Use Facebook and Twitter to Make Representatives More Accountable

As the nation rallies around residents of Newton Connecticut, perhaps, the President and Congress will enact some meaningful gun control legislation.  

Will all mass killings stop with new legislation?   

Well of course not---yet at least the country is taking a step in the right direction to reduce the likelihood of events from reoccurring or the very least on such a horrendous scale.

The past four years has been dismal in the nation in terms of political leadership, from both parties as well as the President. 

The President before this latest event should have addressed gun control legislation.  But there is an old saying---and in this case very sad---better late then never. 
Often times, politicians and Presidents stick their fingers up in the air to test the directional and the intensity public opinion winds before they vote.   

Unless gun control legislation is not addressed shortly, give it a month, and the nation will have moved on, and legislation will not occur.

But political ineptness goes well beyond gun control legislation.
 
Politicians from both parties have become so partisan that the government has come to a standstill.  

Why wait two years before an election before we let them know what we are thinking. 

During the next two or four years, Americans can ask their representatives specific questions why they voted the way that they have voted.
 
Give us a good reason for a vote, and most Americans are reasonable and understand that an elected official will not always vote their way. But a representative should have a good rational as to why he or she  voted a certain way.

As of August 2012, 69% of online adults use social networking sites with 66% using Facebook.   Can you imagine, that if those of us who use social networking sites were to start contacting our elected representatives and start asking them the rational for their vote, perhaps the elected officials might become more responsive to the national needs versus the needs of their political parties.
 
Here are three websites that people shout bookmark and use to follow and contact their representatives when they have concerns.   

Select and bookmark the link printed in red to take you where you need to go!

• Find Your United States House of Representative  (emails, addresses, and phone numbers) 

• Find Your United States Senator (emails, addresses, and phone numbers) 

• Corresponding with the White House

These links will be published at the right hand corner of this blog also!

This is not to say the reps will have the time to respond to each email---yet---they will know that they are being held accountable.

Take it to the next level and post your questions to the representative and his or her response----or no response--- on your Facebook or Twitter account.  


Perhaps the reps will start listening to their constituency versus the special interest groups that appear to control them now.