Welcome home, and thank you so much for your service to our country. I'm not sure how to do a state petition, but you might find something on the TN state website, or you might try Google'ing "state petition process". You might also try contacting some local representatives for help.
You have the power to vote them out. WIth emails and faxes, again - no ranting. Keep to your topic, keep it a couple of paragraphs and concise. You will get form letters, but once they realize that the same people are contacting them repeatedly, they tend to sit up and take notice. If you shout "Socialism!!" you'll get responses as if you're the one who needs psych meds (re: the response from 1st Richard). Stay away from accusations and insults. This is not a quick-fix type of solution, but with perserverance, they will realize that citizens are paying attention, and unlike Chucky Schumer said, we DO care about the small stuff, the nuts and bolts, and the PORK that they tuck into bills at the last minute and expect us to not notice. When they realize that we do pay attention and that we have the power to unseat them from office, they will start responding with more than form letters and calls from staffers. Stick to your guns, so to speak, on this. It does work! You must do this on a local, state, and national level because crap floats downhill....remember?
Just because we get stupid form letters in return doesn't mean we let off the heat. Email, fax, and phone frequently - and I'm talking like once/week. Keep to your points - don't rant. Esp. when you get on the phone - you're talking to a staffer who will cut you off if you're ranting or rambling. Remind them that they work for YOU - not vice versa. YOU elected them (even if you didn't vote, they got elected from your district/state), and they answer to YOU.
I'm a true 9/12'er, but it's not feasible for me to be in DC on that day, given that I live half of a country away and I'll be at work that day. Please consider not saying "If you are a true 9.12'er", because you insult those of us who are but, between work and the economy, cannot attend.
Well, one thing that I liked about Bush when he did these addresses: He looked into the camera most of the time, as if addressing the American people. Obama does not do that - he speaks to his cronies and pals - not to the American public.
2010 is coming.
The USA PATRIOT Act? Yeah, that was something like 470 pages, and no one in our House or Senate read it completely before they passed it.
And when the Research Triangle area starts outsourcing jobs abroad because they can't afford the taxes on them, come back and talk to us, because I know where Cary, NC is (I used to live in Durham and worked in both Raleigh and Chapel Hill), and I know that it's a suburb 90% reliant on the jobs in the RTA. So, when you and/or your hubby loses your job in RTA, don't cry to us. Palin won't be topping our ticket, but thanks for your snarky comments. You're as bad as any other OBot.
Carol: God bless him and the troops with whom he is deployed. I hope he comes home safely.
Excuse me, Mr. President, but why aren't you including NURSES in your health care reform ideas - none of which will fly with the American public, I might add. NURSES are the ones who know exactly where changes need to be made - NOT physicians.
Jason: That, in my opinion, was done on purpose because the media hit the nail on the head. The longer the American public had to think about this bill, and the longer the Republicans had to read it over (and even some blue dog Dems), the less of a chance it had to pass. He wanted it shoved through, and he got it.
By the way, the USA PATRIOT Act also was passed without the House and Senate reading it thoroughly. They passed that in a knee-jerk reaction after 9/11/01. No one read it through - and it was almost 500 pages. Gotta love that our elected officials don't bother to read the legislation put before them, eh? *turns off the sarcasm*
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Contraption