My Friends, Keep On Writing Until Your Fingers Bleed

[VaMinuteMan]

Dear ALIPAC & Minutmen members:

Never Give Up - Don't Give An Inch. Bush knows we are jamming the phones and stuffing the mailboxes and it's having a powerful affect. That's why he made the comment that the Senate needs to start hearing from the Illegals if they want their amnesty. Don't give them an inch - step on the throat of the enemy and finish them.

Write to every newspaper, every media outlet - every Senator and every presidential candidate campaign. Even those that aren't your own Senators or Congressman. YOU have a stake in the outcome - therefor YOU are affected by the votes coming from other senators.

WE MUST NOT YIELD...the harder Bush and the Corporations try - the harder we must fight. It's OUR country not theirs. FIGHT FOR IT.

[VaMinuteMan]

My Email Campaign Letter:

John McCain and George Bush have done more damage to the Republican party than any liberal could have ever dreamed of. They couldn't get their way the first time with the "comprehensive immigration garbage", so now they've chosen the "nuke option". Opting to destroy the Republican Party and it's conservative base, rather than go back on their promises to fat cash corporate benefactors and get them this cheap labor legislation so badly. The new "axis of evil" for conservatives across the country appears to be George Bush, John McCain and Lindsey Graham...not John Edwards, Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton.

You can now see the party starting to eat it's own, all to the glee of the gawking Democrats. Fractures and splinter groups are now forming. Conservatives are using the very means in which they fought the liberals during the Clinton era to now fight their own leaders who we feel have betrayed us. Live by the sword, and now the Republicans are dying by it. Trent Lott, a mountain of a man in the conservative movement when he was Senate Majority Leader, made an outrageous comment on the Senate floor the other day that "talk radio was taking over America, and we may have to do something about it."

What in God's name was that?!? What exactly does that mean?! That sounds like something we would expect out of Russian President Vladimir Putin, not an American Senator on the floor of the U.S. Senate! The most disgusting comments have been Senators who have shown that they are no different than liberals when it comes to name calling. Calling Americans racists only because they have a different point of view and think people should follow the law and come here legally. Those Senators should be ashamed of themselves. These are the very same tactics the liberals used when they were on the WRONG side of an issue, only now we hear it being used by men we thought previously were heroes in the Senate.

The American people are NOT anti-immigrant, my own wife is a Filipino immigrant and just now became an American citizen 6 months ago. She waded through the beuracracy, she waited in line, she paid the fees and followed the laws of the country because she respected those laws. Unfortunately, now it's starting to look like she did things the wrong way. She could have saved herself a whole lot of pain and money if she had simply ignored our laws. The lesson taught to her by this bill is that it pays to break the law in the United States.

The American people simply want number one, to have the border secured...and THEN ONCE THAT IS ACCOMPLISHED to fix the LEGAL immigration laws in a SEPARATE BILL. Why is that so hard for you people to understand?!?

South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham says we just "want to deport 12-20 million people and that's just impossible" - and you're right Senator Graham, it IS - it's a complete mess that YOU clowns created. But the answer is not to just let everybody go and say "Well, they have already cut in line and there's just too many of them so we might as well just let them stay". No, it's to enforce the current laws as they stand with lock-tight enforcement on companies that hire illegals and to give local law enforcement the power to arrest people who have been found to not have legal status.

How many people in this country currently have warrants for their arrest? How many people are on the books with some kind of warrant to pay fines or child support? Millions of people are in the system for one reason or another and yet we aren't breaking down doors and making mass roundups of known offenders within the criminal justice system - no, we only go aggressively after the most violent and dangerous offenders. But whenever the lesser offenders get stopped for a vehicle infraction, whenever they apply for services, whenever they attempt to buy a house or take out a loan that's when they get caught by the system.

The same rule should apply for our current immigration laws - that coupled with the enforcement of hiring laws would dry up the well. You make being an illegal alien an unprofitable venture and not worth the danger of dying in the desert trying to cross the border. If the illegals found out that they could no longer get a job, if they could no longer rent a house or get access to health care. If they couldn't draw from our social programs or take their children to our public schools, maybe finally then - crime wouldn't pay.

The American people simply want Congress to do the job they were sent to do, that is to make laws and then mean it. The principle is simple: enforce the laws that are already there...the very same laws they voted on and implemented back in 1986 and then again in 1991. What are we supposed to think when you say, "Oh, ok we get it this time and we mean it - honest". Well, we certainly got an example of their candor when they didn't even build the fence and hire the border guards they told us they were going to do just 6 months ago.

If the 110th Congress doesn't get it's collective butts in gear, the American people are going to give them a rude awakening not seen since the creation of Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party in 1912. Due to the current political climate and rampant dissatisfaction of conservatives with Republicans party leaders, the country could become ripe yet again for another third politcal party which would of course, ensure victory for the Democrats in 2008.

[redbadger]

Thank you...and I will never give up or shut up

[VaMinuteMan]

Writing Effective Letters to Your Legislators

If you haven't communicated with an elected official before, and you want to get started, the simplest thing you can do is utilize the time-tested results-oriented method: Letter Writing. As a voting constituent, a letter is an easy way for you to let lawmakers know your views on specific issues, encourage them to vote your way, and let them know you'll watch how they vote on a particular issue and keep that vote in mind come Election Day!

Personally-written letters allow you an opportunity to present your position to your lawmakers without interruption. With that in mind, you'll want to keep the letter short and to the point, with just enough facts and figures to further enhance your statement. Never lie or make a statement you can't back up with evidence. Always let your lawmakers know how a specific issue will affect you personally, and make sure he understands that you live and vote in his district or state, and therefore what affects you may affect your fellow constituents as well.

If you own or operate a business, use your company letterhead. If you're a member of the Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) or other civic group, don't hesitate to mention that. Here are three quick tips you'll want to refer to when drafting your letter:

1) How to Address Your Representative: Address your letters to "The Honorable __________," and begin the letter "Dear Senator" or "Dear Representative." If writing to a Committee Chairman or Speaker of the House, address them as "Mr. Chairman" or "Mr. Speaker."

2) Be Brief & Specific & Always Be Courteous! Letters should never exceed one page, and the purpose of your letter should be stated clearly in the first paragraph. If your letters pertains to specific legislation, identify it accordingly. To make sure your letter is as productive as possible, always be courteous, even if you disagree with your representative's position! Never threaten, or use abusive language. This only hurts your cause.

3) Ask Them to Write Back! Always ask for a response to your letter. You'll want a hard copy of your legislators' positions on these issues for future reference and to document their positions.


Faxing
Faxing has become increasingly popular as more and more Americans have gained access to fax machines. In fact, nearly all U.S. Senators and Representatives have have published fax numbers. What's more, faxing allows you to send a full, letter-length message to your representatives in a matter or minutes for just the cost of a phone call. When preparing your fax message to a lawmaker, follow the same basic guidelines used when mailing a letter via regular mail. You may also want to make sure your fax number is clearly visible, in case your legislator wishes to respond to you via fax.

E-Mail
Email lets you communicate with your representatives instantaneously. Again, follow the basic guidelines for a written letter when you send an email message.

Mailgram
Mailgrams are sent via Western Union or by private services and arrive at your legislators office in about one to three days via U.S. mail. Some private services will "hand deliver" your correspondance to his/her office. To send a mailgram, call your local Western Union office, and recite the message to the clerk. Your message will be printed and sent to your representative. You will be charged for the mailgram on your telephone bill or on your credit card, based upon the length of the message. To save time and money, compose your message before calling. "Hand delivery" service is fee based and can be found on the internet.

Placing Effective Telephone Calls
You will often find that as bills move through the legislative process, there simply isn't enough time to write your legislators, or schedule an appointment to visit them prior to a key vote. When you need to get in touch with your legislator immediately to let him know of your position on immigration issues, your telephone calls become the most effective means for you to communicate your views to your lawmakers. Below are several tips for you to refer to when placing your calls.


1) Identify yourself as a Constituent! As someone who lives and votes in the lawmaker's district or state, your phone calls carry the most weight. Calls to representatives outside your district or state are helpful as well, however, be sure to contatct your own legislators first.

2) State Your Point Quickly and Clearly! Be sure to limit your telephone call to one subject. Be brief but specific- your phone call should last only a few minutes. Let them know why you're calling, giving a bill number if possible. REMEMBER: ALWAYS BE COURTEOUS! NEVER threaten or use abusive language. This only discredits you and hurts our mutual cause.

3) Request That Your Legislator Follow Up Your Call With a Letter! Be sure to give your name and home address and request that your legislator follow up your phone call with a letter or personal note. You took the time to call, have your legislator take the time to respond. Get his position in writing on issues important to you!

4) Do Not Identify Yourself With Any Group or Affliation
Unfortunately, many pro-immigration politicians are under the impression that these calls are being generated by nativist groups and talk radio and that we only say what we have been told. Only identify yourself with groups that will enhance your credibility as a citizen in good standing as well as a voting constituent, mention if you are a community or business leader, PTA, VFW, American Legion member, or homemaker, lawmakers will find it harder to dismiss your call as "talk radio / nativist propoganda".

[jecg_97030]

I challenge everyone on the West Coast to get up very early tomorrow. Get dressed and ready for your day and start at 6 am calling the Senators and call at least ten.

We outnumber the illegals by huge numbers and we can put together a coherent sentence. Make those calls, we cannot wait. If it's busy, try until you get through!

This is war.