Legislative Action
As a homeschool mom noted on an e-mail discussion list, it can be hard to know what to do in response to a legislative alert. When we read an urgent the plea about a potential danger, we tend to have an emotional reaction that sparks us to do what we are asked. If this were not so, urban legend e-mails would have died out a long time ago.
When I receive an action alert, I step back and take a few minutes to calm down and let my brain engage. First, I look for overly emphatic language, and determine whether the wording seems to persuade rather than inform the reader. If the "important" message is about something I have not heard of before or read about elsewhere, I am skeptical. I will read carefully and think about what the message says and discern whether the issue at hand is of a genuinely urgent nature. In addition, I look at the call for action for verifiable evidence and links to Web sites with corroborating information. I also look for other references to verify information. For instance, I will Google particular phrases in the call for action, such as legislators' names, the names of any organizations mentioned, and any quoted material. If there are no other records of the issue, I become more cautious about forwarding the call for action.
Sometimes it is hard to determine whether or not a call to action is one that I truly want to heed, but usually, if I give myself time to recover from my emotional reaction and engage my gray matter, I can figure it out. At the very least, I refrain from forwarding any alarm solely because it might be true. Below are some articles on legislation and alerts that may be of interest.
-Shay
ARTICLES
The Dark Side of Legislative Alerts
Is there a dark side to hundreds of homeschoolers calling their legislators to express their views on a particular bill? Why should homeschoolers be cautious about responding to legislative alerts?
Homeschool Freedoms Threatened! Call Your Legislator Now!
Urgent legislative "alerts" often direct homeschoolers to call their legislators right away. We are likely to receive such alarms during the current legislative session. As well intentioned as these alerts may be, they sometimes do not offer the information we need to determine an individual position on legislative matters.
Play An Active Role in Legislative Affairs
Become a Wise Consumer of Homeschooling Legislative Information
Quiz Yourself!
FAQ's about homeschooling laws, lobbyists, and the General Assembly
A Group in Need of Advocacy
Homeschool dad Troy Elliott's humorous "Dad Files" piece on homeschool advocacy.
Grassroots Action
No initial effort to improve homeschool legislation will succeed without strong grassroots support. Not every homeschool family will be able to drop everything and rush to the state capitol for a rally. Fewer still will be able to lobby legislators regularly. But everyone can be involved at the grassroots level.
WEB SITES
BLOGS
Homeschooling Illinois - Legislation and Learning
We will follow both Federal and State Legislation and attempt to make an impact.
Homeschooling Freedom - the HONDA Edition
A spin off of Homeschooling Illinois - Legislation & Learning. One stop shopping for links and information to derail HONDA (HR 3753/S1691).
To receive full information on homeschooling issues and legislation in Virginia, join The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers (VaHomeschoolers). The high quality bimonthly newsletter contains balanced news and views on matters of interest to Virginia, and anyone may opt to receive Legislative Updates (not overblown and unnecessary alerts) and other pertinent information via E-mail by sending a blank message to VaHomeschoolersAnnounce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers is member-directed, which means that it surveys members on which matters are important to them. Any bills VaHomeschoolers seeks to introduce in the General Assembly, and the position it takes on legislation, reflect the direction given by members.
To support VaHomeschoolers's efforts in the current Virginia General Assembly, join at www.VaHomeschoolers.org.
©: 2006 Shay Seaborne. All rights reserved