I am a big fan of the Ethicist Randy Cohen's blog in the New York Times - the Moral of the Story (it's both ethical AND punny!). However, his recent take on whether or not Congress' August recess is ethical fails to underscore the importance of this time for grassroots lobbying.
In his post, Cohen debates the point that the Congressional recess is the moral equivalent of slacking off at work, or worse, "exploiting a position of public trust for personal gain". He barely acknowledges that members of Congress continue to work while on recess in their home districts. But still, I think this misses a key point.
Even in these days of instant communication across many platforms (I am facebook friends with my Congressman), we feel more disconnected from our elected representatives than ever before. What is happening in Washington can feel very far away, disconnected from our daily lives despite the fact that critical issues that impact them -- including major health care reform -- are being decided there.
Members of Congress work for us, and the August recess is a great time for an annual review. While they are home in their districts, we need to take the time to reach out and develop a relationship with them, and arrange a meeting to let them know how we feel about those critical issues.
Check out our Organizing Tool - a step-by-step guide to grassroots citizen lobbying - and take that opportunity to meet with your representatives this month. There has arguably never been a more important time for them to hear from the real voices they represent in your community.
Photo by .Nichole. on flickr
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