I wrote my congresswoman about one issue, and my senator about another. Eventually, I received a form letter back, indicating that not only had they not read my letter, they miscategorized it to the nearest issue about which they were getting a lot of letters. (I wrote my senator about Hatch Act violations following the shutdown, i.e. all those banners on government websites blaming the Democrats. My form letter was about the shutdown itself. I wrote my representative about the propaganda messages from the head of Social Security, and got a generic message about social security.)
I understand that they can’t be bothered to respond to each message. I would, however, like some indication that someone actually read it. Further, all the responses convey, “We are strategizing and legislating sensibly, as if this were a normal government,” which sends me into a right panic. Why don’t they respond to what is happening?
I was an intern for a Senator many decades ago. At that time, and for that Senator, every letter was read, but, as you note, many (almost all) got form letters in response. My job was actually to draft letters that didn’t fit one of the form responses. That was quite interesting.
It would be very easy to add a line saying, “We appreciate your specific points. On a related matter, [generic letter].”
If a staffer read my letter and ticked a column on his spreadsheet, great. If AI handled the whole transaction, though, I’d see the same result. And I don’t have any faith that they can be bothered to pay humans to read when AI will filter emails for free or (if you get a good one) cheap.
Because they’re worried about their jobs. Because they’re worried about pissing Trump off and ending up defenestrated (Holy Putin, Batman! But I wouldn’t put it past him), and because they’re afraid of attracting the attention of wackadoodles who will come after them (cf. Nancy Pelosi’s husband), and because they’re too busy toeing the party line to care about the political health of the United States as a whole.
What is necessary is a Joseph N. Welch, who had the guts to stand up to Senator Joseph McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee in 1954 and say, “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?”
Mr. Welch had other things to say that day, but that’s what sticks. And that’s what is necessary now. For Congress, Representatives and Senators, Republicans and Democrats, to say, “We run this place for the people of the United States, the same people who put us here.” Yeah, it may cost you your jobs, and it sure won’t please Trump, but maybe he needs to hear that. And your conscience will be clear.
Oh, I just wanted to point it out.
Also, Americans, your local Republicans. Your family, friends, cow-erkers, they love and support all of this.
Just please keep it in mind, is what I’m saying.