Hello, everyone!

There's... omg there's SO MUCH going on. Mothers are being blamed for causing their kids to have lifelong problems by taking a tylenol while pregnant??? People are being denied healthcare because some dude believed a conspiracy theory and made it into law? Not far from me, people were held at gunpoint to... prevent... possible... chalk??? on a road???

Y'all this is all wild.

Mail 5 postcards to your state reps, your congresspeople, your senators. Tell them what's on your mind.

Keep it concise and without any insults. Name specific laws or bills if possible. This can include thanking them for their vote or voice on some issue or another.

You can use plain index cards, if you want. You MUST put your LEGAL name + address to have it counted!

Message your partners to let them know you did this. You can also tell them anything that might be important to you.

This is not a place for argument, though; it is about considering the concerns of others, the perspectives and life events that informed these ideas.

RECAP: - 5 postcards, sent to state officials - Index cards are fine! I put my address, theirs, and a stamp on front. - Message on back, so you get enough room. - Keep the message short and to the point. Practice separately if you like. - Anonymous mail gets thrown out. You MUST have your name and address. - No notecards or cards of any kind. They might contain a threat to an official. Postcards are transparent! - This is an honour system! Rate a 5 for partners who mailed theirs out. - Message your partner to let them know yours were sent.

There is just ONE partner per person.

Many sites will give you lists of your local and state reps. I use 5calls.org , choose a topic, and it tells me who is in charge of that. You can also type your zip code + state legislator into Google for addresses. They are publicly listed.

Yes, write even if local reps do not directly decide State law. Their opinions still hold sway and can influence others in the political + law-making sphere. Our officials are here to represent US, too! Don't let apathy and despair dissuade you. Even if you aren't "interested in politics," politics sure is interested in you. Talk to them.

These laws affect everyone, even if you are not interested in politics. These laws affect you. They affect my Latinx neighbour. They affect the grandpa I used to live next to. They affect my friend and what schools her kids can go to. They affect whether homeless people can actually go to the hospital. They affect whether a lot of us have hospitals AT ALL- that big beautiful healthcare bill might shut down rural hospitals, often the only hospitals within a two hour drive of citizens.

In some state, the State can now investigate you if someone thinks your kid might* possibly, maybe, not be heterosexual or might be trans. It is now legally considered child abuse to "allow" that, and child abuse can be investigated by the police and Child Protective Services. Even if you are found innocent, you may have a record and society may judge you. In a Right to Work state, that can mean losing your job for "poor performance" or other forms of discrimination.

Remember that courts work on "precedence." Repealing or changing ONE thing can allow changing other things that you like or need. This is one way "special issues" affect all of us.

Make your opinion known to the people who matter (our lawmakers.) Sharing a facebook or twitter post does nothing if we don't tell the people in charge.