Writing to your Legislator

When writing a letter to a State Senator or Representative present issues in a clear and concise way. Make point in 300 or less words. If it is not possible maintain a 300 - 500 word count. Wordiness and jargon distracts from the main points. K.I.S.S. stands for Keep it Simple Stupid. While a technical word sounds impressive, if the reader does not understand it, they may get bored or misunderstand.

Help them understand what the problem is, how they might fix it and why it is important. Brainstorming brings supporting ideas to the surface. An outline organizes those ideas into a clear format. Avoid unnecessary conflict by understanding the reader. Ask basic what, where, who, why and how questions. What are you angry about? Where is the problem? Who are you angry with? Why is it a problem? How do you think it affects the public? You can work in a group to make ideas clear and understandable. Another method is to write down everything in letter or on computer to draw out the overall message. After you have all the ideas together it is easy to order the most important to the least important issues.

A simple outline for organizing ideas is with the following. The introduction tells the reader about the meaning and purpose of the letter. The Body offers the supporting facts to they need to understand the bias and reason for the letter. The conclusion drives home ideals presented to the reader.

Introduction
Tell the purpose of the letter and summarize the main points of the body.

Body 1 [Most important point]

1. Clearly state the issue.
2. List the supporting facts and research.
3. Make a statement towards how these facts work into the purpose of the letter.

Body 2 [Second most important point]

1. Clearly state the issue.
2. List the supporting facts and research.
3. Make a statement towards how these facts work into the purpose of the letter.

Body 3 [Least important point]

1. Clearly state the issue.
2. List the supporting facts and research.
3. Make a statement towards how these facts work into the purpose of the letter.

Conclusion
Summarize the main points of the body and makes a suitable conclusion supported by the facts listed in the letter.

This is the standard formal style. It may seem repetitive. However, it is clear.

When approaching a leader of the community decorum is important. They communicate with thousands of people with various ideals. They all voted for them. Maintaining a level of respect is valuable. Presenting issues as a team effort helps to not only sway them, it reinforces concerned for the community.

One letter will be read in time. However, they are very busy. Personal responses are rare; however, you might notice the issue being addressed on CSPAN. It does not mean you were ignored. They do not work alone. They work in a large group of legislatures.

After an issue is presented, a long process of exchanging information based on experience takes place. Supporting facts make or break an idea for solutions. If they do not understand the perspective or look up or references, it might be dismissed as idealism and not realistically feasible. Also ongoing letter after letter, phone calls and taking aggressive actions to ensure you are heard is considered harassment.

Diplomacy persuades Government Officials. Keeping everything clear and understandable with a formal outline is a welcome communication. Remember you are trying to make a serious impact on the ideals governing the country. If wanting to relieve stress, go for a jog. Government is limited to how much they may interfere in people's lives according to guidelines of the Constitution.

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