As an advocate, you don’t need to be an expert; you just need to care enough to get involved and speak up. That means bringing whatever power you have—as a taxpayer and voter—to make our democratic system work. Your influence is greater than you think and not difficult to use.
When you want to reach a policy maker, you should plan to write, call, or visit. If policy makers are to represent your wishes, they need to hear from you. Just consider:
—Speaking up won’t guarantee that you will win, but not speaking up guarantees that your wishes won’t be known.
—Advocacy is easier, and frequently more fun, if you are part of a group.
—Don’t be afraid of being asked something you can’t answer. What if you are asked something you can’t answer? Simply do as the politicians do: Say you don’t know, but you’ll find out and get back to the person. Then do.
—Practice helps. Memorize a little speech or write out a script to use on the phone.
Your only task is to be yourself: a citizen and voter who wants government policies to work for the most vulnerable as well as they do for the most powerful.
If you enjoy these bite-size installments and wish to explore the topic more in-depth, we encourage you to download the free resource in its entirety.
This message was adapted from the “Stand Up for Justice” resource available from Women of the ELCA. Today is the third Sunday after Pentecost. The readings for today are Ezekiel 17:22-24; 1 Samuel 15:34—16:13 (semicontinuous); Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15; Psalm 20 (semicontinuous); 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 [11-13] 14-17; Mark 4:26-34.
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