Because I can take part in it.
Today, I mustered up the courage to call my congressional representative, Dutch Ruppersberger, and ask him to sign the Polis/Pingree letter demanding Harry Reid to pass the public health insurance option through the reconciliation legislation method.
I was nervous as all hell. I took the time to type out what I was going to say when I called his office and mentally prepared myself for several minutes before pushing the send button on my phone. The phone only rang one and a half times; that wasn't enough time.
"Good evening, Representative Ruppersberger's office, how can I help you?"
For a moment, I thought I'd dropped my script and panicked. Breathless, I quickly looked down and saw the sheet of 8 and a half by 11 still lazing over in my hand. I forced out a syllable and when I started I couldn't stop.
"Good evening, my name is Christopher Warman and I am a resident of Essex, MD. Last week, Representatives Jared Polis and Chellie Pingree announced a letter to Senator Harry Reid, asking him to pass the public option through reconciliation. Over 80 other representatives co-signed it.
"I'm calling today as a resident of Essex, a citizen of Maryland, and a proud American looking to push our country forward and achieve an important social milestone. I want our country to become the America its citizens need. I'm calling to ask Representative Ruppersberger to sign the Polis/Pingree letter asking Harry Reid to pass the public option through reconciliation."
She allowed me to speak completely and answered shortly after my short speech.
"Thank you very much for your call today Mr. Warman. Representative Ruppersberger will receive a transcript of this conversation tomorrow morning. Thank you for sharing your opinion directly today and we'll be glad to hear from you again in the future on issues that matter to you."
And that was it.
It doesn't seem like much now that I've written it.
But I feel so empowered! For months I have been continuously bitching about the actions of Senator Joe Lieberman and the Republican minority in the Senate. I've been enraged about the feet-dragging on the Congressional Legislative process and the ridiculous lengths our leaders have been going to try and get any resemblance of health care reform passed. And when people stood up and shouted at public officials at the health care town halls over the past summer, I stood up and yelled at my television.
I realized, though, that I was taking very little action to push political leaders my direction. Maybe it was time if I got out there and got somethine done.
And now I've done it, and it's fantastic and I want to do more. Why not write a letter to Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, asking them to support the passing of a public option through reconciliation? Why not participate in an Organization for America handout of information pamphlets on financial regulation reform? Why not join a protest outside of the Capitol Building if repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell hits a congressional bump?
There's no reason why not. Let my voice be heard!
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