Is it rude to call a congressman/woman if you're not his/her constituent?
- Thread starter Johan762
- Start date
I don't know...I've wondered the same myself. I do it quite a bit. I figure that even though I don't live in their district, their votes concerning national issues have an impact on me as a national citizen. But then again, it's pretty debatable whether our 'representatives' pay attention to the will of their own constituents...but that's another story...
Gunslinger
Moderator
I seriously don't if any of them lie awake at night asking themselves if what they are doing us is rude.
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Gunslinger
We live in a time in which attitudes and deeds once respected as courageous and honorable are now scorned as being antiquated and subversive.
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Gunslinger
We live in a time in which attitudes and deeds once respected as courageous and honorable are now scorned as being antiquated and subversive.
Jeff Thomas
New member
Gunslinger has that right. I am quite confident that Feinstein, Boxer, Schumer, Moynihan and their ilk don't give a tinker's damn about my family. I'm not going to be too concerned about taking their time ... they don't care if they help to take our lives.
Just do your best to forget to mention where you're from. It won't hurt to keep them guessing which folks are constituents and which are not.
Just do your best to forget to mention where you're from. It won't hurt to keep them guessing which folks are constituents and which are not.
It's not rude. But it is not always effective either. Calling an out of state member of congress who is not on a committee that addresses the issue you are commenting about or who is not a leader or whip will probably result in them ignoring your comment. Their first concern is with their own voting constituents.
If however the out of state congress-person is on say the Judiciary committee and you are commenting on the pending Juvenile Crime bill (that contains the gun legislation) they should be interested in your comment. Also Congressman Hastert as Majority leader and Congressman Gephardt as Minority leader want to hear what you have to say, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican (or whatever). That's because as leaders of their party they are interested in the National impact of their positions on these issues. Also contacting the Democratic National Committee and Republican can have an impact of the party's positions.
In the current hoe-down I would definitely call the DNC and Gephardt. Let them know how angry you are about being held responsible for the recent school shootings. Tell them you not only intend to vote in the next election based on the outcome of the pending gun legislation, but you will lend your time and money to the candidate who you consider to be most pro gun in your area.
The Democrats are the main force pushing this legislation through. The Republicans are yielding to their pressure, no doubt about it. But in the back of their minds the Democrats are afraid of repeating what happened in 1994. Our job is convince them that that is exactly what is going to happen. If the Democrat's push weakens ... the bill collapses.
=rod=
If however the out of state congress-person is on say the Judiciary committee and you are commenting on the pending Juvenile Crime bill (that contains the gun legislation) they should be interested in your comment. Also Congressman Hastert as Majority leader and Congressman Gephardt as Minority leader want to hear what you have to say, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican (or whatever). That's because as leaders of their party they are interested in the National impact of their positions on these issues. Also contacting the Democratic National Committee and Republican can have an impact of the party's positions.
In the current hoe-down I would definitely call the DNC and Gephardt. Let them know how angry you are about being held responsible for the recent school shootings. Tell them you not only intend to vote in the next election based on the outcome of the pending gun legislation, but you will lend your time and money to the candidate who you consider to be most pro gun in your area.
The Democrats are the main force pushing this legislation through. The Republicans are yielding to their pressure, no doubt about it. But in the back of their minds the Democrats are afraid of repeating what happened in 1994. Our job is convince them that that is exactly what is going to happen. If the Democrat's push weakens ... the bill collapses.
=rod=
When the Senate passed their Juvenile Crime garbage, I e-mailed the two Senators that were the only ones to have the guts to vote against the bill. One never answered, and the other (Smith) sent a rude e-mail back saying in effect, "You are not one of my constituants. Don't bother me."
It bothered him to get a thank you note. Go figure.
Paul B.
COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!
It bothered him to get a thank you note. Go figure.
Paul B.
COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!
I email them all, whether I belong in their districts or not. If the decision they make affects the state that I live in, not just the district, they all get a letter from me, plain and simple. I even explain that in my letters.
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Ron
Detroit Chapter
Terra-Haute Torque & Recoil Scoiety
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Ron
Detroit Chapter
Terra-Haute Torque & Recoil Scoiety
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
I'd prefer to snail-mail to a Rep/Sen not of my state or district. Unless time is a factor, snail-mail conveys a stronger sense of caring about an issue.
Email to a committee member not of your district is reasonable if a vote is near.
May Congressfolks don't bother reading Email or FAXes. I have been told, e.g., that Hutchison of Texas will read all hand-written snail-mail; some typed letters; but only the staff is made to wade through FAXes and Email.
FWIW, Art
Email to a committee member not of your district is reasonable if a vote is near.
May Congressfolks don't bother reading Email or FAXes. I have been told, e.g., that Hutchison of Texas will read all hand-written snail-mail; some typed letters; but only the staff is made to wade through FAXes and Email.
FWIW, Art
Paul...are you sure that the letter was actually written by Smith as opposed to one of his staff? Either way, there's simply no excuse for the type of reply you recieved, especially for a note of thanks! Very disappointing, for I too really like his position on gun control. But treating people that way...hmmm. If I had gotten that kind of reply, and then was asked for money, I'd send a copy of that reply back, with no money, and explain that the reason they see no money in the envelope is because of that type of reply.
Just a thought.
[This message has been edited by BAB (edited June 15, 1999).]
Just a thought.
[This message has been edited by BAB (edited June 15, 1999).]
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.
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.
