Letter Writing and Your Club

The gun owners have been successful in protecting their rights because they respond to legislative proposals.  Whether in writing, by phone, or in person, the personal request makes the legislator take notice.

Letter writing is the most common way of communicating with legislators.  It takes only a few minutes to communicate your request, and the letter serves as a tangible reminder of your request once it reaches the legislative office.

Encourage letter writing at your club

The simplest way to encourage your fellow club members to write is to bring a pad of paper, a box of envelopes, and some stamps to the next club meeting.  Have a copy of the GOAL legislative directory nearby, so that you can look up addresses.

During the meeting, announce that these supplies are available, and encourage everyone to spend just five minutes of their time.   Tell them the topic (specific bill to oppose or support) you will be writing on.  Emphasize the following four important points while you are encouraging others to write:

1)     Only registered voters should write. Other than letters from cute kids, they are generally the only letters that legislators pay attention to.

2)     You don't have to write a book!  It is important to write and tell the legislator what action you would like him to take.  It is not as important to give him all the reasons why you are making your request.  One or two reasons will do.

3)     Remember the tone.  There is a time and a place to be angry, and asking for action on a bill is not the place.

4)     Put it in your own words.  Legislators do not pay that much attention to form letters.  Handwritten letters, nicely done, carry weight.

Sending an Email

Though the format of most email correspondence is very informal, the same rules listed above apply to this correspondence. Keep it simple, short and polite. Make sure you place the bill number in the subject line. It helps staff members to coordinate in the event that one particular person is handling that bill and related issues.

Why Write?

Plain and simple, a letter is a more tangible reminder of a constituent’s position than a phone call.  A letter gives the legislator something to refer to during house debates.  When the content of the letter is backed up by a volume of phone calls from other constituents, it makes the letter that much more effective.

Don’t forget to make the GOAL connection. Remind the legislator that you are writing to support GOAL’s position.

Providing sample correspondence

You may find it helpful to prepare a small display to tape on the wall.  The display should contain the bill number and title, the action requested on the bill, and the local legislator's addresses.  You may find it helpful to give a sample format: