How NumbersUSA Gives Jobless Americans a Voice in Pleading Their Case
Last Tuesday, I wrote our members asking for donations so we can continue our faxing operation. For the very first time, I thought to put in an email address, so members could contact me directly. Scores wrote, including many who are unemployed and on the edge financially. Take this stirring message from Frances:
I want to thank you (NumbersUSA) for giving regular Americans the ability to participate in our government via your website, especially at this critical time in our American history.
And more so, 'Thank you' for not requiring payment to do so. We are currently unemployed and have been longer than the unemployment lasted and it’s only getting worse in THIS economy it seems.
We are hopeful that the little savings we have left will hold out until we are once again employed or we may very well lose everything and could become homeless. That’s a frightful thought. But we are putting our faith in God that everything will happen just as He desires for our ultimate good.
So, for this reason… if this happens (until it does, if it does), I am grateful to have the ability to use your site to let my voice be heard.
Should we become employed once again, we will donate to the good work you are doing and so that others like us in our current situation can actively participate also regardless of their financial situation. God bless you… and America.
—Frances R., of Georgia
Frances, hang on! Fellow NumbersUSA members, listen to Frances. She's on the verge of losing everything, yet she says she's gonna go down with a telephone in one hand while typing out another fax to Congress with the other!
Frances says, "Thank you for not requiring payment" to be able to influence Congress toward immigration reduction. Members like Frances depend on members who can give so they can continue having a voice. So, thanks to all of you who help keep this service going by donating. For those of you who haven't yet had a chance to help, donate here.
A number of organizations have turned faxing Congress into a kind of business. You pay these groups somewhere between $25 and $50, and they'll send out a pile of form faxes for you. Well, that's never going to happen here at NumbersUSA. We exist to help bring about sensible immigration policies. And the most important single way we do that is giving a voice to citizens at no charge. For us, putting citizens in touch with their members of Congress is not a business—it's a mission.
Why faxing and phoning are so important
Roy Beck is always talking about how importing more and more low-cost labor causes many Americans to lose jobs. Fourteen million Americans are officially unemployed right now. Some, like Frances, are down to their last dime.
All our members are depending on their representatives in Washington to secure our borders, require employment verification, and stop abuses like chain migration.
Yet Congress will do nothing unless citizens deluge them with phone calls and faxes. (Not yet registered to fax your members of Congress on NumbersUSA? Start here.
Many of you were kind enough to praise NumbersUSA. As Steven said:
You and [NumbersUSA] are true patriots and my inspiration. I see my beloved country taking one bad turn after another. . . Your organization's efforts have kept hope alive, that there may be a better tomorrow.
—Steven C., of Florida
I wrote Steven back, "I am honored to have you on our team. You are so educated on our issue (and some other issues as well!). Thanks for all your activism. Don't ever give up!"
Fred wrote:
Just want to say, 'Thanks for all the work you folks do'. Imagine the mess we would have if NUMBERSUSA did not exist."
—Fred H., of Nevada
Thanks for the confidence, Fred! And thanks for sending a heroic 340 faxes during your four years of NumbersUSA membership! If tireless members like Fred did not take time to educate themselves using our wealth of online info, and use our unique faxing system to contact and telephone Congress, where would America be then? Probably in the toilet. And if you folks ever give up, that's exactly where we'll be!
I have donated to you, and immigration is my number one political concern. Because I'm from California, you must know how futile trying to gain support from either of our senators has been; but, I'm willing to continue phoning and e-mailing if your organization feels it does any good. Otherwise, I'll just keep supporting you, reading your stuff, and growing ever angrier.
—Chuck T., of California
That's the spirit, Chuck! Keep donating, faxing, and phoning, even before you see results. Don't give them what they want, which is apathy and surrender. But anger is not helpful. There are things wrong with this country, but there are still so many things right. And don't think that you're alone. NumbersUSA has members in every single county of the United States. We're everywhere!
Obama sells out his Open Borders allies
Besides, we have every reason to hope! Have you been paying attention to what happened last week? The President spoke some pretty words to the Open Borders groups at the Hispanic Prayer Breakfast and at a meeting with mostly sympathetic member of Congress. But at almost exactly at the same time, Obama's lieutenants (Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, and many others) were frantically sending out a different message. "Don't expect any real help from us this year or next!" they pretty much stated. Time to give up? Hardly! Seems to me that the President has already sold out his allies.
But we'll win only if we keep the pressure on! Vulnerable members of Congress have got to accept that it's political suicide for them to ever vote for an Amnesty!
Supporters of NumbersUSA are not fat cats with corner offices and luxury cars. Most of us can't buy influence with large political donations. Thousands are unemployed. Frances R. (quoted above) and so many thousands of others must have NumbersUSA to help them speak!
I guess I have time for one more email. Gloria wrote:
Dear Mr. Robb, You are the first organization to have the blurb of "if you are ill, on a fixed income, and having a hard time meeting your bills, please don't donate." You are a pretty good man. I don't know how many requests I have returned [to other organizations] saying I support your ideas and thinking, but I can't afford to donate. God bless you with your work to get America back to its Judeo/Christian heritage and right the wrongs that are taking place now.
—Gloria P., of Wisconsin
Gloria just joined NumbersUSA last week! Gloria, welcome to our army of citizen activists! As always, there is no charge for membership or for using all of our online tools to change the laws. And thanks for the good words! We keep working to earn your trust.
JIM ROBB is Vice President,Operations for NumbersUSA