ACTION: You Work for Us: the postcard campaign

This is a short diary about a new postcard-writing campaign I'm thinking of starting, as part of the You Work for Us summer tour.  I hoping to get feedback, especially suggestions about how to drum up support.

Postcards are a great way to express to our elected officials how we feel about their priorities, or lack thereof, on important issues.  USPS has a cool direct mail service where you can easily design postcards online, and they print and ship them for you.  We could use this as a tool to reach Senators and Representatives about their actions.  So, Kossacks, would you be willing to make up a simple postcard online and have the post office print and mail it to the Congressmen of your choice?  

Since the FISA bill was recently voted on, I thought that would be a good item for the first campaign.

Here's some sample text (postcard front):

When you abdicate the Constitution, the terrorists win.

(and postcard back):

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power.
Benjamin Franklin

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Bill of Rights, Amendment IV

As an elected official, you have a Constitutional Duty to protect democracy here in America.  Attempting to gain security by sacrificing liberty is also a foolish action because it increases the potential for harm.  

I was very sorry to see that you supported the recent FISA bill.  A person of your intelligence cannot fail to understand the Fourth Amendment.  Therefore, your shameful vote to allow the government to spy on American citizens, on voters, makes no sense.  

As I said, I'd love feedback on messages, and how to get others involved.  The more postcards we send, the better.  In the meantime, I will be compiling spreadsheets of DC and local office addresses, so that I can send at least one postcard to every Senator and Representatiive.

•  best of all

  the postcards are pretty cheap.  One costs about a dollar, and you get a discount for purchasing in bulk.

  w00t

  by mffarrow on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 04:17:42 PM PDT

  •  I'm thinking it's a great idea!

    But I might buy a few cheesy ones from my home town that might attract some attention and write something like you suggested on the back in my own handwriting.

    by churchlady on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 04:24:28 PM PDT

  •  Ed Schultz listeners

    have been mailing spinless Democrats ping pong balls.  Two to be precise.

    by dkmich on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 04:48:54 PM PDT

•  Great idea! (n/t)

  by phrogge prince on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 04:26:06 PM PDT

•  That's a terrific idea!

  I was reading Firedoglake a few days ago, and a person who had worked in a Congressional office said that postcards get through faster than letters because they don't have to be checked for antrax, etc.  I've been planning to pick up a bunch of prestamped postcards from the P.O.  I like your messages, and like the idea of writing them in my own handwriting too.

  by Boston Boomer on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 04:41:50 PM PDT

  •  Sending mail to the district offices also

    avoids the anthrax screening.  Since the representatives are in their home districts now, they'll probably see the postcards quicker, too, than if they are sent to the DC offices.

    by Lujane on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 04:45:45 PM PDT

•  Not the USPS

  Although it has the logo of USPS on the site, that could just mean the site sends the postcards through USPS.

  The root domain name is premiumpostcard.com

  Site info:

  Registrant:
    AmazingMail
    17767 North Perimeter Dr
    Ste 103
    Scottsdale, Arizona 85255
    United States

   Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
    Domain Name: PREMIUMPOSTCARD.COM
       Created on: 02-Feb-04
       Expires on: 02-Feb-10
       Last Updated on: 04-Jan-05

  Administrative Contact:
       Beattie, Duke  [e-mail]
       AmazingMail
       17767 North Perimeter Dr
       Ste 103
       Scottsdale, Arizona 85255
       United States
       4802184845

  by gooderservice on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 04:47:49 PM PDT

•  I'm in.

  One to Claire McCaskill.
  I want to send a message to Ike Skelton also.  One that asks why he was recorded as "not voting" on such an important issue!
  The "not voting" people should not be forgotten!

  by generationsofblue on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 04:48:19 PM PDT

•  USPS DirectMail

  I'm still looking around the site to see what the options are.

  USPS Direct Mail

  by gooderservice on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 04:53:39 PM PDT

•  How about

  Getting some post-cards with the Constitution and or the Bill of Rights on them, plus 'you work for the People' as suggested.
  Assuming its legal to reproduce them on mail.

  by Ferrofluid on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 05:35:21 PM PDT

•  Write Repubs and tell them to vote to end the war

  That's what is important now. Better yet call their offices and set up meetings. Go to their townhalls, their Labor Day picnics and tell them to end the war.  
  This month is critical.

  by Markg8 on Fri Aug 10, 2007 at 07:32:59 PM PDT