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Lobbying Instructions
Many organizations such as Environmental Defense, Amnesty International and the ACLU prepare letters about issues of concern to them and circulate them via email so that interested members can sign them and have them forwarded to their US legislators. Some have asked if such a letter can be prepared for them to send to their state legislators regarding the vaccination issue.
My advice from state legislators is that that is not appropriate for this particular issue at this time. With the other issues being dealt with at the Federal level, there is usually already news coverage of both sides of the issue and legislators are often just deciding which way to vote. Those form letters function mainly as votes one way or the other.
With the Conscientious Exemption Bill (A-2616) introduced on March 15, 2004 we are not yet at the stage of registering a vote. Nor is the issue of vaccinations and parents having religious exemptions rejected by the NJ Health Department being covered in the local newspapers. The issue of vaccination and its links to SIDS, autism, diabetes etc. is also not getting proper coverage in mainstream newspapers. Consequently, our task is still one of education and consciousness raising among legislators who are only part time legislators as opposed to full-time US Senators and Congressmen.
Lobbying for Social Change by Willard C. Richan, 1996, and many books by Gandhi, who was, without a doubt, the greatest political lobbyist in recent times can be helpful in cultivating professional-like lobbying skills for Conscientious Exemption Advocacy.
The book by Richan, made two excellent points. The first was that legislators love anecdotal stories from their constituents, and this more than anything else is what moves them to action. The second is that if your issue has life/death consequences, stressing the life/death aspect is what will put pressure on the entire legislature to move in your direction.
Traditionally, the life/death aspect of vaccinations has NOT been stress. This includes VAERS data, references to SIDS in the vaccine package inserts, Dr. Torches 1984 study, the 1975 experience of Japan becoming No.1 with lowest infant mortality rate in the world after, forbidding by law, any vaccinations before the age of two, and Viera Scheibner's 1985 Australian study with breathing monitors and SIDS. And now the terrible fictitious epidemic of "Shaken Baby Syndrome" SBS etc. All of these points should be emphasized in your correspondence. They can be easily culled from the WHEREAS'S below.
Legislators also like current news articles supporting your position. Another good strategy is to take a current article that you have received by email or you have found on a vaccination website, and send it with a short note summarizing it, to your three legislators (one Senator and two Assemblymen). This can be done on a weekly basis to keep your issue on their radar screen. You never know when you have struck a nerve with a particular legislator. At least 5 have admitted to me that their own children have had adverse reactions to vaccines! I have witnessed many legislators change their minds about this issue and some literally overnight!
Ralph Nader says that when you write, if you attach the names and addresses of others in the district who share your opinion it makes a great impact especially if the number is large! The more people you can rally to write and contact legislators in your district the more likely they are to start listening to you. It also helps them to know how many in their district are concerned about this issue. Once you establish yourself and your legislators know that you are there, it is much easier to stop new vaccination legislation as well, as they will be expecting to hear from you after a while.
I was also encouraged by one very successful semi-professional lobbyist to join a political party. You have an opportunity to go to free or nominally priced receptions to meet candidates, gubernatorial, US Senate and even Presidential etc. You have a great (short) opportunity to let them know about your issue. It is excellent if your three legislators know your face. Perhaps you will even consider running for office in the future!
Now that we have the Internet [www.njleg.state.nj.us] it is much easier to keep track of Bills as they move through the Senate and Assembly. You can also locate your District by entering in your municipality. Once you locate your legislators you can see pictures of them and read their biographies. This makes it easier for you to anticipate their biases and communicate more effectively with them. It is also good to read the New Jersey Section of the Star-Ledger daily to see what is happening legislatively. On Sundays read "The Auditor" column in the Perspectives Section of the Star-Ledger .
There are 50 WHEREAS'S (reasons for passing the legislation) on this website and you are welcome to use them to help you write vaccination facts for your letters. We need to write to our three state legislators, tell them what passage of this bill means to you and ask them to co-sponsor this legislation with Assemblywoman Vandervalk. We especially need Democrats as co-sponsors. There are currently democratic majorities in both houses. They tend to favor teachers and nurses unions.
As of Tuesday January 13, 2004 we have begun a new legislative session that will last for the next two years. This is the perfect time to get started as we must get the bill sponsored, passed through both Senate and Assembly Health committees, through both the full Senate and full Assembly and then for Governor McGreevey's signature. He is up for re-election in two years so, if we can get the Bill passed through both houses, hopefully there will be election pressure on him to make us happy!
Please consider joining this effort. I have found it to be really great fun, and a tremendous learning experience. You are also setting a very good example for your young children. Please contact me at barbara@callingtheshots.info. I can put you in touch with others who are already active in your district. I can tell you how your three legislators voted on the Hepatitis B Bill mandate in 2002 if they were in office. I can also tell you what contact if any I have had with your legislator.
Highly Recommended Reading:
Lobbying for Social Change, Willard C. Richan, The Haworth Press, NY & London, 1996
Reading People: How to Understand People and Predict Their Behavior-Anytime, Anyplace, Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, Ph.D., and Mark Mazzarella, Ballantine Publishing Group, 1998
The Story of My Experiments with Truth , Mohandas K. Gandhi, Dover Edition 1983, originally published as Gandhi's Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth, 1948
Gandhi was a strict vegetarian, practiced his own form of what he called "quack" medicine. He never used drugs (even when he underwent bowel surgery for dysentery!) or allowed his family ever to take them. He homeschooled his children because he did not want them to think or act like Europeans!
Gandhi said that if everything you say is true, it does not matter who sees your letters or hears you speak. Everyone who helps, helps, even if they are not of the greatest moral character etc. If you work without regard for the consequences of your actions you will never burn out. Every positive action results in a positive reaction somewhere in the world, unfortunately you almost never get to see the positive results of your good actions. Your job never ends. There are always new laws being perpetrated that will curtail your rights, and so continuous political vigilance is a must for everyone who wants to live in a democracy.
As an aside, Gandhi was violently opposed to the practice of vaccination:
"I abhor vivisection with my whole soul. I detest the unpardonable slaughter of innocent life in the name of science and humanity so called, and all the scientific discoveries stained with innocent blood I count as of no consequence." Y1. Dec. 17, 1925
".I am and have been for years, a confirmed anti-vaccinationist.A medical man who expresses himself against vaccination loses caste. Tremendous pecuniary interests too have grown round vaccination.I have not in the least doubt in my mind that vaccination is a filthy process, that is harmful in the end."