What have YOU done TODAY to fight HR669?

What have YOU personally done TODAY to fight HR669? It is not enough to think that somebody else will do it, and it is not enough to do it once, and then sit back thinking you've done your part.

From nohr669.com:

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# 9,729 unique people have come to www.nohr669.com and signed up with their name, address, and email to send an email to their Representative.
# 10,878 emails have been sent.

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Do the math, that is only 1149 duplicate emails that have been sent. That is a VERY small number of people that are sending an email more than once, considering I know myself and at least a few others are emailing every day.

Any my guess is that people that don't care about this enough to send more than one email, don't care enough to make a phone call, or send in the letters on paper. Over 10 thousand emails is a great response, but we could be doing so much more.

Here is what I have done today:
1) - emailed my rep through nohr669.com, but I re-wrote the email so maybe the aides who have by now seen hundreds of these identical emails might pay a little more attention to mine.
2) - called my rep and spoke to an aide
3) - re-read the entire text of the bill (again), to be sure I really know what I am talking about when I talk to people
4) - made phone calls to about half a dozen local pet stores
5) - made phone calls to about a dozen alpaca farms until I finally found one who said they would get the word out through their national association

Still on my to-do list for today:
1) - put up craigslist ads in areas served by the reps on the subcommittee. See this post for details: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showp...8&postcount=17
2) - print up more letters & get other people's signatures

If you think somebody else is going to do it for you, consider this. I called about 10 alpaca breeders most of whom basically blew me off, sure I had no idea what I was talking about, sure if it would actually affect them, they'd have heard about it already. Their livelihood is in danger, but they aren't going to do anything about it. I got mixed results calling the pet stores too. One guy who owns an aquarium store told me that he'd let Petsmart & Petco fight it for him, because they have the resources to do so. When I pointed out that PETA and HSUS are the ones supporting this bill, and they have just as many resources, he said now he knew I was lying, because those organizations aren't concerned about fish (he obviously didn't listen when I said it wasn't just fish), they just want people to stop killing animals for fur. Um...hello? Since when was that the only issue PETA and HSUS care about?

Ugh. So yeah, there are lots of people out there that SHOULD be doing something that aren't. So you better make sure you do your share. Please do!

Also, please post in this thread, because after a string of not very enthusiastic reactions like that, it is hard to keep up the momentum, so I could use hearing some positive stories!

posted elsewhere, but I have printed up extra letters to take to work and get signed and talked to the manager of our Petsmart. I got a very good reaction, so have my fingers crossed that corporate will at least hear about it. Don't get down. When I first posted on our craigslist, the reactions were horrible!

I have sent emails, made phone calls, sent letters by snail mail and have contacted my local news stations. I have yet to hear from the news stations. I will not give up on trying to spread the word of this bill.

This week I have joined USARK and also sent an email letter to my state rep. I actually got an email reply today. It was a generic reply about HR 669 and didn't say much about his personal opinion, but a generic reply means they are getting a lot of emails about it and they are aware of it!!

Just now, I printed out my 22 letters and I am in the process of addressing all of them. They will get sent out tomorrow to Tom Wolfe.

:salute:

Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP!! ...finally done (and check out that highlighting job!)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...8/IMG_0388.jpg

My manila is all set to be mailed to Tom Wolfe; I will stop by the post office tomorrow. And I can't help but be proud. Took me a while to type and format the letters, sign them, and address all the letters. I feel like I am actually doing something important. Sadly I'm usually one that doesn't get involved in politics. But this is too important to me to just ignore.

Rock on and let's keep fighting. My next step is to contact my local pet stores.

(p.s. I am an engineering student with almost no time whatsoever to myself... and I STILL DID THIS... so no excuses of "I don't have time" CMON PEOPLE)

I live in Canada and have no rep to address. I read the site posted and tonnes of info on it but now what?

I sent every member 20 letters.. :D...that 460 letters.. Thank God My Fed-Ex rep cut me a break..Them things get heavy after a few hundred. :D

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Originally Posted by missi182

I live in Canada and have no rep to address. I read the site posted and tonnes of info on it but now what?

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There are things you can do to help get the word out. First thing that comes to mind is to put up craigslist ads in the areas served by the reps on the subcommittee. I posted about there here:
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showp...8&postcount=17

I'm sure there are tons of other ways you could help get the word out!

I mailed another 4 packets off(22 letters each, from 4 people). I emailed. I called and talked to live people at 3 of my 4 represenatives, and got to chat with one aide that seemed concerned that the bill was written so poorly, and promised to bring it up with the congressman.

I sent my 22 letters, went to nohr669, called and put up craigslist ads(that got promptly removed).

I printed out a few fliers, had them put up at PETCO, MY Giant store, I also gave a couple to the vets...
I send out my email every day.

I also talk to my customers. I first ask them if they have pets and then I ask them if they have kids. I make it personal. I tell them about Ophelia who's got her own blanket on my mothers bed and watches Martha and The View every morning. I tell them that if this bill is passed, I won't be able to give my one-day kids the chance at some awesome pets. I remind them about their childhood pets. If you get personal, they act.

I also get people angry. I show them the "educational brochure" that NECIS has posted on their website too. That makes them angrier. Angry people do more it seems.

My manager says that as long as I'm not insulting anyone, I can tell anyone I want. We sell bird and small mammal supplies, so this bill would affect us too, even if it is a few thousand dollars or so.

I call and talk to staff for my representative. I don't give in. I am scared to all hell that this might pass, that ignorant people could ruin the lives of my friends, but I just keep going, pushing, telling, trying to stay strong.

As long as we have fighters, we'll get through this. I know we will.

In addition to letters and emails, along with facebook and myspace, I have sent numeours emails and letters to local news channels in my area, WKBW, WGRZ, and WIVB. still waiting to hear back from them

I have sent emails and made a few phone calls. Also got the parents to send a few emails.

Today, I sent everyone in the College of Design here at the University of Minnesota the Youtube video on the front page of BP.net.

There are a few hundred students in the CDES, and I have not received any negative feedback about sending out the email. So that is a good sign. :gj:

i have sent daily emails through nohr669,i have put up many posts on craigslist and myspace,mass emailed my friends and family,and i just wrote this letter the a host of a very popular morning radio show:

Mr,Rollins,

as a 3 year listener of your show,can i ask you to mention on the air,the Proposed bill going through the house of representatives,that if passed will ban any animals not native to America to be sold or bred,or purchased,as this effects Hamsters,Gerbils,Snakes,Iguanas,Guinea Pigs,Ferrets,Birds(including Parakeets),and even Fish(including Beta,and many saltwater species).
This could and would put many pet product makers,pet stores,fish stores,as well as hundreds of breeders around the nation out of business,as well as the animal importation companies,in one shot,this could kill millions of jobs,many here in Florida,as most animal importers and many exotic animal breeders are based here in Florida,I am including a couple of links with more information on this,or if you would like,i could call the show,or even come in,brining a couple species of Snakes with me,and discuss it openly on air,

a Video by a world respected and known reptile and exotic animal breeder
YouTube - Pets in Peril (politicians gone wild) HR669

and the main site about this: nohr669.com

Thankyou for your time,
Bobby Howard
Reptilefryndz.com

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Originally Posted by ScottyBoa

I sent my 22 letters, went to nohr669, called and put up craigslist ads(that got promptly removed).

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Thats funny if it was prostitution it would have stayed! hate craigs list!!!

Called my representative, made some other phone calls, talked to the Dixie Reptile Show promoter and he donated a table for the group of us from here to pass out flyers and get people to sign letters.

Tomorrow I'll make more phone calls, print off I don't know how many letters in the morning (as many as I can), try to coordinate the best "plan of attack" for Saturday.

Got my packet of letters mailed off today :) trying to hunt down more people to mail some off as well!

Good News? Or to late?

"Subject: RE: Story Idea HR669 Type: Embeded HTML/Text

Alert: The users email-address has been added to the addressbook

I just got your phone message you left last night. I have gotten all of the stuff. I have not even had an opportunity to research the idea yet. It is going to be a story for next week, so I will check things out this weekend and be in touch with you early next week. So far, I have been interested in what I save received. Thank You


Wil
FOX 54 News"

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Originally Posted by cenobite74

Good News? Or to late?

"Subject: RE: Story Idea HR669 Type: Embeded HTML/Text

Alert: The users email-address has been added to the addressbook

I just got your phone message you left last night. I have gotten all of the stuff. I have not even had an opportunity to research the idea yet. It is going to be a story for next week, so I will check things out this weekend and be in touch with you early next week. So far, I have been interested in what I save received. Thank You


Wil
FOX 54 News"

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Well, it will be out of committee, but keep your hopes up, we still have plenty of fight left in us if it keeps going further!!!

Just sent my pack of 125 letters!! The person at the post office said I was the second one to send a big box to Tom Wolfe...I live in a tiny little town that actually has 2 post offices...GO US!! Hopefully the other post office in town got at least 2 boxes of letters too.
Off to make phone calls and email now.

This is all awesome to read about. Everytime I talk to an idiot and get a little bit discouraged, I come to this thread, or some other place where I can hear about the successes others are having, and I get all inspired again.

Yesterday, I was unable to call my rep's office. It annoyed me. Actually, I did call, just got a message saying no one was available and the voice mailbox was full. I called again later, and didn't even get the automated thing to answer. How lame.

Today made up for it. I talked with the best aide yet. She was the first one who was willing to give me any sort of info on what my rep's office thinks about HR 669. My rep has no official opinion yet, so I understand the aides can't say he does, but this one was willing to tell me that they'd been hearing a lot from people who were concerned about the exact same things I was mentioning. She didn't go so far as to say it, but I got the impression her personal opinion matched mine. That's great! If we can convince the aides, they have the potential to influence the Reps.

Plus of course emails, more phone calls, craigslist postings, etc.

Keep up the good work folks!

Contacted the local petstore who is working on getting a TV interview with local news. They heard about this bill last night.:O

I made another donation to PIJAC
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/IMG00030.jpg

And printed off 200 flyers that I'm handing out this weekend.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/IMG00031.jpg

I have tried several times to contact the media around here to get the word out about this bill and I have not heard anything. I have written letters, sent emails, and made phone calls to my local representatives. I have emailed the pet stores in my area also. I actually heard back from one of the stores and they are opposing this bill also. I will not give up on getting the word out there.

Ive been sending emails. That is all my parents will allow me to do. :D :D:gj:

I just called my representatives. Left a message at one, one the phone just rings, no machine picking up, and talked to 2 live people.
I talked to a couple people as well. I'm just depressed, because I'm busting my butt to fight for people's rights to own pets... and someone up and stole one of mine while I was at work.
That'll bum you right out.

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

I just called my representatives. Left a message at one, one the phone just rings, no machine picking up, and talked to 2 live people.
I talked to a couple people as well. I'm just depressed, because I'm busting my butt to fight for people's rights to own pets... and someone up and stole one of mine while I was at work.
That'll bum you right out.

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Sorry to hear that, that is really messed up.

I sent some emails, made some phone calls, talked to a couple of lawyers about the possibility this could happen, argued with some ignorant fearful people that feel this bill is a good thing, got some more letter packets signed and started organizing the thousands of letters I already have.

http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/s...k/clear022.jpg

Keep up the good work guys. :gj: