Eleven days ago, 16 letters were postmarked to 14 elected officials – from my representative to the President – and two local advocates to change the phrase ‘mental defectives’ in US law.
Today, the post office delivered the first two responses.
Representative W said in essence, ‘Dear fill-in-the-blank, thanks for your letter. Since you’re not in my district, you’re not my problem. But here’s your representative’s address. Have a nice day.‘
The first of the two advocates, Former Representative R, replied on a more personal level (but probably only because he knows who I am via TB, my brother-in-law, and a friend of mine.) ‘I wholeheartedly agree with you, but since I’m not in Congress anymore, I suggest you contact your current congresspeople.‘
Erg. I knew I should have included a list of those I copied to avoid the inevitable ‘you should talk to so-and-so’ responses.
In sixth grade, I wrote to the first President Bush with a recycling initiative. Six months later, with generic response in hand, I learned that only the loud and unrelenting are heard. I was small and meek at 12 years old. Some things have changed in the twenty years between receiving a form letter from the White House and today. While still small, meek was a skin I shed in high school.
Fourteen responses to go. All I need is one bite.
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