[Para82]

WV 109323,
I agree with ya about Senator Manchin. He will never get my vote again. Even if he retains his A rating from the NRA or not although I think thats a thing of the past considering his original comments . I Email all of them quite often and don't even get a form letter from most of them other than Shelley Moore Caputo and a few local reps.Pretty bad when your so called Reps wont even take the time to lie to ya in a form letter any more. Forgot what the title Public Servant even means!
Para82