The reply from Smith's office might have been a computer-generated one stating that Smith (or any other rep) can only answer constituent's mail due to the sheer volume.
I get them all the time as I have no reservation about writing out-of-state reps
(I live in Nevada), usually thanking them. The one lone guy I trashed (nicely!) was Lautenberg(D-NJ). I awarded him the "Josef Goebbels Award for Excellence in Propaganda". Darned if he didn't write back, patting me on the head, saying that he "still supported the 2nd Amendment(!)" etc., etc. I wrote back and awarded him Oak Leaf Clusters (no disrespect to the REAL heroes)to that award. No answer yet, buy maybe a visit from the FBI. Sardonic [g].
I also wrote Ron Paul (R-TX) giving him kudos
fron the excellent pro-gun stance he took on C-Span. Here's part of his reply " I appreciate hearing from you, and I share your opposition to any legislation that would infringe on the individual right to keep and bear arms. Congress does not need to pass any new anti-gun legislation.
Already, our liberties have been chipped away to the point that our Founding Fathers would barely recognize the Constitution they
wrote. In addition to my opposition to new gun control laws, I feel there is a great need to repeal the unconstitutional laws which have passed after the last sixty-two years. Congress has made it increasingly expensive, difficult, and -in some cases- impossible for law-abiding gun owners to exercise their rights. Meanwhile, the criminals in this country remain largely unaffected. Crime control, the stated reason for passing gun control laws in the first place, was never intended to be a function of
the federal government. Rather, it is a responsibility belonging to the states."
This guy is a jewel -- may his tribe increase.