Contact Your Elected Officials to REALLY Get Stuff Done

A few days ago, Facebook was littered with people updating their status thusly: "No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick." This would usually be followed by instructions to cut and paste this to the reader's status for anywhere from a whole day to a whole week. It got me frustrated that people were thinking that updating a Facebook status could make a difference.

But perhaps it has. I have decided to not only plug the Congress.org site, but also to provide a dummy-proof step-by-step, just to illustrate how damn easy it is to actually make a difference.

1. Go to www.congress.org and enter your home ZIP code.

2. Choose your Senator. (Once you've completed this process, go back and choose the other one, and repeat the process).

3. Click on the Contact tab.

4. Click "Web Form".

5. Select your message. This will be the email's subject line. There's an option at the bottom to compose your own letter. Again, you can start the process over again later and choose another message. Then click Next Step at the bottom.

6. Add your own message. This is where you need to write the body of the letter, but GOOD NEWS, shorter is better! Even one or two sentences. Tell 'em what you really feel. They'll get the point. Put your name in the appropriate box...

7. Same page further down: The obligatory Prefix, Name, Email, Address, etc. Keep the "Remember Me!" box checked, cuz you can come back here with all your grievances and make this process even fricking EASIER! Click Send Message at the bottom. And you're done!

You'll get a confirmation email and the satisfaction that you've behaved like an actual citizen of this country.

Thanks for your time!