So you have gone vegetarian and you attend all the
animal-rights demonstrations in your area, good for you! You have
"educated" your friends ad nauseum with all kinds of graphic
descriptions of slaughter houses and battery farms, puppy mills and
steel-jaw leghold traps, excellent!
You have learned to use your computer to find
information and send the news to friends all over the country, and you
even joined PeTA, HSUS and the Farm Animal Reform Movement. You are on
your way to being a very effective activist! But there is one tool that,
if you aren't using it, you may as well go back to your "old ways."
Your right to vote. Now wait! Before you decide that
this is one of those "do the responsible thing" articles, like the
articles we see on wearing our seat belts, replacing our fire-alarm
batteries and performing routine self-breast exams, hold on. While seat
belts, fire alarms and breast exams may save OUR life, exercising your
right to vote may save the life of an animal.
Got your attention now, don't I?
When you read your action alerts and follow the
instructions to "write your senator" about pending legislation, you are
doing the animals a great service. However, if you cannot honestly start
out your letter with the words "Dear Senator, I am a registered voter in
your district," your letter may be falling on deaf ears. Unless you have
the power to put a person in office, or get 'em out, you are powerless.
Exercising your right to vote won't just get your legislators attention,
it will help us put people in power that can help the animals. Senator
Barbara Boxer, Senator Joseph Biden and Congressman Peter Deutsch are
all people who have sponsored very important legislation on behalf of
the animals. Who gave them that power? We did. Voters. And if you aren't
a registered voter, you are not using your voice in the manner most
effective for the animals.
So do it. Become a registered voter. The NRA's enormous
power comes from the fact that they are a huge voting block. Here is a
link to make it very, very easy for you. Keep informed, keep interested,
and keep voting.
http://election2000.aol.com/cgi-bin/webreturn.pl?dir=aol&link=
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