Don’t be an Ostrich! Hiding Your Head Can Be Dangerous… (Op-Ed By Kat Stansell)

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Submitted Kat Stansell (Independent Journalist and Earnest Patriot) –

The Ostrich is a peculiar bird, because it has one death defying habit. It sticks its head in the sand, which, in my mind,  leaves the other part sticking out undefended. An alarming  number of Americans tend to do the same.

The bird and the human often do so for the same reason –  caring for their families. The male Ostrich digs a hole for the female in which she may lay her eggs. They take turns rotating those eggs during incubation, by sticking their heads down in the nesting hole and turning them. Human hide in their nests, too, often oblivious to what’s going on in the world.

While the bird and the human are otherwise occupied, though, things around them may be literally disintegrating, as they are today. We are a hair’s breadth from losing our Constitutional Republic, the source of all of our God-given freedoms. Helping to defend our country as founded, is the best thing you could ever do for yourself and your families.

Start locally. You have the most influence there. Local  officials will listen, whereas federal officials ignore you.

Here are thoughts and suggestions from two of the country’s  best activists in the field of working with your local and state  officials: Julie Barrett from Conservative Ladies of Washington;  and Carol Stopps from the Conservative Legislation Information Council of Virginia. They have both been guests on my recent podcasts.

Julie Barrett: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/katvanatt/episodes/2023-07-18T16_29_05-07_00

Carol Stopps: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/katvanatt/episodes/2023-07-25T17_33_17-07_00

Their websites offer insight and tips on building and using relations with your elected officials. Here are some of my  favorites: 

*Keep your main message up front, make it short and to the point. Whether writing, speaking directly, or calling, make your main point your lead-in.

*Avoid an adversarial tone, even if you disagree with what they’ve done or stand for. Believe me, I know how tough this can be, but it is important. Find something about which you might agree if at all possible.

*When you write to them, do it on colored paper – bright neon green, for example – which will stand out of the piles of correspondence on their desks. Use the same color every time. They will soon learn that it’s from you.

* CALL, AFTER HOURS, and leave a message, again, main point first. Emails can be deleted but a voice mail will be heard, at least once, before it’s tossed – and you don’t have to explain yourself to the assistant who answers the phones. 

*Extend your relationship with your officials and representatives into personal levels, not just on the political level. Learn their personal interests – golf, sailing, football, whatever – and a bit about their families. Then, when/if you run into them at a restaurant, store, or a community event, you can lead with a brief comment about something in their lives which is off the political grid. 

Every state has a page on their government’s website as to how elected officials want to be contacted. Find yours and  incorporate it into what you’ve learned.

The bottom line is, get involved, locally, where you can spend your precious time the most effectively to make a difference.

Whatever you do, please get off the couch and out the door.  We have a country to save, and freedom is NOT an indoor sport.