Some good comments, Ben, but one I'd quibble with.
First, my perspective: elected local official (Selectman, town of 2000 people)
and volunteer active in state municipal association and affliated organizations.
I just got back after spending this morning in a meeting of the NH Council of
Applied Technology and Innovation, which is a joint committee of the NH House and
Senate dealing with technology issues, with membership including representatives
of the executive and judicial branches of our state government.
Benjamin Scott wrote:
> On Mon, 10 Sep 2001, Jeffry Smith wrote:
> > 1. Write / call your congresscritters - both House and Senate. That's
> > write as in snail-mail, not write as in e-mail. Very important, because
> > it means you cared enough to take time and write. E-mails are too
> > quick.
>
> I would like to re-emphasize this. I'm no political guru (far from it),
> but one thing I see, over and over and everywhere, is that Congressmen
> simply do not pay attention to email. You might as well be talking to a
> wall. A phone call or a written letter are the only acknowledged methods.
Personal visits work well too. It helps if you're already acquainted, perhaps as
a campaign worker or contributor...
> > 2. Be polite.
>
> This, too. If you come off like a immature semi-crazed fringe group
> (e.g., like most of the people who post to Slashdot), you will actively harm
> the cause. If this is what you are going to do, do us all a favor, and stay
> off our side.
AMEN! I won't describe details, but there is a perception of GNHLUG as lunatic
fringe in some circles in Concord that does not help the cause at all. Another
good idea is to follow the accepted netiquette of lurking for awhile before
posting, to learn how the group functions and what is accepted protocol (the
aforementioned perception stems from repeated violations of this precept, btw).
> > 6. Donate to EFF, ACLU, etc.
>
> Another good point. Many of us are so deep in the trenches getting "real
> work" done, we don't have the time to climb back out and yell at the suits.
> If you don't have the time, pay someone else to do it for you.
"Yelling at the suits" is as counterproductive as you can get! They've got their
issues and concerns, you've got yours. Disrepect or devalue theirs and you've
just done the same to yourself in their eyes. Politics is the art of compromise,
don't lose the war over one battle!
Speaking of EFF, I got great pleasure out of hearing Prof. David Farber, at the
time FCC Chief Technologist, describe having to recuse himself from some issues
before the FCC because as a member of the EFF board he was involved in litigating
those issues from the other side - nice to stick one's head up from the trenches
and discover there are still some folks of such ethical standards involved in
government at high levels!
--Bruce McCulley
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