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Tips for phone calls to Representatives:
When you call your Congressman or Senator, you will first talk with the greeter. You can 1)ask to speak with your Rep in person, or at least the legislative staff dealing with the war or 2)leave a message with the greeter conveying your points. Keep in mind that the greeter is a young intern who will probably not know much about your issue. Either way, let the Rep know 1) you can elect them 2)two main reasons you oppose the war 3) you support their work. Example: "Hello my name is [your name] and I live in your [your town]. First off, I wanted to let you know that I'm a supporter of Representative X's efforts in Congress. His/Her work on [an issue you know the rep has worked on] really made a difference in my life because [reason]. I am calling *today* because I feel like he/she will really be able to represent my views again with regards to the Iraq crisis. This Iraq situation really concerns me because [reason 1, reason 2]. I wanted find out what Representative X is doing about this issue, as well as just to make sure they know how I feel." In closing, ask for confirmation that your Rep got your message and reaffirm your support: I would appreciate the Congressman's feedback on these issues. I can be reached at [your number] or by mail at [your address]. Thank you again for your work on [issue mentioned before]. Bye" Always: 1. Call prepared: Summarize your position and then list the reasons in favor of it, but be concise. If you sound informed, they'll pay more attention to you. 2. Be a potential "lost vote": Tell your rep where you live; elected officials depend on votes from constituents (voters) in their district. Let them know that you've supported several actions they have taken in the past, (listing a few would help - you can get a quick overview at: http://congress.org) but that their position on the war issue is really important to you. If they feel they could never win your vote, they have no incentive to change their vote/opinion - so make them feel like what they do next is important. Give them a reason to vote as you wish - if they won't, then tell them they'll lose your vote. 3. Be representative: Let them know that you are well connected in your community and calling on behalf of many people - the more votes you "represent" the more influence you'll have. Let them know that you are part of the Care2.com community of over 2 million concerned citizens.
4. Always be cordial and friendly. This is America and democracy in action.
It's ok for others to have different opinions. You'll won't win anyone over
by attacking them.
Talking Points for Meetings (Your own heartfelt words are always best.) 1. We can disarm Saddam Hussein without invading Iraq. Iraq has already begun to disarm without an invasion, proof that inspections can work. U.S. intelligence agencies should work with inspectors to stop Saddam Hussein and/or expose his true commitment (or lack thereof) to peace. Pushing forward with war will likely impair peaceful progress and the U.S. will be blamed. 2. A U.S.-led invasion will further inflame relations with Muslim nations and increase terrorism. A unilateral attack (or perception of a unilateral attack) lead by the U.S. would further convince Muslim nations that the U.S. is waging a war against them. Osama bin Laden and other terrorist groups will use this as proof of the need for terrorist tactics against the United States and other allied nations. 3. War will kill Americans and innocent civilians. A war would lead to the deaths of some of our soldiers and many innocent civilians. 50% of the Iraqi population are children. How would you feel if American children were termed "collateral damage"? 4. The U.S.'s current approach to war is destroying our relationships with nations worldwide. We have squandered all the goodwill generated by the September 11 attacks and now, anti-American sentiment is at its highest point in recent history. We should lead by example - if we want peace, we should pursue peace first. If we "go it alone" we'll only encourage more violence, distrust and hatred directed towards American citizens worldwide. 5. War could further destabilize the Middle East. Recently, U.S. "ally" Turkey epitomized Middle Eastern resistance to war by turning down the Bush Administration's $15 billion offer to attack Iraq from Turkish soil. Experts warn that an attack on Iraq could seriously undermine and destabilize regimes in the region whose populations are overwhelmingly opposed to an invasion. One of these, Pakistan, has nuclear weapons. 6. With a tough economy, we want to support Americans, not fund a war in Iraq. The government is currently cutting funds that support critical social issues in the United States - like health care, schools, and the environment - but then prepared to spend billions attacking Iraq. As we are still in preliminary stages of rebuilding Afghanistan; (the United States provided nearly $900 million for Afghan relief and reconstruction) we don't want to spend an additional $60 to $100 billion on war, and then additional billions rebuilding Iraq. If the U.S. attacks Iraq and then leads a reconstruction effort, we will be responsible for both the bill for war AND for rebuilding when our local economy and own social problems still need to be addressed.
7. The majority of Americans don't support a war in Iraq. We don't want Americans killed in a war that most Americans don't support. According to a recent poll taken BEFORE Iraq started destroying its weapons:
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