Horse Slaughter Ban Relies on Public Action
This week we want to talk to you about how important it is to make your activism personal. While clicking and sending pre-written emails to your legislators is important and key to our success, there is nothing better than engaging on a more personal level. We do meetings every day with staff in both the House and Senate urging support and passage of the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, but unless they hear directly from you, their constituents, many legislators won’t cosponsor or are slow to take action. They need to know that an issue or bill pending in Congress, in our case ending horse slaughter, is a priority to their voters before they take it seriously
Did you know that a handwritten letter to your Representative and Senators is much more likely to gain their personal attention than an email? Or that picking up the phone and calling their Capitol Hill office really counts? Weather your legislators are already cosponsors of the SAFE Act or still need to add their names in support of the bill, contacting them every week is vital. Here are a few ways you can help us to pass a ban on horse slaughter.
Hand-Written Notes – It may seem old fashioned but sitting down once a week or even once a month to send your legislators a letter or post card is still often the best way to be noticed on Capitol Hill. With the proliferation of email, Congressional offices are flooded with thousands or even tens of thousands of emails every single day. Often those emails are similar so many offices collect them into a stack take a count and report the number up the chain. Then a generic rely is sent back to you in response, at times not even fully addressing your original question.
However, many legislators have their staff collect handwritten letters from constituents for personal review. They understand that by taking the extra time to put your thoughts down on paper it shows real commitment to the issue you are writing about. Maybe once a month take a few extra minutes to drop a note in support of the SAFE Act. Who knows, you may even get a personal response.
Make a Phone Call – It only takes a few minutes but be sure to also include the time to call your Representative and both Senators urging support for the SAFE Act. Calls, like emails come in volume, but it is another chance to have your issue registered on Capitol Hill. When you reach their office, remember that you are talking to a young staffer who takes hundreds of calls from constituents every day on many different topics. Be brief, polite and to the point on why you are calling and why ending horse slaughter is important.
Submit a Letter to the Editor of your Local Newspaper – Once you have a letter to your legislator drafted, it only takes a bit of editing to make it usable for a Letter to the Editor (LTE) of your local newspaper. Visit your paper online for details, but many LTEs are about 250 words and welcome submissions from residents. This is a great way for others in your community to learn about why we must ban horse slaughter, but even more important, Congressional offices often search media outlets for any references to their bosses' name. Staff then compile “daily news clippings” to share with the office and legislators to highlight issues of importance to voters.
Attend Town Hall Meetings – Well, this is important to keep in mind once we can gather again in public. Legislators will often hold town hall meetings on weekends or over district work periods throughout the year. This is the best chance of having a face to face conversation with your elected official while also informing others in your community about the cruelty of horse slaughter. I can’t tell you how often we have heard from staff in Washington, DC about how important it is for their bosses to hear directly from constituents when they are home in the district. You can find out about town hall meetings from social media or contacting your legislator's office directly. While public gathers are currently on hold, many legislators are conducting virtual town halls where you can call in and ask a question. Check one of these events out in the meantime.
Visit the IOHAF Action Center to Send Email – Finally, the easiest and fastest way to let your legislator know how important passing the SAFE Act is to you, is by sending them an email through our Action Center. These must remain central to your activism. Be sure to bookmark our Action Center so you can return often and take action. Encourage friends, family and social media contacts to join with you by sharing a link to our website.
Be sure to visit our Fact Sheet page on the website for important points to include in all your communications with legislators along with the correct House and Senate bill numbers. Be brief, polite and to the point when expressing your support for the SAFE Act. If your legislator is already a cosponsor, thank them for their support and urge them to call on House and Senate leadership for a vote. If your legislator is not a cosponsor, urge them to do so immediately and remind them how important this is to you and it will determine your vote this fall. We must make passage of the SAFE Act a priority on Capitol Hill.
These are ways for you to be heard on Capitol Hill. While we hold daily calls and hopefully soon, face to face meetings on the SAFE Act, it is vital for offices to hear from constituents on the importance of passing the SAFE Act. Legislators are always preparing for their next election so they will be responsive to issues getting the most attention. Let’s make passing the SAFE Act the biggest issue they hear about as we head into the November election.