DO NOT JUST SEND E-MAILS. They are far LESS effective than you can ever imagine.
I worked in the MA legislature for six years (before you ask, it was for an A+ rated, GOAL endorsed politician). Many reps and senators won't even see the emails as they will get passed on to a staff member and the rep/senator will only end up approving a form letter or email response. The rep or senator may not even have any idea how many people that form letter is being sent to. They regularly get bombarded with hundreds of emails from single issue groups all over the country every single day. It's just a faceless un-serious way to communicate for something so important.
CALL THE OFFICE AND REQUEST TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO YOUR SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE. Be polite to the staff (or your message may end up in the round file in some offices). If the rep or senator is not in or not available, leave a message with the staff member and request a call back from your rep or senator. Most of the time they will call you back. If you don't hear from them in 24-48 hours, call again. When speaking to them describe yourself. What do you do for a living? do you have kids in the local school system? are you involved in the community in any way? The more people they SPEAK to that can't be viewed as single-issue-gun-nuts, the more persuasive this will all be.
Even better than just speaking to them on the phone, get a group of 4-5 NESrs, friends, or fellow club members and SET UP A MEETING to meet with your rep or senator face to face. Most have local offices in their districts and/or hold local office hours. The anti-gun people are in there right now meeting with folks, why not you? SCHEDULE IT AHEAD OF TIME AND DON'T JUST SHOW UP or you will end up meeting with a staff member. In some offices that is just as good, but for any anti-2A or on the fence politicians, you need to meet with them directly.
If you do not have time to make phone calls or go to meetings, then WRITE A HARD COPY LETTER AND MAIL IT IN rather than sending an email. An office that gets a stack of even 50-100 letters on a topic will pay more attention to that issue than if they receive 500 emails. It may seem strange, but its absolutely true.
Concentrate on your own elected officials. If you do not live in someone's district they do not care what you have to say. The governor is a lost cause, don't even waste your time contacting his office.
To those folks who think that the MA legislative process is "different" than that in NY, you are sadly mistaken. This legislature can, and will, ram through anything it dam well pleases WITHOUT prior notice, WITHOUT public hearings, and WITHOUT any public debate whatsoever. MA is LESS LIKELY to do this, but it doesn't mean it wouldn't happen. Almost every single "rule" that the House and Senate operate under can be suspended at any time with a simple voice vote. The speaker of the house and senate president have tremendous amounts of power. If they decide to go nuclear and push something through it will happen unless and until you get a handful of legislators who are willing to put their political capital on the line to stop it. I've witnessed it too many times to count. Everything that happens in that building happens behind closed doors and all the "public" debate is theater to placate special interest groups.
Don't sit back and wait because committees haven't been appointed yet. Don't sit back and wait because the bill doesn't have a hearing scheduled. MA politicians largely operate on the principle that "it's better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission".
If you can't afford to take a sick day to meet with your elected representatives and spend a couple cents on two stamps, then the prospect of becoming a felon overnight isn't very concerning to you. Do not just let yourself be counted as just part of some group. Make yourself known as individuals, as families, and as their CONSTITUENTS who vote. Make them understand that this bill isn't about criminals.
Make them tell you, to your face, that they are willing to vote on a bill that will make you a felon.
For phone numbers:
http://www.malegislature.gov/People/Senate
http://www.malegislature.gov/People/House
Just to add, I no longer work there.
Would this be also true for the Legislature of North Carolina. If so can I use your quote for a forum down here.
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