Thanksgiving

The event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated to give thanks to God for guiding them safely to the New World. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three days, providing enough food for 13 Pilgrims and 90 Native Americans. The feast consisted of fish (cod, eels, and bass) and shellfish (clams, lobster, and mussels), wild fowl (ducks, geese, swans, and turkey), venison, berries and fruit, vegetables (peas, pumpkin, beetroot and possibly, wild or cultivated onion), harvest grains (barley and wheat), and the Three Sisters: beans, dried Indian maize or corn, and squash. The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating "thanksgivings"—days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought.

Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26. As a federal holiday in the U.S. Thanksgiving is one of the major holidays of the year. Together with Christmas and New Years Eve, Thanksgiving is a part of the holiday season.

From all of us at National Write Your Congressman, a very blessed Thanksgiving!

Veteran's Day Nov. 11, 2011

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ended. At 5 a.m. that morning, Germany, depleted of manpower and supplies and facing imminent invasion, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France.

President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an "Armistice Day" for November 11, 1919 in memory of those who died in World War 1.  Wilson said, "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

In 1938 President Calvin Coolidge issued a proclamation to make November 11 the legal holiday, "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."

In 1953 a man named Stephan Riod, the owner of a shoe repair shop in Emporia Kansas, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all Veterans, not just those who died in World War I.  With the help of U.S. Representative John Salper a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress.  President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law, and the name "Armistice" was replaced with "Veterans".

This November 11, 2011,  Americans need to personally thank the Veterans they know for the sacrifice made by them to keep us at home safe with the ability to live in a free country.  If you do not know a Veteran and you see a Soldier in the mall, church, airport, or any where go up and tell that person thank you!

Article from "The Hill" Constituent Communication

Released Tuesday Oct. 4, 2011, “Communicating With Congress: How Citizen Advocacy is Changing Mail Operations on Capitol Hill” finds that most congressional offices have seen a 200 to 1,000 percent increase in constituent communication volume in the past decade.

Of the 260 report respondents, 95 percent of those on the Senate staff and 89 percent of those on the House staff said that responding to constituent communications was a high priority in their offices. More than half of staffers surveyed also reported spending more time on such communications than they did two years ago.

But staffers in offices embracing technology early on were much more likely to report that they had sufficient resources to manage constituent communications than those offices that were considered late adopters of technology.

One significant factor in technology helping to tackle the load is offices responding to constituent letters via email rather than a reply letter, said Fitch. Those that don’t are operating at a disadvantage.

“In many cases, they’re seeming to apply the 20th-century paradigm of responding to a letter with a letter,” he said. “And that means, ‘OK, let's work weekends and let's work nights,’ and that’s their solution, as opposed to, ‘Wait a minute, this is an entirely new paradigm.’ ”

Additional ways to tackle increased communication include identifying efficiencies and streamlining processes, said Fitch. Offices are also encouraged to create robust websites with greater issue content information, which will reduce the need for constituents to contact lawmakers.

Michael Pagan, communications director for Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), has seen first-hand the benefit of technology in his office. “Yes, our office has definitely seen an increase in constituent communications over the past several years and we do indeed take advantage of technology as much as possible, especially email and social networking sites, to deal with the increase,” he wrote in an email.

While congressional offices continue to labor under restricted staff sizes — looking to technology to fill the gap — the increase in constituent communications could be viewed as a good thing, said Fitch.

“There’s a positive general note in here, in that more people are contacting Congress at a time when cynicism is rising and certainly their approval ratings are going lower,” he said. “They still are the go-to guys, they still are the people that citizens want to interact with and want to communicate with.”...The Hill

To read the entire article go to http://thehill.com/homenews/house/185197-constituent-communications-up-nearly-1000-percent-congress-turns-to-technology

Saluting The Silent Patriots

We at National Write Your Congressman were proud to be a part of showing our gratitude to all the silent patriots in Washington.  Below is the thank you we participated in on Sept. 12, 2011 in the Roll Call.

"A Tribute To Congressonal Staff"

They toil under the dome.  Young, idealistic and dedicated to their bosses, their district, their state, their country.  They answer the mail, creat the schedules, tally the votes, write the press releases and manage the offices.  They are "staffers".

A decade ago their dedication to public service put them in harm's way.  Despite the continued threat, the grueling hours, the countless callers, the minimal pay...they serve our Congress and America.

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the Congressional Management Foundation and our supporters recognize and honor the sacrifice and contribution of all silent patriots who serve under the dome.

We thank the staff of the United States Congress.

Ronald Reagan Quotes

"Socialism only works in two places:  Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they already have it."

"Here's my strategy on the Cold War:  We win, they lose."

"The most terrifying words in the English language are:  I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

"I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress."

"Government's view of the economy can be summed up in a few short phrases.  If it moves, tax it.  If it keeps moving, regulate it.  And if it stops moving, subsidize it."

"No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenal in the world is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."

"It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession.  I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."

"Politics is not a bad profession.  If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book."

-President Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States of America.

Hawaii Becomes 50th State

Congress did not see the importance of the Annexation of Hawaii until 1898 when the island was seen as strategic to the defense of the Main Land during the Spanish-American War.  Again the location proved it's value during World War II.

On August 21, 1959 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Hawaii into the Union as the 50th state.  The president also issued an order for an American flag featuring 50 stars arranged in staggered rows, five six-star rows and four five-star rows.  The new flag became official July 4, 1960.

14th Amendment July 28, 1868

Following its ratification by the necessary three-quarters of U.S. states, the 14th Amendment, guaranteeing to African Americans citizenship and all its privileges, was officially adopted into the US Constitution.
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Two years after the Civil War, the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 divided the South into five military districts, where new state governments, based on universal manhood suffrage, were established. Thus began the period known as Radical Reconstruction, which saw the 14th Amendment, which had been passed by Congress in 1866, ratified in July 1868. The amendment resolved pre-Civil War questions of African American citizenship by stating that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States...are citizens of the United States and of the state in which they reside." The amendment then reaffirmed the privileges and rights of all citizens, and granted all these citizens the "equal protection of the laws."

Americans Walk On The Moon

On July 20, 1969 President Richard Nixon joined approximately 500 million people around the world in watching Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin as the astronauts left their lunar landing module and were the first human beings to walk on the moon. (The Soviet Union and China, America's two biggest rivals in the space race, banned the broadcast in their respective countries.) After they planted an American flag on the moon's surface and Neil Armstrong spoke his famous quote, "That's one small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind", the astronauts spoke directly to President Nixon who congratulated them on their historic mission. His phone was linked via satellite through the NASA control center in Houston, Texas.

A Little History - Aaron Burr Kills Alexander Hamilton In Duel July 11, 1804

In a duel held in Weehawken, New Jersey, Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shot his long-time political antagonist Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton, a leading Federalist and the chief architect of America's political economy, died the following day.

Alexander Hamilton, born on the Caribbean island of Nevis, came to the American colonies in 1773 as a poor immigrant.  In 1776, he joined the Continental Army in the American Revolution, and his relentless energy and remarkable intelligence brought him to the attention of General George Washington, who took him on as an aid. Ten years later, Hamilton served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and he led the fight to win ratification of the final document, which created the kind of strong, centralized government that he favored. In 1789, he was appointed the first secretary of the treasury by President Washington, and during the next six years he crafted a sophisticated monetary policy that saved the young U.S. government from collapse. With the emergence of political parties, Hamilton was regarded as a leader of the Federalists.

Aaron Burr, born into a prestigious New Jersey family in 1756, was also intellectually gifted, and he graduated from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton) at the age of 17. He joined the Continental Army in 1775 and distinguished himself during the Patriot attack on Quebec. A masterful politician, he was elected to the New State Assembly in 1783 and later served as state attorney. In 1790, he defeated Alexander Hamilton's father-in-law in a race for the U.S. Senate.

Hamilton came to detest Burr, whom he regarded as a dangerous opportunist, and he often spoke ill of him. When Burr ran for the vice presidency in 1796 on Thomas Jefferson Democratic-Republican ticket (the forerunner of the Democratic Party), Hamilton launched a series of public attacks against Burr, stating, "I feel it is a religious duty to oppose his career." John Adams won the presidency, and in 1797 Burr left the Senate and returned to the New York Assembly.

In 1800, Jefferson chose Burr again as his running mate. Burr aided the Democratic-Republican ticket by publishing a confidential document that Hamilton had written criticizing his fellow Federalist President John Adams. This caused a rift in the Federalists and helped Jefferson and Burr win the election with 73 electoral votes each. Under the electoral procedure then prevailing, president and vice president were not voted for separately; the candidate who received the most votes was elected president, and the second in line, vice president. The vote then went to the House of Representatives. What at first seemed but an electoral technicality--handing Jefferson victory over his running mate--developed into a major constitutional crisis when Federalists in the lame-duck Congress threw their support behind Burr. After a remarkable 35 tie votes, a small group of Federalists changed sides and voted in Jefferson's favor. Alexander Hamilton, who had supported Jefferson as the lesser of two evils, was instrumental in breaking the deadlock.

Burr became vice president, but Jefferson grew apart from him, and he did not support Burr's renomination to a second term in 1804. That year, a faction of New York Federalists, who had found their fortunes drastically diminished after the ascendance of Jefferson, sought to enlist the disgruntled Burr into their party and elect him governor. Hamilton campaigned against Burr with great fervor, and Burr lost the Federalist nomination and then, running as an independent for governor, the election. In the campaign, Burr's character was savagely attacked by Hamilton and others, and after the election he resolved to restore his reputation by challenging Hamilton to a duel, or an "affair of honor," as they were known.

Affairs of honor were commonplace in America at the time, and the complex rules governing them usually led to an honorable resolution before any actual firing of weapons. In fact, the outspoken Hamilton had been involved in several affairs of honor in his life, and he had resolved most of them peaceably. No such recourse was found with Burr, however, and on July 11, 1804, the enemies met at 7 a.m. at the dueling grounds near Weehawken, New Jersey. It was the same spot where Hamilton's son had died defending his father's honor two years before.

There are conflicting accounts of what happened next. According to Hamilton's "second"--his assistant and witness in the duel--Hamilton decided the duel was morally wrong and deliberately fired into the air. Burr's second claimed that Hamilton fired at Burr and missed. What happened next is agreed upon: Burr shot Hamilton in the stomach, and the bullet lodged next to his spine. Hamilton was taken back to New York, and he died the next afternoon.

Few affairs of honor actually resulted in deaths, and the nation was outraged by the killing of a man as eminent as Alexander Hamilton. Charged with murder in New York and New Jersey, Burr, still vice president, returned to Washington, D.C., where he finished his term immune from prosecution.

Happy 4th of July - Independence Day

John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, on the second day of July, 1776, "Today will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America.  I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.  It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.  It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

Adams's prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated Independence Day on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.

This 4th of July please be mindful of the blessing  we as Americans are celebrating .  Remember all the sacrifices that delivered this day to us, and all the sacrifices that are made every day to enable us to keep it.

The American Seal

On June 20, 1782, Congress adopted the Great Seal of the United States after six years of discussion.

The front of the seal depicts a bald eagle clutching an olive branch in its right talon and arrows in its left. On its breast appears a shield marked with 13 vertical red and white stripes topped by a bar of blue. The eagle's beak clutches a banner inscribed, E pluribus unum, a Latin phrase meaning "Out of Many One." Above the eagle's head, golden rays burst forth, encircling 13 stars.  The 13 Vertical stripes and the 13 stars stood for the original 13 colonies.

The Statue of Liberty Arrives From France

The Statue of Liberty, a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States, arrived in New York City's harbor on June 17, 1886.

Originally known as "Liberty Enlightening the World," the statue was proposed by French historian Edouard Laboulaye to commemorate the Franco-American alliance during the American Revolution. Designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the 151-foot statue was the form of a woman with an uplifted arm holding a torch.

The dismantled Statue of Liberty arrived in the New World, enclosed in more than 200 packing cases. Its copper sheets were reassembled, and the last rivet of the monument was fitted on October 28, 1886 during a dedication presided over by President Grover Cleveland.

On the pedestal was inscribed "The New Colossus," a famous sonnet by American poet Emma Lazarus that welcomed immigrants to the United States with the declaration, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door." Six years later, Ellis Island, adjacent to Bedloe's Island, opened as the chief entry station for immigrants to the United States, and for the next 32 years more than 12 million immigrants were welcomed into New York harbor by the sight of "Lady Liberty."  In 1924, the Statue of Liberty was made a national monument.

History of National Flag Day

The idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School District, to observe June 14, the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes, as 'Flag Birthday'. 

On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration, and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution, celebrated Flag Day.


On May 8th Dr. Edward Brooks, then Superintendent of Public Schools of Philadelphia, directed that Flag Day exercises be held on June 14, 1893 in Independence Square. School children were assembled, each carrying a small Flag, and patriotic songs were sung and addresses delivered.

In 1894, the governor of New York directed that on June 14 the Flag be displayed on all public buildings. With BJ Cigrand and Leroy Van Horn as the moving spirits, the Illinois organization known as the American Flag Day Association was organized for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises. On June 14th, 1894, under the auspices of this association, the first general public school children's celebration of Flag Day in Chicago was held in Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks with more than 300,000 children participating.

Adults also participated in patriotic programs. Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, delivered a 1914 Flag Day address in which he repeated words he said the flag had spoken to him that morning: "I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself."
Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day - the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 - was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson's proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

D-Day

On June 6, 1944, the Allied powers crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control during World War II.

With Hitler's armies in control of most of mainland Europe, the Allies knew that a successful invasion of the continent was central to winning the war. Hitler knew this too, and was expecting an assault on northwestern Europe in the spring of 1944. He hoped to repel the Allies from the coast with a strong counterattack that would delay future invasion attempts, giving him time to throw the majority of his forces into defeating the Soviet Union in the east. Once that was accomplished, he believed an all-out victory would soon be his.
On the morning of June 5, 1944, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe gave the go-ahead for Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious military operation in history. On his orders, 6,000 landing craft, ships and other vessels carrying 176,000 troops began to leave England for the trip to France. That night, 822 aircraft filled with parachutists headed for drop zones in Normandy. An additional 13,000 aircraft were mobilized to provide air cover and support for the invasion.
By dawn on June 6, 18,000 parachutists were already on the ground; the land invasions began at 6:30 a.m. The British and Canadians overcame light opposition to capture Gold, Juno and Sword beaches; so did the Americans at Utah. The task was much tougher at Omaha beach, however, where 2,000 troops were lost and it was only through the tenacity and quick-wittedness of troops on the ground that the objective was achieved. By day's end, 155,000 Allied troops, Americans, British and Canadians, had successfully stormed Normandy’s beaches.

The Germans suffered from confusion in the ranks and the absence of celebrated commander Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who was away on leave. At first, Hitler, believing that the invasion was a feint designed to distract the Germans from a coming attack north of the Seine River, refused to release nearby divisions to join the counterattack and reinforcements had to be called from further afield, causing delays. He also hesitated in calling for armored divisions to help in the defense. In addition, the Germans were hampered by effective Allied air support, which took out many key bridges and forced the Germans to take long detours, as well as efficient Allied naval support, which helped protect advancing Allied troops.

By the end of June, the Allies had 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles in Normandy and were poised to continue their march across Europe.

President Ronald Reagan - This Day in History

In a remarkable and symbolic address to a group of Moscow University students on May 31, 1988 President Reagan stood in front of an enormous bust of Lenin and spoke openly about freedom, technology, creativity and his desire to see the Berlin Wall torn down. He told the students, "your generation is living in one of the most exciting, hopeful times in Soviet history when the first breath of freedom stirs the air and the heart beats to the accelerated rhythm of hope, when the accumulated spiritual energies of a long silence yearn to break free."

On Nov. 9, 1989 the deadly Berlin Wall, separating East from West Germany, came down.

MEMORIAL DAY

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates men and women who died while in military service to the United States.   It was First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War.   It was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.

Write Your Congressman

-"In a time of great uncertainty, it is more important than ever for the American people to become energized and excercise their rights as citizens of this great nation by writing their Congressmen.  The American people need to safeguard our nation by holding their Congressman accountable and continue to help us serve by conveying their concerns.  Although I represent California's 19th district, I cannot pretend to know every issue confronting each household and every individual's concern.  Without the letters of the members of California's 19th district, I cannot effectively advocate on their behalf in Washington.

I would like to extend my gratitude to those who take the time to write my office.  Engaged and active citizens help keep Washington honest and true to the values and tenets at the core of the America.  Perhaps the greatest pleasure I have serving in Congress is hearing from my neighbors and fellow citizens in California's Central Valley.  I can only hope to continue this great privilege for years to come." -Congressman Jeff Denham, 19th Dist. California

National Write Your Congressman Constituent Communicaiton Award

"Thank you for presenting me with the National Write Your Congressman Constituent Communication Award.  I am honored to accept this award, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

I will be proud to display this award, which will serve as a daily reminder of the importance of communicating with Hoosiers."  -Senator Dan Coats, Indiana

Ronald Reagan Quote

"The task that has fallen to us Americans is to move the conscience of the world.  To keep alive the hope and dream of freedom." -President Ronald Reagan

Constituent Communicaiton Award

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar, DDS (AZ-01) was presented with the National Write Your Congressman “Constituent Communication Award” for his efforts to communicate with his constituents and ensure that their voices are being heard.

“I am honored to receive this important award,” said Gosar.  “Whether it is at a town hall meeting, on the phone, via email, or out in the district, I always enjoy hearing from the people of Arizona’s First Congressional District.  I want to encourage everyone to share their ideas with me on how we can find solutions to the problems that face our country.  Together we will make a difference and ensure that our children have the same opportunities that we have had.”