URGENT: Express Your Opinion

If you are interested in current affairs, call your US Representative and both your U.S. Senators and express your opinion vigorously, in your own words.

The easiest way to do this is with the 5calls app, available for both iPhone and Android. You don’t have to look up who these people are, or their phone numbers... you don’t even have to dial the number, just push a button. The scripts are lovely, but scripted calls are discounted. Just be SURE they know you are a constituent (leave Name and address) and that you have an authentic opinion.

You won’t get through. All the voicemail boxes are full and there aren’t enough people to answer the calls; the U.S. Senate phone system has been receiving around 1,600 calls each minute, compared to the usual 40 calls per minute. So the act of calling itself has some impact—all senators must pay attention to a phenomenon this big.

Here’s something Five Calls won’t tell you, but I think is a good idea. Senators (and for that matter, reps) have constituent offices back in the area they represent. Most of those offices still have some room in their voicemail boxes. Let’s fill them up!

Comments

[Robert E. Malchman]

My Senators are Schumer and Gillibrand, and my Rep. is Daniel Goldman. I doubt there's anything useful I can tell them. Though whenever my son complains about some unfairness he perceives (like bed-time requirements), I tell him to write his congressman because that is as likely as anything to get him redress (i.e., no chance at all). Me, writing to my elected officials would cut down into my yelling-at-the-sky time, which again is just as effective and doesn't result in me getting put on spam e-mail fundraising lists.