Get your self organized for the fight.

We're in a battle for our second amendment rights, and what happens in the next year will have an enormous effect on the future of firearms ownership. New legislation banning so-called "assault weapons" is popping up at the state and local levels every day, and Dianne Feinstein's AWB is due to hit the US Senate any time now. We're going to be fighting this effort to ban semi-auto firearms for the foreseeable future. It seems just as we've put out one fire, another erupts in a another place.  Due to the amount of new legislation being introduced, the process of contacting your legislators now has become a routine exercise.  By understanding how your elected officials collect information you can communicate your message in a manner that achieves maximum impact. 

Letters, fax and email: Have a standardized letter written and ready to go that you can easily edit and personalize to fit the circumstances before sending. Remember, your legislators and elected officials probably won't be reading each and every communication they receive. Most legislators have staffers who screen all incoming calls, emails, letters and faxes. The staffers simply keep a tally of for/against any specific issue. Nothing more. Keep it short and to the point, without emotion. And just because you've sent an email doesn't mean you can't call and send a fax also.

Tips on writing to congress here.

Know who your state and federal legislators are, and how to contact them quickly. Here are a couple links to keep handy:

FIND YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE

CALL THE US CAPITOL CONGRESSIONAL SWITCHBOARD HERE

Expressing your views via telephone to your US Congressman is as easy as this: 

"To find your senators' and representative's phone numbers, you may use our searchable online congressional directory or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask for your senators' and/or representative's office.

 Remember that telephone calls are usually taken by a staff member, not the member of Congress. Ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you wish to comment. 

After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message, such as: "Please tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose (S.___/H.R.___)."

You will also want to state reasons for your support or opposition to the bill. Ask for your senators' or representative's position on the bill. You may also request a written response to your telephone call."

Stay organized for a targeted, rapid response. And remember, you'll always find these legislative contact links in the right side column of this blog.