#callyourrepresentative

Unless you have been taking a serious news and social media detox, you’ve heard about the executive order that bans travel from 7 primarily Muslim countries for 90 days, and refugee admission for 120 days. There has been enormous outcry about this executive order, with many people (including myself) perceiving it as a de facto Muslim ban. If you feel as I do that this order is unethical, unconstitutional, and morally reprehensible, here are some resources for you to fight back.

GET EDUCATED

The first step in pushing back on this executive order is to understand it:

* Here is the order itself - it’s dense, but it’s good to look at the actual source * Here is a CNN overview that breaks down the facts of the executive order * This BBC overview explains who is affected by the ban and why people are critical of it

CALL YOUR REPS

Yes, it’s another chance to get cozy with your elected officials’ staff. The Shy Person’s Guide to Calling Representatives is here for you if you need it.

* First determine where your Senator stands on the issue. Here is a google doc that compiles Senators’ statements about the ban. This list from Vox only includes Republicans, but it has House reps in addition to senators.

* If your representative has issued a statement in opposition, give them a call to thank them. Here is a quick script:

Hello, I am a constituent in [CITY] calling to thank Senator/Representative [NAME] for opposing the travel and immigration ban. I appreciate that the senator/representative is is representing the interests of all of their constituents. I hope that going forward they continue to speak out about unconstitutional and unethical presidential actions.

Feel free to add a request for your representative - perhaps asking them to introduce or support legislation in opposition to the ban.

* If your representative has issued a statement in support, call them to express your disapproval. Here is a quick script:

Hello, I am a constituent in [CITY] calling about a concern I have. I was disappointed to see that Senator/Representative [NAME] had issued a statement of support for the travel and immigration ban. I believe that this executive order is unconstitutional and does not represent American values. I urge the senator/representative to reconsider their statement in support of the ban.

* If your representative has not issued a statement, call them to urge them to do so. Here is a quick script:

Hello, I am a constituent in [CITY] calling about a concern I have. I was disappointed to see that Senator/Representative [NAME] had not issued a statement in regard to the travel and immigration ban. I believe that this executive order is unconstitutional and does not represent American values. I urge the senator/representative to issue a statement to that effect and support legislation that opposes the ban.

WHERE TO DONATE

If you have some spare cash, this is a fantastic time to donate. The ACLU has been on the forefront of the legal fight against the executive order, and they are a wonderful place to donate. They have, however, seen a record spike in donations over the past week, and there are other organization that need support. Consider a few options and throw what you can their way:

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees National Immigration Law Center International Rescue Committee Council on American-Islamic Relations International Refugee Assistance Project

Also consider local organizations that are assisting refugees and immigrants in your community. Your money has the potential to go further in smaller organizations that don’t have the resources for nationwide campaigns.

FIND A PROTEST

The national outcry over this executive order has taken the form of dozens of protests across the country. Protests are a great way of rallying support, expressing disapproval, and showing the world at large that we do not support the actions of the president. Here is an extensive list of protests across the country. Many have already happened, but there are some today and over this weekend. I have used Facebook events to find most of the protests I’ve attended. You can also get in touch with your local Indivisible group to find an upcoming protest.

SPECIAL ASSISTANCE

If you are a lawyer or law student, or if you can offer interpretation services in Arabic, Farsi, Somali, or Spanish, consider signing up to volunteer.

STAY AWARE

Remember my first post, Shy Person’s Guide to Calling Your Representatives? Well, now that you’ve had a chance to practice (and perhaps to recuperate), this week’s action involves some important phone calls. Confirmation hearings have begun for the president-elect’s proposed cabinet, the richest and least educated cabinet in history. The action for this week is to call your Senators to oppose these nominees.

* First, take a moment to read up on the proposed cabinet members. Form your own opinions about who you oppose to help you target your calls.

* This is a useful (if clunky) guide to the hearings, the committee overseeing the process, and the Senators who are members of that committee. Here’s how I suggest using it:

Step 1: Go through each nominee that you oppose and see if one of your Senators serves on the committee that will be considering them.

Step 2: Using the proposed script as a starting point, as well as your initial research, create a call script you feel comfortable with.

Step 3: Prioritizing nominees with the earliest hearing times, use your script to call your Senator and oppose their confirmation.

* Members of Congress are pretty much exclusively interested in phone calls from constituents, so unless you are willing to lie about being a constituent (and provide a zip code to prove it), target your calls to your own Senators.

* If your Senator is not on the relevant committee, you can still call them to let them know you are concerned and how you’d like them to vote once the nomination gets to the floor. Be sure to thank your Senator if they are standing in opposition to the nominees.

In the coming weeks and years you will be seeing a lot of requests to call your representatives about issues facing our country. But maybe, like me, you hate calling people SO MUCH. This is a guide for you.

I’m anxious on the phone. My blood pressure rises when I need to call a customer service line, or even just ask the hours at a restaurant. So calling representatives about political issues is one of my least favorite things to do. I posted on Facebook recently about my experience calling my reps and it got a good response. I think there are a lot of us who want to pitch in but hesitate to pick up the phone. With that in mind, here is my shy person’s guide to calling your representative.

BEFORE YOU START:

* Pick an issue. This week I suggest calling to oppose the incoming administration’s cabinet picks: White nationalist Steve Bannon for chief strategist Climate change denier Myron Ebell for EPA Administrator Jeff Sessions, who has a history of racist comments and voting, for Attorney General Islamophobic Michael Flynn as NSA advisor

* Know that it’s FAST. It takes maybe 2 minutes to call one person, including the time it take to look up their phone number. Think of it like ripping off a bandaid.

* Know that you don’t have to be persuasive. You are really just calling to put yourself on a tally that will be passed along to your representative. You don’t have to convince anyone and no one will try to argue with you. Just say your piece (as awkwardly as you want! they won’t care!) and get off the phone.

* Know that calling is better than emailing. I would much prefer to email, but your message is more likely to get lost in the deluge. When you talk to a staffer you know for sure that your opinion is being recorded.

* Find your reps’ numbers. Go here or here to find out who they are. Call their local lines when possible. Write down the numbers or save them as contacts so you don’t have to look them up every time.

* Take a deep breath.

DURING THE CALL:

* Start with an introduction. I use: Hi my name is _____ and I’m a constituent of Rep./Sen. ____ calling about a concern I have. I see many scripts that omit how to start the call, and it helps me to know for sure how to begin. Be sure to say you are a constituent. They might ask for your zip code, so have that ready.

* Have a script. This is 100% the best way to keep you focused and calm. There are lots of good scripts you can use here or you can write your own. Say what you are comfortable saying. Remember, you are just calling to be counted.

* Expect their response. The thing I see missing from most instructions for calling reps is what to expect in their response. Most of the time they will just tell you they will pass on your concern. Congrats - if they do this then you are done! They might read a prepared statement in response. They might even say that your rep is not going to take action on the issue you brought up. What they WON’T do is argue with you or say, “what a stupid thing to be concerned about.” Don’t let your anxious brain convince you they will do this.

* If necessary, reiterate your request. If they read a statement or say the representative will not take action, don’t get flustered. Just say, Once again, I’m calling on the Rep./Sen. to _____. 

* Thank the staffer and hang up.

AFTER THE CALL:

* Take another deep breath.

* Congratulate yourself.

* Do some self-care. Maybe start here. Or here. Do whatever makes you feel happy and rewarded.

As someone who is answering these calls...

To all those people using Tumblr's "SAVE THE INTERNET" calling system: you're doing it all wrong. Stop calling and reading what is says. Simply say, "I support Title II" and give your name, phone number, and mailing address so your opinion is actually recorded by the person who answers!!! There are too many of you guys calling (which is awesome!) but then you hang up and without any personal information it gets lost and will never be put into the system. Some offices will log it, but most will not. So PLEASE leave your info. They will not cold-call you or send you letters in the future, they just need the information to log the opinion.

It wasn't hard, took less than 10 minutes. I didn't speak w/ the representative herself, and first I got a secretary who seemed irritated/confused, so I had to ask, "Am I speaking to the person who will get this message to the representative?" . (Note: Write down the name of your rep so you don't forget when you're nervous!)

Then I was tranferred to someone whose job seemed to be to take tallies on this issue. She was polite, friendly, and professional. She asked for my name, address, and phone number, which was optional. She just wanted to know if I was for or against, i said "against."