Why all good citizens should use fountain pens
 

I have always been concerned with the laws of my local government; however,
I have noticed that thanks to fountain pens, I find myself writing my local
government to either support their plans or to discuss certain laws (i.e.
why they are wrong :-) If the political parties want people to get out the
vote, they ought to start sending people fountain pens! My only question is
this, can I legally write my local government daily about the same issue, or
is there some law against mail harassment?
Richard- probably one of the few people left who feels that he can actually
do something

In article ,
"marlinspike" wrote:

I have always been concerned with the laws of my local government;

A good thing. We forget that the people are ultimately the government
in the U.S., and that all government power proceeds from the people.
When we remain ignorant and silent we surrender our freedom.

however, I have noticed that thanks to fountain pens, I find myself
writing my local government to either support their plans or to
discuss certain laws (i.e. why they are wrong :-)

Excellent!

If the political parties want people to get out the vote,

They don't, unless they know we'll vote for them.

they ought to start
sending people fountain pens!

Now this is a great idea! Fountain pens in the schools!

My only question is this, can I legally write my local government
daily about the same issue, or is there some law against mail
harassment?

Yes and no. It depends on how many content-free form letters you want
to receive from your elected representatives:

Dear (your name here)

Thank you for taking the time to write to us with your concerns. It
is important to hear what America's citizens have to say about these
important issues. Your opinion matters to all of us in (insert
government branch here), and we will work hard to do our best for as
many of our citizens as we feasibly can in these difficult times
within the constraints of current fiscal policy and appropriations
limitations.

Please feel free to keep in touch.

Sincerely,
(signature of talking head here)

Yes and no. It depends on how many content-free form letters you want
to receive from your elected representatives:

But I mean, if I start mailing 4 a day, they will have to actually read what
I say, no? Actually, I have had decent luck before. I asked my congressman
about some stuff and he (well, probably his lackies) sent me al sorts of
info on the subject.
Richard

But I mean, 4 letters a day, that's 28 letters week (or I could go crazy and
start making copies of the same letter and send 50/day) they would want to
put a stop to it, no?
Richard
"Ken Freeman" wrote in message
...
I think what the political mail handlers do is read the topic sentence at
most and put the letters in topic piles. After that they might look at
for/against. Then everyone gets a form letter reply.

I don't think they have to read your letter. Do you have to read all the
mail you get?

Ken


"marlinspike" wrote in message
...
Yes and no. It depends on how many content-free form letters you want
to receive from your elected representatives:

But I mean, if I start mailing 4 a day, they will have to actually read
what
I say, no? Actually, I have had decent luck before. I asked my
congressman
about some stuff and he (well, probably his lackies) sent me al sorts of
info on the subject.
Richard

In article ,
"marlinspike" wrote:

Yes and no. It depends on how many content-free form letters you
want to receive from your elected representatives:

But I mean, if I start mailing 4 a day, they will have to actually
read what I say, no? Actually, I have had decent luck before. I
asked my congressman about some stuff and he (well, probably his
lackies) sent me al sorts of info on the subject.

Depends on the Congressman and their staff, of course. My cynicism
got the best of me there for a minute. There are some good people on
both sides of the aisle in Congress, as well as idiots on both sides.
Unfortunately the idiots seem to manage to get re-elected fairly often.

As far as Senators from my state go, I always had very good response
from Paul Wellstone and poor response from Rod Grams, for example-
which might have had something to do with the latter's failure to get
re-elected. Martin Sabo amd Betty McCollum are also good responders.

A friend of the family who worked in a Senator's office- now I can't
recall which one, this was 30+ years ago- told me that once you've
written a third of fourth time to your official, they really do start
to pay attention.

So get out that fountain pen, get out some decent paper, make sure you
can write legibly and send 'em your opinions. Orange ink will
definitely make a statement.

"marlinspike" wrote in message
...
But I mean, 4 letters a day, that's 28 letters week (or I could go crazy
and
start making copies of the same letter and send 50/day) they would want to
put a stop to it, no?
Richard

Being a middle management employee in a local government, if you write the
elected officials in our jurisdiction and the topic relates to the technical
expertise of the team that I supervise or relates directly to a
project/program activity that I am responsible for... I get the letter with
instructions on what method of response is desired by the elected officials
(e-mail, telephone call, letter). The direction is called a "tracking memo"
and I have usually 7-10 days in which to draft a response which is reviewed
by my supervisors before it is sent out to the letter writer. Often staff is
asked to essentially "ghost write" the letter which is eventually signed by
the lead elected official for the jurisdiction. From a letter writer's point
of view, you think that you've gotten through to the elected official --
more likely you've solidified staff either against the position you support
or convinced staff the way we are heading is in the public interest.

The most effective way of swaying elected officials is to use your fountain
pen with your check book...

Vancouver Evan

"Tim McNamara" wrote in part:

| So get out that fountain pen, get out some decent paper, make sure
you
| can write legibly and send 'em your opinions. Orange ink will
| definitely make a statement.

Yeah. Perhaps not the one you want, but a statement, indeed!

john cline ii who remembers well his fifth grade teacher saying
"Serious people use dark blue or black ink on good quality UNLINED
paper. Other people don't."

john cline ii who remembers well his fifth grade teacher saying
"Serious people use dark blue or black ink on good quality UNLINED
paper. Other people don't."


Your fifth grade teacher is long deceased so you have permission to use
turquoise ink if you'd like. You can now use lined paper too in your
correspondence. She can smack your hand with a ruler after you arrive
in the pearly gates.

Nancy who is using purple ink on lined Komtrak paper to write to cousin
Matty who is serving our country in Iraq. He has a pet scorpion!

Tim McNamara wrote:
:In article ,
: "marlinspike" wrote:

: Yes and no. It depends on how many content-free form letters you
: want to receive from your elected representatives:

{snippety snip snip]

:Depends on the Congressman and their staff, of course. My cynicism
:got the best of me there for a minute. There are some good people on
:both sides of the aisle in Congress, as well as idiots on both sides.
:Unfortunately the idiots seem to manage to get re-elected fairly often.

Local Boston newsguy named John Keller (or Kellerer?) has an annual test.
He has a member of the public write to both Massschusetts senators (and
perhaps other elected officials...I forget) a sensible letter involving a
real, local issue. Then we wait for the response. Twice in a row Ted
Kennedy's staff responded, by mail, I think, requesting additional
information and promising to see what could be done. What might be
construed as a positive response.

Those same two years John Kerry's office ignored the letters. Keller
buttonholed Kerry and asked what happened, while a film crew taped the
encounter. Both times Kerry whined about "staff shortages" and "how this
sort of thing was occasionally bound to happen." After the interview
Keller checked back with the citizen and all of a sudden Kerry's staff
found the letter and had telephoned to apologize.

I, myself, have never written Kerry, but Kennedy's people have been very
good about redirecting my enquiries (regarding DIA maps of eastern Europe)
to the right people.

ObPens: Am greatly enjoying a Stipula wide stub. Only complaint is the
tiny capacity of the cartridges/converter. My dentist gave me a
(normally disposable) translucent "Monoject 412" plastic syringe, with
a curved plastic "needle" for refilling the carts, and it works like a
charm. And is not covered by the Massachusetts ban on people
possessing hypodermic needles.

--
Al B. Wesolowsky o Unlike J. W. Hardin, my foolish moves
o have been many.
Boston University o ---Michael Murphey

This struck a funny note with me....

Over the past year or so, when someone at work does something wrong, I pull
out my trusty saying (like my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Morehouse, who was
ancient back then - 1959), and I say: "this is going to go on your PERMENANT
record". For some reason, I just love saying it, but now I realize they
probably don't have any ideas of what that phrase really means... (since
they are too young to understand).

With age comes wisdom (I think?).

=Paul
Esterbrook-lover


"Tetractys" wrote in message
news:oFcSa.83299$OZ2.15164@rwcrnsc54...
Nancy Handy wrote:
john cline ii remembered well his fifth grade teacher saying:

"Serious people use dark blue or black ink on good
quality UNLINED paper.

I remember our class being assured that the infamous
"permanent records" were written in indelible "black
or blue-black" ink. For some reason, I associated these
colors with bruises.

Your fifth grade teacher is long deceased ....

Unless, of course, she underwent a series of transfusions
in Argentina, in which case ....