A post for those new to grassroots actions
Taking a group of 5-10 folks to meet a Representative or Senator is the single most effective way of getting their face-to-face attention. It is incredibly easy, because it can be done in the legislator's local office near you, not Washington, DC.
Grassroots meetings get more attention than:
Petitions: because signatures can;t be verified and many people don't even read them before signing them.
Emails: again, hard for a Congressional office to verify that they come from actual constituents
Letters: Since 9-11, all snail mail to Congress undergoes so much scanning that it takes forever to get through.
Calls: Calls are easier to make. The action that appears to take the most effort gets the most attention
So, quick how-to (for this example, we'll use pollution as your issue):
First, identify your "ask". Find one thing that you want the legislator to do: usually support or oppose a piece of legislation. Sometimes even sponsor one. Having one ask is important, because having two gives them a chance to back down on one of them).
Second: Get your talking points down. No more than five, three are better. These are what you will say in the meeting.
Third, identify your volunteers. Obviously, they must all be actual voting-age constituents of the legislator in question. Reach out to your friends. Do a quick search for local groups interested in your issue (environmental, health, local university)and ask the contact which members would be interested in coming along (don't ask "if", ask "which" or "how many". "If" gives them a chance to say no.) See if any group interested in your cause has already made a local effort on the issue; they will be more likely to provide volunteers.
You want 20 volunteers, because half of them will drop out.
Fourth, get the meeting. This is easy: call the legislators office and say you've got 10 constituents who would like to meet with him/her in the district to discuss your issue. 4 out of 5 times you will get a number of dates and times within a day.
Fifth: share the dates with your volunteers and pick the one most can make (this is where half will drop out)
Sixth, get your talking points to your volunteers and make sure they review them
Seventh: meeting day. Meet 2 hours ahead of time in a location where you can rehearse and rehearse your talking points over and over. Each point should be made by a different person, and each talker should rehearse introcusing the next talker and the next point: "and now, John/Jane will talk about..."
Seventh, go to the meeting.
Thank the legislator for his or her time.
Introduce everyone.
Make your points.
Ask if they will support your position by voting for/against the legislation in question.
Never plead and never threaten.
No matter what the answer, thank them again, and thank the staff.
Tell the staff that you'll follow up with the
Finally: everyone should write thank-you notes to the legislator and any staff you met (especially the scheduler). This is polite, and it let's them know you're watching. The organizer (you) should also write thank you notes to every volunteer, because they will be the first people you call for the next action.
This kind of action will get the attention of any type of legislator: so don't ignore state and local officials. As I pointed out in a previous diary: cumulative local change equals large national change. The more actions, from condo board to county board, that produce actual policies, such as opportunities to recycle, save energy, donate to food banks, et cetera, the more we affect real conditions. Local policy creates momentum for state and federal policy.
In addition, those who become civic-minded stay civic minded. The condo owner who votes for a recycling bin today supports county-wide energy savings tomorrow, votes for green state legislators next week, and supports progressive Congressional candidates down the line. Maybe the voter becomes a candidate her/himself. (for more on this, see http://www.dailykos.com/...
Recommended reading/listening/viewing for radicals:
The incomparable Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals. Online preview here
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. by Robert Cialdini. This is the single most valuable book I have read on how to persuade and how to avoid being persuaded.
Don't Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives, by George Lakoff. See also: Cognitive Policy Wonks and The Progressive Strategy Handbook Project
Frank Luntz: everything he’s written. He's a conservative message master, and you have to know the enemy. Remember the great scene in Patton, when the victorious general shouted: “Rommel! You magnificent son of a bitch! I READ YOUR BOOK!”
Making the News: A Guide for Activists and Nonprofits, By Jason Salzman
The Campaign Manager: Running and Winning Local Elections, By Catherine Shaw
How To Win A Local Election,by Lawrence Grey
The Opposition Research Handbook: Guide to Political Investigations
Guerrilla Marketing
Chomsky.Info Many of Noam Chomsky’s insightful and frightening analyses
Robert Newman’s History of Oil Thanks to
GreyHawk for recommending this.
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To see how the combined direct costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars affects you see the National Priorities Project's
costofwar.com and select your state and city.
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Build Infrastructure: Volunteer! List of State and Local Democratic Parties