Also, my apologies in advance... I did not intend for this to get posted in the News/Current Events section.
My bad!
Many think that our politicians do not read the bills themselves. If that is the case, and I think it is, they will not read this long letter either. That being said, I am for whatever it takes to get them to listen. Personally, I think we need to take to the streets the same as the illegals.
Should be short, punchy, so someone scanning the letter--the staffers will be the ones reading it--will get the point and add a mark to the "against" column.
Sorry, but that's all they really want to know--for it or against.
The point I always like to make is:
We are a SOVERIGN NATION in a TIME OF WAR. We have every right and responsibility to secure our borders and regulate who enters and who stays in our country.
Carolyn
Nicely done. Put my name on it from VA
As others have pointed out, it is a bit long; I would consider the suggestions below.
- Change straw-dog to strawman argument. I don't believe the term straw-dog is correct.
- Eliminate all emphasis on words, such as bolding, underlining and overuse of capital letters
- Eliminate the paragraphs that start with the following phrases (as I believe they are redundant): We are sick of...The American people are tired of...Above all...We do not need...Do you understand
Good luck! I've thought about writing a similar letter.
If you want any impact at all you need to cut it by half and keep it very SIMPLE.
Just a few minor issues:
"Never before in the history of the United States has the House, Senate and the President been so out of touch with the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Americans. Never before have our elected leaders been so willing to utterly ignore their duties to the electorate, the rights of American citizens, the Constitution, and the very principle of America herself."
You have forgotten the eight-year nightmare of the Clinton Administration, complete with the executions at Waco, and the Commando raid to retrieve a 7 year old and return him to Cuba.
"We are not stupid!"
Maybe WE aren't, but 50 million people still voted for John Kerry. I wouldn't be so quick to discount the phenomenon of a bullet-proof stupidity in the American population.
"We are sick of hearing that this is an immigration issue, when we know for a fact it is an illegal alien problem!"
Actually, it's more like an attempt by American business to do by underhanded means what it cannot do in the open" re-institute slavery ikn this country, or failing that, to come as close to it as possible. The evil here is the American agriculture, travel, hospitality, rstautrant, landscaping, construction and several other indusrtries who wish to remain profitable by not paying Americans to do the necessary work, because Americans. after all, have rights and access to lawyers. Illegal immigrants have neither and will accept near-slave wages.
"Above all, WE DO NOT WANT AN AMNESTY PROGRAM IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM! This means no path to citizenship, no undocumented migrants, and no plan yet supported by President Bush. We tried it once before, and the results have been nothing short of disastrous."
Personally, i'd opt for a "shoot on sight" policy at the border and the forced branding on the forehead for those who slip through but are found afterwards. This way, tere would be no excuse for hiring an illegal based on the "we didn't know and it's too troublesome and expensive to find out" defense.
"We do not need another huge bureaucracy created to handle the problem. We dont need tax increases to pay for it, and we dont need sniveling or crying or political infighting. We want a rational, steadfast and immediate approach to handling a problem which has gotten way out of hand, and we will vote for those who support such a measure. We would remind those who so willfully abandon the values and ethics of American ideals in exchange for campaign contributions: It does not matter if corporate donors line reelection coffers with one trillion dollars... it will not buy one single vote on this issue."
Au contraire. Any solution to the problem will, by nature of the beast in Washington, be relegated to an expensive, unresponsive bureaucracy. This is the only acceptgable solution to anyone involved in government; make it the responsibility of a huge, unresponsive, faceless commitee, or organization upon which no one can pin ultimate responsibility. Particularly not on a Congresscritter.
And guess again: the trillion dollars has already been spent, and it's already bought the votes. The money is well and truly safe in the re-election coffers already. It's too late to complain about "monied interests" in a day and age where "Campaign Finance reform" is little more than unaccountable tenure for elected officials.
I admire your pluck, tenacity and drive in composing and sending what is a very fine letter. It will find it's way to the circular filing cabinet next to every Congresscritter and Senator's desk, because there is no check enclosed with it. I admire your dedication to the cause. I'm truly sorry, hwoever, that without taking to the streets armed, your pleas (and the similar feelings of millions of others) will not amount to a hill of beans in the face of such arrogant, unassailable and irresponsible personalities (mostly non-entities) as sit weithin the US Congress.
What's even sadder is that we all voted for them, and that many will be re-elected anyway, no matter how many letters get written.
But I thank you for the attempt.
The elites that rule in D.C. are as removed from reality as England was just before the American Revolution.
There is essentially no difference between the parties. The Demopublicans are the same. They will vote to keep U.S. borders open regardless of national security concerns and regardless of economic consequences. More border jumpers flood into the U.S. every week. They bring their own politics with them across the border: Most of them are Communists and support the Zapatista revolutionaries.
How could the national media (MSM) miss the significance of May Day Celebrations staged by Mexicans all across America?
I think it's a great letter.
Boy, oh boy, do you know how to craft a letter or what? Succinct and to the point! Must have taken many drafts. You are the writer for the American People...
Another thought: Maybe put the definition of, AMNESTY, in caps and bold and underline it so it catches the eye, just in case the readers in D.C. forget the meaning. Plus it would reinforce the fact that AMNESTY is utterly ridiculous, and possibly make them cringe upon reading the word...
I contacted the White House since all my congress critters are hopeless liberals and don't give a rats rear end what I nor any of their constituents think.
Good letter!
However, Try to shorten it some if you can; most people have short attention spans.
You are trying to reason with people that -- to all appearances -- care not for the future of America, nor have they taken there oath of office seriously. One can ONLY conclude that they are:
(1) They are Unfit, and or, unqualified for office(to be kind)
(2) They are corrupt.
(3) They are traitors to their country.
Frankly, the more our leaders ignore the wishes of the American people (said wishes also embodied in our constitution I might add) the more I'm leaning toward choices number two and three.
Don't be timid or afraid.
God bless America.
to the point and decisive.
very impressive
Your first sentence is grammatically wrong (like half of my posts).
You wrote:
"Never before in the history of the United States has the House, Senate and the President been so out of touch with the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Americans."
It should read (corrected word in caps):
"Never before in the history of the United States HAVE the House, Senate and the President been so out of touch with the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Americans."
Don't know if grammar really matters in the grand scheme of things, but I just thought I'd mention it. (And I make plenty of writing errors myself.)
There may be some other slips in your post, but it's getting late. Too tired! I'll read later.
Excellent, IMHO. Yes, I know the staffers quickly scan and merely tally a "for" or "against" for their boss, but it feels good to get it all off your chest anyway. Kudos to you for taking the time to express the sticking points so well.