do you want to contact your representative or senator but don’t know how? This thread will walk you through what to do #BlackLivesMatter

First figure out who your representative is. You can find out here https://www.house.gov  or here https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Next decide if you want to call or email. I prefer calling because it can hold more weight if their phone is constantly ringing rather than ignoring a flooded inbox. Also when you call whoever picks up puts your message into a database that your rep is required to read

PHONE CALLS: 202-224-3121 this is the Capitol Hill switch board. When someone picks up, tell them your rep or senators name and they’ll redirect you to their office. An aide will answer the phone when you’re connected to the office.

Tell them your name and that you’re calling bc of police brutality or blm and you’d like to give your opinion. Try to tell them what you have to say as calmly and respectfully as possible. When you’re done they’ll ask for your contact info to make sure you’re a constituent

Things to include:

-Give name
-Name the issue you’re calling about
-Describe your position
-Support it with an example
-Ask for action

you MUST ask for action! That’s the most important part

Example of what to say

EMAIL: emails are pretty much the same thing but you can go into more detail if you want. I recommend keeping it brief anyway. This is an example of what to say:

Why is contacting senators/reps important? you can pressure them into passing legislation and openly opposing police brutality and supporting blm by asking them to! if enough people ask and pressure them, they WILL take action! You can call, email, or both!

this template also works for other issues like lgbt+ rights, immigration, women’s rights, etc but I obvs focused on blm in these examples