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Introduction
Data show that an excellent way for Peltier supporters
to communicate with the White House is by telephone (i.e., the White House
comment line at 202-456-1111 or 202-456-1112).
If the lines are busy, try the White House switchboard at
(202) 456-1414. Ask for the comment line. You may be placed on hold until the
next available staffer can take your call.
Generally, the White House comment line is a simple way for
the Administration to conduct public opinion surveys.
White House staff members
analyze the phone calls received—by topic, general
position on the topic, and
caller demographics, for example. The data, not the actual content of calls
(specific comments made),
are shared amongst staff and the president. Due to volume, it’s likely that
only the topics that are statistically significant are brought to the attention
of the president or key White House staff. Simply put, it’s a numbers game.
Particular attention is paid to calls that are representative of the calls
received as a whole. Staff monitor comments related to what's in the news, in
particular, i.e., responses to the policies advanced by the Obama
Administration.
Maximizing Our Efforts
Some 2,500 to 3,500 phone calls are received daily via the White House comment
line. Peltier supporters often receive a busy signal simply because we're
competing for phone time. Remember that other people, acting independently or as
members of groups, also are calling the White House in the hopes of influencing
Administration policy on various issues.
First, keep calling. We won't have an impact otherwise.
But how might we maximize our impact? First, we must increase
the overall number of calls of support for Peltier to the White House comment
line—daily, weekly, and monthly.
Because the White House does analyze the calls it receives,
it's important that we increase:
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the number of new callers (to show support is growing) AND
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the number of calls per geographic area (to demonstrate the
scope of support, i.e., increases by state, region, nationwide and, yes,
worldwide) AND
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the number of returning callers (showing sustained support).
Each of us must place a call and keep placing calls. Urge
your colleagues, friends, and family members to call the White House, too.
All Peltier-related leaflets and other educational materials,
posters, etc., used for announcement or public education purposes should include
instructions for contacting the White House comment line. Include the same
information in e-mail and blog post/comment footers. Help
circulate the information on the Internet. Use your social networks (MySpace,
Facebook, Bebo, etc.) to inform your friends/followers. Share information using
all the technology at your disposal, i.e., YouTube, Twitter and sharing sites
such as Technorati, StumblUpon, Digg, Delicious, etc. Saturate the World Wide
Web with case-related information, links to resources, and suggestions for how
people can help (including but not limited to calling the White House comment
line). Accessibility via Telephone
Rather than compete with one another (in addition to all others trying to
influence Obama), Peltier supporters can increase the likelihood of getting
through to a White House operator in a very simple way. The
White House comment line is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m., EST. Each weekday, make your calls to the White House from 9:00 to 10:00
a.m., and from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., regardless of your time zone. This will ensure
that calls in support of Peltier will be received by the White House throughout
the day. Calls from the Eastern zone will be received by the White House from 9:00 to 10:00
a.m., and from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., EST; the Central zone from 10:00 to 11:00
a.m., and from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., EST; the Mountain zone from 11:00 a.m., to
noon, and 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., EST; and the Pacific zone from noon to 1:00 p.m.,
and from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., EST. Are you getting a busy
signal? Hit that redial button and try again. Keep trying for the full hour. If
you don't reach an operator in the morning, try again in the afternoon. Do this
Monday through Friday and week after week.
The Telephone Tree It may be easy to forget to call the
White House. Hey, it happens. We're all busy, right? So why not count on your
friends to remind you? Although the concept of a telephone
tree has evolved over the years, the original idea is a simple one. A telephone
tree is a strategy by which messages are passed widely and quickly, largely due
to a division of labor. This is a strategy that works particularly well at the
local level and with smaller groups, but it has been used on a large scale—for
get-out-the-vote initiatives during the last general election, for example.
Here's how it works. A unique list of phone numbers is provided to each member
of a group. Notification by phone is started by a designated person who makes a
call to the first person on his/her list and to each other person on the list.
The contacts who receive the call then telephone persons on their respective
lists, passing along the same information. The process continues until all
numbers on all the lists have been called. E-mail and social
networks such as MySpace and Facebook can be used in the same manner. The only
drawback may be that many people may not be sitting at their computer when the
message is delivered.
Cell phones now offer the capability of storing many numbers,
however, making them effective tools for community organizing. Some also allow
the user to arrange numbers in groups or provide other means of storing
information more efficiently for quick and easy retrieval.
You might consider temporarily changing your voicemail
greeting, too. Persons returning your call may not reach you. When their calls
roll over into voicemail, they'll be able to hear the message you wish to
convey. Paging and three-way calling may also increase telephone tree
efficiency.
Of course, you can send out reminders via text messaging, as
well.
Your Telephone Rap It's important to
keep your call to the White House comment line as brief and to the point as possible. Remember that every minute
you're on the line, you're preventing another Peltier supporter from reaching a
White House operator.
If in the United States, identify yourself and your city and state. It never hurts to
mention whether or not you're a registered voter and your party affiliation, if
any. Otherwise, quickly get to the point of your call.
An innocent man has been imprisoned for over 33 years. Big problem right? The
solution is simple. President Obama must right the wrongs of
the past and grant clemency to Leonard Peltier.
International callers can express concern, as well. Deliver the same message.
Identify yourself and your country. Demonstrate that support for Leonard
Peltier's freedom is worldwide. So...
Have you called the president, today? Call the White House comment line now at
202-456-1111 or 202-456-1112.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: I called the White House. I was told that
Leonard should seek a new trial. Another time, the operator suggested that I
call my congressman.
A: Strictly speaking, White House operators aren't
really supposed to engage callers in conversation. This is a matter of
efficiency. (They need to end the call as soon as possible so as to better
manage the volume of calls to the White House).
White House operating procedures also are designed to
prevent operators from expressing personal opinions that could be misconstrued as
being official White House policy and/or reflective of President Obama's
positions on specific issues.
As we have seen, White House operators don't always comply
with such prohibitions. This is due, in part, to the role of White House operators
which is not only to listen to your
concerns, but to give you referrals if appropriate. In most instances, operators
are merely trying to be helpful.
White House operators do not have legal training
and, most often, are not familiar with the intricacies of the Peltier case. You
should, therefore, disregard any legal advice.
A referral to your Members of Congress, in certain
circumstances, may be appropriate. However, remember you've placed a call to the
White House regarding Executive Clemency. Thank the operator for the suggestion,
but also make it clear that you know the power to grant clemency is the
president's alone (according to the U.S. Constitution). Reiterate that you're
calling to ask the president to exercise that power on Leonard Peltier's behalf. End
the call with a strong message—an award of clemency
to Peltier will help to heal the wounds of the past and uphold the
constitutional values we Americans hold so dear.
Do you have a question? Send your question to
info@FreePeltierNow.org.
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