Okay, that's cool.

[bzarcher]

Back when HR 3313 went to Congress, I wrote my Representative and explained in a letter why I disagreed with the bill and asking him to please vote his conscience, but I hoped he would vote no.

He wrote me back.

And he didn't just write me a form letter. He wrote a long, pretty detailed letter explaining why he voted yes. He didn't do it because of gay marraige, he did it because he doesn't believe the trend of Judicial Activism in the last few years has been a good one. He also wanted to give state governments the ability to determine their own internal policy rather than letting another state's court determine it for them.

And y'know, I still don't agree with his vote, but I give him a hell of a lot of respect, both for his explanation and for the fact that he wrote this back with more than just a form letter. He didn't have to. I didn't really expect him to. But he did.

I don't think I'm going to vote for him next election, but I think I feel pretty decent about being represented by him now.

Comments

[daemi0n.livejournal.com]

Who's your rep?

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

The honorable Patrick J. Tiberi.

[daemi0n.livejournal.com]

You're lucky... I get nothing but form letters from Kaptur.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Believe me, I know.

Like I said, I didn't expect any reply at all, or a form letter at most. This was a really above the call act. :D

[purplemanatee.livejournal.com]

I despise Tiberi! While I understand that it is a (sad but true) rarity to get non-form-letters from representatives, but the idea of 'activist judges' needing to be stopped has long been an excuse the silly religious wing of the Republican party hides behind to push its own agenda.

I will agree with you that being involved in the political process can be somewhat envigorating, and I enjoy sending and receiving letters to my representatives too. I have Deborah Pryce - while she is still a tool, she is less of one than Tiberi (who represented me for /years/ at my old addresses).

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Like I said, I still don't intend to vote for him. :D But he gets some points for bothering to take the time to actually talk to a constituent.