I’ve been doing this for a long time, and this is the best breakdown I’ve ever seen on how to do it. I teach classes on this and you’ve done a better job here of breaking it down than I do in my PowerPoints. Thank you for this!
As an example of doing...wrote this up this morning for my Representative.
Dear Representative,
I am writing to urge immediate congressional action regarding the executive branch's circumvention of the War Powers Resolution (WPR) concerning the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Please consider the following points regarding the administration's recent legal claims:
* President Trump's May 1 letter to Congress asserts that the April 7 ceasefire means military hostilities have "terminated," an argument designed to pause or reset the 60-day WPR clock.
* This assertion is hypocritical and legally unsound. A temporary pause in direct fire does not equate to the end of a military engagement.
* The United States military continues to enforce a strict naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Under international law, a blockade is a definitive act of war.
* Because of this blockade, our forces remain in harm's way, actively restricting maritime access and conducting sustained military operations.
* Overall, the consensus among legal commentators is that the administration is exploiting the WPR's lack of a strict definition for "hostilities" to bypass congressional oversight, and that the ongoing blockade effectively nullifies the claim that the conflict has ended.
* Allowing the executive branch to unilaterally redefine "hostilities" while maintaining an active act of war sets a dangerous precedent that dismantles constitutional checks and balances.
Congress must not accept this legal maneuver. I request that your office initiate a formal review of this WPR violation. Furthermore, I ask that you review whether this deliberate defiance of congressional authority warrants the initiation of impeachment proceedings.
The legislative branch must reclaim its constitutional oversight of war powers.
Unfortunately, contacting my state and local officials is pointless.
They are the descendants of the people who started and fought the Civil War. Here in Alabama the slogan, " The South shall rise again, " is as popular as it has ever been.
Part of the reason for this is that Democrats have abandoned the South to Conservatives without a fight.
I believe that some party with the benefit of every American in mind, should fight for the vote of every American voter.
If the plan isn't to unite this country with liberty and justice for all, what exactly is the point?
I have lived in the South all of my life and have been disgusted with the way politics is run here.
People think the KKK is dead, but it isn't. It's just like the Seven Year Locust. It goes dormant for a time, but in the meantime, instead of wearing white sheets, some wear black robes and sit on the benches of court rooms.
Trump didn't have to try hard to win the South. All he had to do was appeal to the "White is Right " throughout the South.
As long as the South is abandoned to the right wing radicals, they will have enough influence to keep things as they are.
First, thank you for your detailed and thoughtful comment.
Democracy isn’t easy.
I have many friends in the South who are active with The Southern Poverty Law Center and also the Alabama ACLU of Alabama (links below). Some support the efforts online and others in person volunteering and helping with IRL events.
They tell me these groups are making a difference. They tell me change is happening.
If you’re not already active in both of these organizations at the local level, you may want to start this week. Hopefully you’ll be exposed to a new mindset of hope and change.
I hate to sound cynical, but I have worked with independent and Democratic candidates.
Despite the efforts of SPLC and ACLU to the results have not had a lot of effect.
Democrats introduce people who have zero name recognition at the last possible minute and the majority of elected positions in Alabama are held unopposed by Republicans all across the state, to the point that Republicans have been able to jury rigged that they do as they pleasure and are upheld by Republican controlled courts.
Democrats have to fight just to hold on to the few offices they do hold in Alabama.
The current plan by Democrats has been the same one used for as long as I can remember and I am 71 years old.
We can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results.
I talk to people every day who haven't voted in years.
They don't vote because they are not going to vote for Republicans, but Republicans run unopposed throughout the state.
When the only two options are vote Republican or don't vote, it becomes a dead end process for all of the people who have no candidates to vote for.
There's little point in voting in primaries in my county. If there's to be a run off, it's going to be between two Republicans.
If Democrats want to see a bigger turnout in Alabama, they are going to have to give us candidates in every single precinct to vote for.
Not taking anything away from the SPLC and ACLU, but they can only do so much. We need to see the Democratic Party act like they actually care what happens in the South.
Georgia proved what is possible in the South when real efforts are put into action in 2020.
The Democrats did not lose control of the Alabama legislature until 2010, when the Alabama Republican Party gained a majority in both houses for the first time in 136 years.
It isn't written in stone that Alabama is going to be controlled by Republicans.
Democrats took Alabama for granted in 2010 and doing so gave the state to Republicans.
But the simple fact is, Democrats abandoned Alabama to the Republicans.
We can't take control away from Republicans if we can't get Democrats to support every office in this state like they used to.
No candidates = no votes.
I apologize for sounding so negative,but after years of trying to talk to people in the Democratic Party and the only response I get, is an email begging for money, which I have started to block.
They need to knock on my door like they used to and they need to oppose every Republican running for office in the South.
This may not be a popular opinion with Democrats, but it my opinion and the opinion of many people i know.
I understand your frustration and disappointment. From your initial post I thought you were looking to get involved with communities of likeminded people. Regarding the solution, and you're not going to like my feedback, but it is to vote. The people you talk to everyday who are not voting need to vote. Start at the local elections (schools, Rotary, Chambers...) and keep expanding. Mayors, governors, congress and senate. That's the only way change will happen. I do think the groups I mentioned will help provide you with options, talking points and other positive and productive resources.
It isn't that we don't want to vote. The problem is, there are only Republicans on the ticket.
There are NO Democrats on the tickets.
Democrats have abandoned so many districts in Alabama that there's no opposition to Republicans at all.
In most of these districts, there is just one candidate on the ticket and Republicans are running unopposed without even a primary for many of the important offices that are just gimmies for Republicans.
There's just simply noone to vote for,unless we vote for Republicans. So, voting isn't the answer. If that were the answer, it would have been fixed now.
Even after many requests for the Democratic Party to develop candidates in our area ,we are met with silence.
I can tell you right now who will hold every position in my district. It will be whoever runs unopposed on the ballot, because there won't be any opposition by Democrats, period.
The interesting thing is that in addition to supporting the hard work your own elected “blue state” officials, you can also reach out to red states too. You can advise them that you have family and friends who demand they take action. You can inform any elected official in any state to take action on behalf of all Americans.
Great idea, ¡Mitch! My relatives are spread far and wide, including red states. To quote that fine mid-century American philosopher, Fred Flintstone: "Glad I thought of it . . . ."
Thanks Mitch, I've been writing emails, & since I live in California, we get good responses. I will call, but I'm so gut punch frightened that our representives at all levels are being ignored. trump has gone from destroying the post office thru L. Dejoy to simply taking it over & finishing the job of destroying the US democratic voting process. This is a russ implant coup. I stumped for Bernie in 2015, & I even wrote an FB post about trump working for russia, as I was reading as much as I could find about the candidates, this has been apparent for some time, IMO. But we all thought safeguards of the congress & supremes would hold, & that crimes of treason would be punished. I don't believe he or vance (or johnson) will listen to anyone. This is terrifying. I don't give up, our constitution must be upheld, but when? Thank you for your writing. It's solid logic, & true.
I appreciate your kind words Kim, and also all that you've done and are doing to help raise awareness and save democracy. Now is the time to double down on your concerns. I would focus on local and state representatives. Also congress people and senators. You're right, nothing is going to change the mind of Trump or Vance. But as you can see in the town halls, voices are being shared and politicians are paying attention. Hell, some are even leaving the room in shame. Remember, it's one day at a time.
You rock! I have been looking for something like this to help the aging population. I started this petition years ago https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/sol-protecting-seniors maybe you can assist me in this effort to people focused on a falling system that is rapidly growing.
I’ve been doing this for a long time, and this is the best breakdown I’ve ever seen on how to do it. I teach classes on this and you’ve done a better job here of breaking it down than I do in my PowerPoints. Thank you for this!
The average member of the House of Representatives has 775,000 constituents. Do you really think that they can/will reply
excellent.
As an example of doing...wrote this up this morning for my Representative.
Dear Representative,
I am writing to urge immediate congressional action regarding the executive branch's circumvention of the War Powers Resolution (WPR) concerning the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Please consider the following points regarding the administration's recent legal claims:
* President Trump's May 1 letter to Congress asserts that the April 7 ceasefire means military hostilities have "terminated," an argument designed to pause or reset the 60-day WPR clock.
* This assertion is hypocritical and legally unsound. A temporary pause in direct fire does not equate to the end of a military engagement.
* The United States military continues to enforce a strict naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Under international law, a blockade is a definitive act of war.
* Because of this blockade, our forces remain in harm's way, actively restricting maritime access and conducting sustained military operations.
* Overall, the consensus among legal commentators is that the administration is exploiting the WPR's lack of a strict definition for "hostilities" to bypass congressional oversight, and that the ongoing blockade effectively nullifies the claim that the conflict has ended.
* Allowing the executive branch to unilaterally redefine "hostilities" while maintaining an active act of war sets a dangerous precedent that dismantles constitutional checks and balances.
Congress must not accept this legal maneuver. I request that your office initiate a formal review of this WPR violation. Furthermore, I ask that you review whether this deliberate defiance of congressional authority warrants the initiation of impeachment proceedings.
The legislative branch must reclaim its constitutional oversight of war powers.
Sincerely
Hi Mitch,
Unfortunately, contacting my state and local officials is pointless.
They are the descendants of the people who started and fought the Civil War. Here in Alabama the slogan, " The South shall rise again, " is as popular as it has ever been.
Part of the reason for this is that Democrats have abandoned the South to Conservatives without a fight.
I believe that some party with the benefit of every American in mind, should fight for the vote of every American voter.
If the plan isn't to unite this country with liberty and justice for all, what exactly is the point?
I have lived in the South all of my life and have been disgusted with the way politics is run here.
People think the KKK is dead, but it isn't. It's just like the Seven Year Locust. It goes dormant for a time, but in the meantime, instead of wearing white sheets, some wear black robes and sit on the benches of court rooms.
Trump didn't have to try hard to win the South. All he had to do was appeal to the "White is Right " throughout the South.
As long as the South is abandoned to the right wing radicals, they will have enough influence to keep things as they are.
First, thank you for your detailed and thoughtful comment.
Democracy isn’t easy.
I have many friends in the South who are active with The Southern Poverty Law Center and also the Alabama ACLU of Alabama (links below). Some support the efforts online and others in person volunteering and helping with IRL events.
They tell me these groups are making a difference. They tell me change is happening.
If you’re not already active in both of these organizations at the local level, you may want to start this week. Hopefully you’ll be exposed to a new mindset of hope and change.
Shake things up. Don’t settle.
https://www.aclualabama.org/en
https://www.splcenter.org/
I hate to sound cynical, but I have worked with independent and Democratic candidates.
Despite the efforts of SPLC and ACLU to the results have not had a lot of effect.
Democrats introduce people who have zero name recognition at the last possible minute and the majority of elected positions in Alabama are held unopposed by Republicans all across the state, to the point that Republicans have been able to jury rigged that they do as they pleasure and are upheld by Republican controlled courts.
This is the reality that we live with in Alabama,
https://ballotpedia.org/Party_control_of_Alabama_state_government#:~:text=Alabama%20has%20a%20Republican%20trifecta,trifectas%20and%20triplexes%2C%20click%20here.
Democrats have to fight just to hold on to the few offices they do hold in Alabama.
The current plan by Democrats has been the same one used for as long as I can remember and I am 71 years old.
We can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results.
I talk to people every day who haven't voted in years.
They don't vote because they are not going to vote for Republicans, but Republicans run unopposed throughout the state.
When the only two options are vote Republican or don't vote, it becomes a dead end process for all of the people who have no candidates to vote for.
There's little point in voting in primaries in my county. If there's to be a run off, it's going to be between two Republicans.
If Democrats want to see a bigger turnout in Alabama, they are going to have to give us candidates in every single precinct to vote for.
Not taking anything away from the SPLC and ACLU, but they can only do so much. We need to see the Democratic Party act like they actually care what happens in the South.
Georgia proved what is possible in the South when real efforts are put into action in 2020.
The Democrats did not lose control of the Alabama legislature until 2010, when the Alabama Republican Party gained a majority in both houses for the first time in 136 years.
It isn't written in stone that Alabama is going to be controlled by Republicans.
Democrats took Alabama for granted in 2010 and doing so gave the state to Republicans.
But the simple fact is, Democrats abandoned Alabama to the Republicans.
We can't take control away from Republicans if we can't get Democrats to support every office in this state like they used to.
No candidates = no votes.
I apologize for sounding so negative,but after years of trying to talk to people in the Democratic Party and the only response I get, is an email begging for money, which I have started to block.
They need to knock on my door like they used to and they need to oppose every Republican running for office in the South.
This may not be a popular opinion with Democrats, but it my opinion and the opinion of many people i know.
I understand your frustration and disappointment. From your initial post I thought you were looking to get involved with communities of likeminded people. Regarding the solution, and you're not going to like my feedback, but it is to vote. The people you talk to everyday who are not voting need to vote. Start at the local elections (schools, Rotary, Chambers...) and keep expanding. Mayors, governors, congress and senate. That's the only way change will happen. I do think the groups I mentioned will help provide you with options, talking points and other positive and productive resources.
I guess I wasn't clear.
It isn't that we don't want to vote. The problem is, there are only Republicans on the ticket.
There are NO Democrats on the tickets.
Democrats have abandoned so many districts in Alabama that there's no opposition to Republicans at all.
In most of these districts, there is just one candidate on the ticket and Republicans are running unopposed without even a primary for many of the important offices that are just gimmies for Republicans.
There's just simply noone to vote for,unless we vote for Republicans. So, voting isn't the answer. If that were the answer, it would have been fixed now.
Even after many requests for the Democratic Party to develop candidates in our area ,we are met with silence.
I can tell you right now who will hold every position in my district. It will be whoever runs unopposed on the ballot, because there won't be any opposition by Democrats, period.
Why isn’t there any democrats on the ballots?
Because the Democratic Party won't support candidates in these areas. They think it's a waste of money.
What happens if I am in a deeply blue State and Congressional District?
The interesting thing is that in addition to supporting the hard work your own elected “blue state” officials, you can also reach out to red states too. You can advise them that you have family and friends who demand they take action. You can inform any elected official in any state to take action on behalf of all Americans.
Great idea, ¡Mitch! My relatives are spread far and wide, including red states. To quote that fine mid-century American philosopher, Fred Flintstone: "Glad I thought of it . . . ."
And how can I connect with the great Mitch Jackson? I feel he is fabulous in representing democratic values!
TRY LINKEDIN OR HIS EMAIL @mitch@mitchjackson.com
DM is best ;-)
Thanks Mitch, I've been writing emails, & since I live in California, we get good responses. I will call, but I'm so gut punch frightened that our representives at all levels are being ignored. trump has gone from destroying the post office thru L. Dejoy to simply taking it over & finishing the job of destroying the US democratic voting process. This is a russ implant coup. I stumped for Bernie in 2015, & I even wrote an FB post about trump working for russia, as I was reading as much as I could find about the candidates, this has been apparent for some time, IMO. But we all thought safeguards of the congress & supremes would hold, & that crimes of treason would be punished. I don't believe he or vance (or johnson) will listen to anyone. This is terrifying. I don't give up, our constitution must be upheld, but when? Thank you for your writing. It's solid logic, & true.
Thank you for your kind response.
Thank you Mitch. Taking a deep breath, 1 day at a time, aye. On it 💪💪💪💪💪🇺🇸🇺🇦💙🌻
I appreciate your kind words Kim, and also all that you've done and are doing to help raise awareness and save democracy. Now is the time to double down on your concerns. I would focus on local and state representatives. Also congress people and senators. You're right, nothing is going to change the mind of Trump or Vance. But as you can see in the town halls, voices are being shared and politicians are paying attention. Hell, some are even leaving the room in shame. Remember, it's one day at a time.
You rock! I have been looking for something like this to help the aging population. I started this petition years ago https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/sol-protecting-seniors maybe you can assist me in this effort to people focused on a falling system that is rapidly growing.
Thanks Tam. I'll take a look!