Use politics as a tool for positive change
My first job out of college was working for one of North Carolina’s U.S. Representatives. I always had an interest in activism and politics, but never truly knew how the system worked. The experience taught me so much about how laws are made and how politcs truly impact every aspect of our lives. I taught me the importance of following elections. If you’re not already pumped up and interested in the elections this fall, here are a couple of things that I learned that may help get you there:
- Register to vote. If you’re not registered, you’re silent. Then vote.
- If we don’t like the way something works, then we should speak up about it. Your state and federal representatives work to support the issues that their constituents care about. If the community bands together on an issue that’s important or schedules meetings with their government representative’s staff they are more likely to make a difference.
- Write a letter. If you’re writing your U.S. Senator or Representative, send it to the district office. The district office works one-on-one with constituents while the D.C. offices work on legislative issues. Make it personal and follow up with a phone call. Representatives typically only spend 1-2 days in the district (at home) each week because they are voting in D.C. the remainder of the week. Follow up on your letter by scheduling a meeting with a staffer in your local office to talk about things going on in your district.
- Volunteer for a campaign. If you know who you want to work for, just pick up the phone and call the campaign office of log on to the Web site. You don’t have to have experience. They will find a job for you. Working on a campaign, in any capacity, is such a rush!
- Start with campaign training, which is often offered for free. It covers how to raise money, get a campaign staff, work with the media and target voters.
- Make it fun! Set up a date with friends and have lunch after you register or vote. Call or email your friends and family and remind them to vote. Volunteer to drive people to polls.
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