How You Can Help!

Thanks for asking! Persuading Congress to reject the FTAA can be accomplished. But it will take the persistent efforts of many informed and dedicated Americans to overcome the well-organized internationalists and media-pressure supporting the FTAA. Our efforts must be directed both at Congress and at enlisting more allies among the overwhelming majority of Americans who do not yet recognize what�s at stake.

Because the time is short, creating the needed counterpressure requires organized action. We recommend action in three categories: inform yourself, contact Congress, and spread the word.

Category 1. Inform yourself and keep up to date as this battle unfolds.

• We particularly recommend that you subscribe to our e-mail alerts. When something new develops (new information or opportunity for action) we can let you know.
• You will quickly notice that most of the documentation on this website comes from The New American magazine. The New American has a long and proud history of calling the shots and breaking stories sometimes years ahead of the Establishment media. A subscription will not only help you keep personally informed on a variety of challenges facing America, but it will help you carry out your responsibility to be an effective citizen by influencing others in your community. (It can even help with parenting).
• To support this campaign, we have also produced a number of educational tools (videos, a short book, a booklet and pamphlets, etc.) that will help you understand and explain this complex topic.

Category 2. Communicate with your two U.S. senators and your U.S. representative regularly on this issue.

This link will help you identify your congressmen and determine their mailing and e-mail addresses.

Some suggestions on effective correspondence:

• Write short (three or four paragraph) letters unless you have a special relationship with the congressman. These letters will usually be tabulated by congressional staff, so don�t waste your time on a long letter.
• Confine your letter to one topic. A good format for a letter has three parts:

1. A sentence clearly stating your position. Example: "I am unalterably opposed to any FTAA agreement."
2. A couple of reasons why you hold your position.
3. A request for action. Example: "Please let me know that I can count on you to vote no on any FTAA agreement and mobilize other congressmen to do the same."

• Letters in your own words get the most attention. They demonstrate to congressional staff that you have given the matter some thought and are fully capable of articulating your position to others. Such letters require more thought but also carry more weight than the pre-printed ballots common in fundraising letters that merely ask you to sign that you agree with someone else�s opinion.
• If you have your own letterhead (e.g. a businessman) that helps.
• Also, if you write a letter to the editor and get it published, enclose a copy of your published letter as well. This establishes you as an opinion molder.
• Occasionally, enclose a short article to support your position.
• Wait a couple of weeks and then send a follow-up letter (whether or not you obtained a reply). Follow-up letters get the most attention.

See also: How to Communicate With Your Congressman

Category 3. Spread the word. Use your influence to help mobilize others to join in this battle.

It would be nice to think that we could just write our congressmen and spell out the logic of our position and that would take care of the matter. The unfortunate reality, however, is that there are very, very few statesmen in Congress who don�t raise a wet finger to test the political winds. Few will commit political suicide to do the right thing, even if it means disaster for Congress and for our nation a few years down the road.

But congressmen do want to get reelected and so most will respond positively to informed constituent pressure. So our task is to create the right environment in a representative�s congressional district and the entire state (for U.S. senators). If we do that, many congressmen will be emboldened to stand up to the globalist and media pressures and do the right thing. But before they get tough, most representatives want to know that we have done our work to inform their constituents, who will appreciate their tough stands.

Although the time is short, this battle is winnable if a few dozen citizens will get constructively involved in a majority (218) of congressional districts. The North American Free Trade Agreement only narrowly passed the House by a vote of 234 to 200 � and then only after an underhanded campaign employing massive deception, bribery, and extortion.

So here is what we suggest:

• Recommend this site to others. Help us build a growing alert list. A link is provided with a sample e-mail that will help your send your personalized recommendation to anyone you choose in your e-mail address book. [Please don�t spam�address your message to those you know.]
• Use the campaign tools to enlist more allies in your community. (If you subscribe to the alert list, we can keep you informed as new tools become available.)
• Although this website serves as a focal point for some organized action, much more can be accomplished with leadership at the local level. For example: sponsoring video showings, hosting speakers (we provide some), attracting new allies with a publicity campaign (TV, radio, newspaper, signs, and billboards), circulating petitions, distributing pamphlets. The possibilities are enormous. If you would like to work with others in your community, please let us know. Or if you would like to be a focal point for such local activity, let us know that as well.

� 2004 http://www.stoptheftaa.org/