Calling Your Congressperson: Why & How

Burst out of the bubbles! And get action from your congressperson.

Have you ever witnessed someone become agitated about a political issue and declare, "I'm going to call my Congress person?" And did you, in turn, find yourself rolling your eyes and wondering cynically if making such a phone call really matters? If so, you'll be surprised to know that it can really make a difference. 

According to Congressional insiders and experts on advocacy, phone calls can have quite an impact. In fact, they're more likely to get results than other methods like email or social media posts. 

Why Phone Calls Work

Here are four reasons why calling is so effective:

• Calls demonstrate engagement. - Since they take time to organize and execute, phone calls show a high level of engagement and commitment to the issue on the part of the caller. 

• Staffers prioritize calls. - Congressional staffers track and tally constituent calls on call logs as they come in. These logs are then reported to the representatives. 

• Calls influence the representative's public stance on an issue. Before they take a public position on an issue, representatives and their staff review what they're hearing from the public so that they can accurately represent their constituents' viewpoints. 

• Personal Stories Matter. Sharing personal stories about how the issues are impacting your life can make abstract political positions come to life. This helps staffers who hear these stories better support their positions when discussing them with their colleagues. 

How to Make Your Call Effective

• Prepare. Research the issue and your representative's stance on it.

• Be Concise. Keep your message brief and to the point, stating your name, hometown, and the reason for your call.

• Be Specific. Clearly state your position on the issue and what action you want your representative to take.

• Be Polite. Thank the staff member for their time and willingness to listen. 

Beyond Phone Calls

In addition to phone calls, consider these methods for contacting your representative:

• Attend Town Halls. Town halls, both virtual and in-person, offer an opportunity to interact with your representative and make eye contact!

• Email. While generally less impactful than phone calls, emails can still be effective, especially when combined with other forms of communication. 

• Write Letters. Sending a physical letter is another option that can be more personal than email. 

SO... Ready to CALL Your Congresspeople?

Use and share these contact tools with your allies to help influence your members of congress: 

Find your House of Representatives member (& CALL them!!): 

• https://www.house.gov/htbin/https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.findrep

Find your Senator's contact info: (& CALL them!!): 

• https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

Fun fact: I was once told by a congressperson's staffer that they assume that the opinion expressed by a single caller is shared by about 10 other constituents who are simply not bothering to call... but may bother to vote on the issue! So make that call!! It really counts!

Go Deeper:

• How to Call Your Members of Congress in 3 Easy Steps

• A Guide to Calling Your Legislators

• Calling your representative is the best way to make your voice heard.

• Dear voter: Here’s how to get your congressperson to actually hear you

• Angry at Trump? Don’t Waste Your Time Calling Congress — Do This Instead.

Not all news is bad! Check out these 15 positive news sources.

Good news is out there. These sites serve it up daily!

Why We Need to Proactively Seek Good News

"Why does the media concentrate on the bad things in life, rather than the good? And what might this depressing slant say about us, the audience?  It isn't that these are the only things that happen. Perhaps journalists are drawn to reporting bad news because sudden disaster is more compelling than slow improvements. Or it could be that news gatherers believe that cynical reports of corrupt politicians or unfortunate events make for simpler stories. But another strong possibility is that we, the readers or viewers, have trained journalists to focus on these things."  - Psychology: Why bad news dominates the headline (from BBC)

"Humans exhibit this attraction to bad news thanks in large part to what is called the negativity bias...This bias helps humans scan their environment for potential dangers so they can learn how to avoid them, but this attraction to negativity can backfire if we allow it... The brain reacts to negative stimuli with a greater surge in electrical activity. It takes five positive experiences to counter one negative experience.  It’s for this reason, in part, that many people struggle with pessimism, anxiety, discouragement and other symptoms of depression. If you want to learn how to stay positive in a negative world you must expose yourself to as many positive experiences as you can while minimizing exposure to the negative... " - Why Bad News Grabs Our Attention

But if most media defaults to negative stories where can we find positive news? It can take a bit of effort, but once you find positive news sources that are updated daily you can bookmark them and return to them frequently to build up your immunity to the negative stuff. 

15 Positive News Sources

Here are some websites that aggregate good news stories. (Suggestion: Why not bookmark some of these so you can return to them whenever you need some positive energy? And check out any links from within the websites' articles to other potentially uplifting websites.)

• Good News Network - "The website, with its archive of 21,000 positive news stories from around the globe, confirms what people already know—that good news itself is not in short supply; the broadcasting of it is." 

• Positive News - "We report socially relevant and uplifting stories of progress – ranging from the global boom in renewable energy to cities that are solving homelessness – joining the dots between how people, communities and organisations are changing the world for the better."

• Good Good Good - "Good Good Good has been highlighted by The New York Times, Mashable, The Washington Post, Miley Cyrus, and more... In an effort to help their audience feel more hopeful and do more good, Good Good Good’s team of journalists reports on positive news happening in the world and creates helpful resources about the most impactful ways to make a positive difference."

• The Optimist Daily - "Our mission is to provide a daily dose of optimism in the form of solutions-focused, good news that you can enjoy and share with those you care for. The ultimate goal is to elevate, motivate, and reignite each individual’s innate reservoir of intelligent optimism as a way of catalyzing the evolution of human consciousness."

• Upworthy - Upworthy is a media brand on a mission to share uplifting stories that foster positive connections — with the community, the world and our partners... Experiencing stories about good things happening in the world can shape how we perceive and interact with the people around us. We're proud to play a role in creating a world rooted in decency, love and compassion."

• Goodable - "We use proprietary AI technology and science to create daily content feeds filled with wholesome, healthy programming that you'll love. It's the cure to doomscrolling that you deserve." (Note: The Goodable app is free to download but offers in-app purchases for Goodable Plus subscriptions.)

• YES! Magazine - "Through rigorous reporting on the positive ways communities are responding to social problems and insightful commentary that sparks constructive discourse, YES! Media inspires people to build a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world."

• Goodnet - "Goodnet connects people around the world with opportunities for doing good - it’s that simple. ... our writers and editors have eyes and ears across the world of good doing - from volunteering, charity work, microfunding and creativity to green tech, water conservation, collaborative consumption and mindful living."

• The Happy Broadcast - "Over the years, we have explored ways to bring positivity and better mental health to our community. We do this mainly by illustrating positive news stories to try and counteract all the negativity in todays news cycles. We have also, however, spent considerable time and resources experimenting with tools that can help improve happiness."

• Only Good News Daily - "In today's world it's almost impossible to avoid being bombarded with bad news. Obviously, you have to tune into it occasionally to keep up to date with the reality of daily life around you, but why not give yourself a break? And ensure you enjoy a healthy daily dose of good news. Only Good News Daily is designed to lighten your day, refresh your enthusiasm for life, make you smile, and enhance your general well being."  

• The 89 Percent Project - Ever get the feeling that nearly everyone's given up on trying to win the battle against climate change? The 89 Percent Project tells us that "Between 80 and 89% of the world’s people want their governments to be doing more to address climate change." And its website presents good news stories of those who are fighting (and winning battles) on behalf of Mother Earth. 

• Major Network Good News Sources: -- Most of the time it feels like the major commercial networks are unable to bring us anything but doom, gloom and "watch out!!!" stories. However, if you look for it, they do provide some good news exceptions:
• NBC's Today Show "Good News" Page  -- NBC's Today Show publishes this Good News page, whose subtitle claims it provides "Inspirational, uplifting, funny and happy news, photos, videos and more." 
• ABC News Good News -- "Follow the latest Good News news, videos, and analysis from ABC News."
• CBS News "The Uplift" -- "Stories that uplift and inspire" 
• CNN "The good news tracker of 2024." -- This is an interactive tool for finding last year's good news. 

Annual Memorial Day Post: To Honor Fallen Warriors, Stop Glorifying War & Become an Activist for Peace [with Links to Many Resources]

Cover image from the enlightening website,
"War is a Crime: A Blog About a Criminal Enterprise

As a “baby boomer” growing up in the United States, I’ve lived through many, many Memorial Day commemorations and solemn memorial services. And as the years pass, I’m growing less patient with our tolerance for war. For example, has anyone really noticed that we’ve been both killing and being killed for nearly 17 years in Afghanistan? Probably few US citizens could tell you how long we’ve been in that far-away land, why we are there and if we’re making any “progress,” despite all the death, destruction, and maimings. After all, there’s no military draft that reaches into all American households and pulls out soldiers, no “war taxes,” and generally no real “skin in the game” for most of us. Aside from having our airwaves a bit cluttered with Memorial Day speeches, we are mostly able to put this messy war stuff out of our minds.

Now most of the time I try to keep these articles positive, practical or uplifting. But here I’m going to stretch things a bit and include what we old liberals call “consciousness raising.” In that spirit I’m going to share some stuff here that will help you ponder why it is we can’t seem to quit fighting and then learn how you might take action to stop the senseless killing of our kids.

Annual Memorial Day Post: To Honor Fallen Warriors, Stop Glorifying War & Become an Activist for Peace [with Links to Many Resources]

Cover image from the enlightening website,
"War is a Crime: A Blog About a Criminal Enterprise

As a “baby boomer” growing up in the United States, I’ve lived through many, many Memorial Day commemorations and solemn memorial services. And as the years pass, I’m growing less patient with our tolerance for war. For example, has anyone really noticed that we’ve been both killing and being killed for nearly 17 years in Afghanistan? Probably few US citizens could tell you how long we’ve been in that far-away land, why we are there and if we’re making any “progress,” despite all the death, destruction, and maimings. After all, there’s no military draft that reaches into all American households and pulls out soldiers, no “war taxes,” and generally no real “skin in the game” for most of us. Aside from having our airwaves a bit cluttered with Memorial Day speeches, we are mostly able to put this messy war stuff out of our minds.

Now most of the time I try to keep these articles positive, practical or uplifting. But here I’m going to stretch things a bit and include what we old liberals call “consciousness raising.” In that spirit I’m going to share some stuff here that will help you ponder why it is we can’t seem to quit fighting and then learn how you might take action to stop the senseless killing of our kids.

How to Honor Fallen Warriors: Stop Glorifying War & Become an Activist for Peace [with Links to Many Resources]

Cover image from the enlightening website,
"War is a Crime: A Blog About a Criminal Enterprise

As a “baby boomer” growing up in the United States, I’ve lived through many, many Memorial Day commemorations and solemn memorial services. And as the years pass, I’m growing less patient with our tolerance for war. For example, has anyone really noticed that we’ve been both killing and being killed for nearly 17 years in Afghanistan? Probably few US citizens could tell you how long we’ve been in that far-away land, why we are there and if we’re making any “progress,” despite all the death, destruction, and maimings. After all, there’s no military draft that reaches into all American households and pulls out soldiers, no “war taxes,” and generally no real “skin in the game” for most of us. Aside from having our airwaves a bit cluttered with Memorial Day speeches, we are mostly able to put this messy war stuff out of our minds.

Now most of the time I try to keep these articles positive, practical or uplifting. But here I’m going to stretch things a bit and include what we old liberals call “consciousness raising.” In that spirit I’m going to share some stuff here that will help you ponder why it is we can’t seem to quit fighting and then learn how you might take action to stop the senseless killing of our kids.