In October 2007 Kevin Baker wrote a review of the 2nd annual Gun Bloggers Rendevoux. Besides sounding like an all around good time, I was impressed with the presence of the NRA’s Grassroots Division Director at this event. In fact, I was impressed that the NRA has a Grassroots Division. To me, (and other opinions may vary), it signifies that the NRA is taking steps in the right direction, and makes me feel like my dues are going to more than just paying for a magazine subscription and regular mailers. In Kevin’s post he says:

“The NRA meeting was... interesting. Glen Caroline's job is to motivate the grassroots (that's us, and you, too) to be more active, to write our elected representatives, letters to the editor, to recruit, to basically be part of the voice of the defenders of the right to arms - not just $35 annual contributors.”

In general I don’t think it’s too hard to motivate most gun owners to get out and vote against the next anti-gun politician that is running, but the problem is that most people don’t ever write directly to their representatives. This can be a powerful means to assert your position, but few do it. I think the reasons for this are many, but it ultimately comes down to laziness. It can be hard to come up with the right things to say. In the end, it’s just easier to tell yourself you will get to it next time, or you hope enough others do it so you don’t have to. I am as guilty as the next person of being apathetic at times, and what I would like to do is try and find a way to make it a bit simpler.

Unfortunately simpler may not mean the ease of electronic mail. I have sent postal mail and email to both California Senators, my State Representative, as well as our Governor and the President. I have received response letters from all except the President to my postal mail, but never once have I received a response to an email to any of the above. Take this for what you will, but it seems to me that old fashioned letter writing, with a stamped envelope gets a better response. Now this doesn’t mean we need to break out the old typewriter or quill and ink.

Occasionally the GOA does an alert thing where they provide a letter you can cut and paste and send to your reps. It seems to me this is the best of both worlds. What I am going to try and do is post a regular letter that anyone can copy or modify, print, sign and mail. This at least will take out the most difficult step. My first stab is this:

Honorable Sen Feinstein

California Shane

Short, simple, respectful, and pretty easy. Please feel free to use this or future entries at your leisure. You may need to make a change here or there for your particular state or rep, you may have a way to say something better, or you may have the time to write it out rather than print (not mandatory, but I would think all the more effective). The more we let them know where we stand, and how we stand in numbers, the better chance we have of keeping our most basic of rights in the future. For us, for our children, and for the Republic.