During high school, I interned at Mia Love’s Utah office. When I received my assignment, Constituent Correspondent, I thought I was to be a C.J. Cregg type, but I was soon reminded I was in West Valley and not West Wing. My actual task was to read, reply, and file all mail sent to the congresswoman by constituents. Most of what I read were letters sent by Boy Scouts fulfilling merit badge requirements, but I occasionally received packages which enclosed explicit directions on how to impeach then President Obama on the grounds of him being a secret Muslim from Kenya. The only letters I reported to Congresswoman Love were the rare few written about actual legislation being debated in the House. When I finally completed my internship, I had two things to show for it: a plethora of paper cuts and the knowledge that everything sent to a government official is read and recorded.

The night of November 8, 2016 came as a shock; almost everyone I supported had lost their 2016 campaigns. Knowing my candidates would not be sent to Washington, I tried a new approach and emailed my current senators. My emails were not about how to impeach Donald Drumpf for being a not-so-secret bigot, but instead about my opinions on immigration and the Bears Ears National Monument. And while I did not receive a merit badge, I did gain some peace of mind as I knew someone, most likely an intern, would have to read and respond to my message.  I hoped my thoughts would be relevant enough to be passed on. The following evening I received a response from Orrin Hatch’s office which ended, “Thank you, again, for contacting me with your comments.” I took Senator Hatch’s salutation seriously, and since November I have written over 300 emails to his office.

When I tell people I email Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee daily, I get mixed reactions. Some people tell me my actions are noble and others tell me they are naive. I personally do not think they are either, as writing our representatives is our civil duty. The American public, empowered through enfranchisement, is an integral part of our government’s checks and balances. What is our role? Ensuring representatives are representing their constituents and voting those who do not out of office. This past spring, the power of popular opinion was realized when Jason Chaffetz, the Utah Representative for the Third District, announced he would not be seeking re-election after severe public backlash due to a comment he made insinuating low-income families could afford healthcare if they did not buy iPhones.  

If you do not believe your representative will act on your concerns, write them and let them know. Politicians should make an effort to connect with their voters and acknowledge opinions through messaging or town hall events even if they do not share or support your political beliefs. If you agree with your representatives’ legislative positions, write them and let them know. Showing support for your representatives’ stances is important, as B.F. Skinner has shown reward-based conditioning works: the more you praise, the more likely it is that you will see that political behavior in the future. But no matter what you are writing about, please make sure you spell check your letter, they do get read.