[free-sklyarov] Re: The American Association of Publishers issuesa press release (Derek Balling)

[Ethan Straffin]

Derek J. Balling:
> You silly naive man.. it'd just get the "Your issue is important to 
> us, and we intend to study it carefully before making a commitment, 
> but rest assured we will take your position under advisement when 
> push comes to shove" form letter. It's the "form letter of last 
> resort", sorta like the default route in a router. :)

One little tip that I've gleaned from a couple other activism lists (no, I
haven't actually tried it yet): try telegrams.

Seriously.  Nobody uses them anymore, so they tend to get flagged as
"important."  Their sheer esoteric nature makes them potentially more
effective than letters or faxes.  (I'm sure we all know that emails are
*entirely* pointless, right?)  Of course, the flip side is that, if
everyone used telegrams, they would stop being effective.

If you do write or call, make sure you contact your Congresscritter's
local office, *not* her office in Washington.  Especially in the case of
Representatives, the folks who answer the phones and open the letters tend
to be less overworked in the state offices than at the Capitol, and you
stand a somewhat greater chance of reaching someone who is actually
interested in hearing what you have to say.

On a more discouraging note: as a Californian, I find the idea that Dianne
Feinstein could ever be convinced to oppose either a giant corporation or
a law that favors giant corporations in favor of standing up for
individual rights positively quaint; this is one woman who is entirely
aware on which side her bread is buttered.  Boxer may be a slightly better
bet, if not by much.

Ethan
--
"Only the deaf and blind have to believe."  -- Romanian Proverb