You hear it everyday on the radio, on the television, you read it in print:
The War In Iraq
thereisnospoon has diaried about this issue repeatedly. There is no war going on in Iraq. The war ended years ago with the capture and execution of Saddam Hussein. What we have now is:
Civil War In Iraq,
or
The Occupation of Iraq.
Not. A. War.
How can you help end the War in Iraq? Ask your representatives to stop using the incorrect, Republican phrase and replace it with the correct phrase.
Will the Democrats take to making the change? That depends on which one they use. A civil war means that others are responsible for the conflict, an occupation means the United States is an occupier and we can't be known as that. Will the Republicans make the change? It probably depends on how vulnerable they are in 2008. It may be an easy way for them to tell the Administration "This is our little way of thanking you for making it harder for us to face our constituents."
Now, for the action. Your mission, should you accept it, is to fax your reps. Three faxes¹. That's it.
"But I don't have a fax machine! carne asada burrito... Mmmmmm. Now I'm hungry."
I knew you were going to say that. I bookmarked the page but I forgot which member of DKos showed me the tip (thanks.) You can send a fax by email or by using a webpage. No need to run off to the copy store to send your fax. We need to gather some information first, though. Here are the steps:
- 1. Find the three fax numbers you will need. This may require using your full address or just entering your zip+4 — Depending on how gerrymandered² your zip code is.
- 2. Compose your personal message. I recommend composing it in a text editor (known to some as Word™) so you can save your changes. You've never contacted your Representative before? Well, this page (warning: it's hard on the eyes) can help in the proper composition of correspondence to a person of that stature. No, not height, importance. An example would be
Dear Congressman X,
I would respectfully ask that you stop referring to the combat in Iraq as 'the War in Iraq.' Instead, please use the phrase 'the Civil War in Iraq.' I feel this to be more correct framing. As a Democrat, I know you share my concern of...
Thank you for your concern.
Respectfully,
- 3. Now go to the fax page and enter or paste your information, making sure not to send salutation A to representative B. Please note, on the phone numbers you need to put +1- (plus one minus) before the fax number so the system knows it's going to the US.
- 4. Hit the Fax it! button, not the Clear it! button.
- 5. Give yourself a pat on the back. You have just helped re-frame this issue without the help of an advertising agency and millions of dollars for ad buys.
That's all there is to it. That is unless you have other people who you feel should make the change as well. If this sounds like a lame idea, you can check Elise's action diary from last night. There's lost more cool stuff there instead. My diary is done. Now I have to go force facts into the brains of children (Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox today in 1865,) so I won't be here for comments. Thanks for stopping by.
¹ Offer void in the District of Columbia.
² Cool word, I know.