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<p class="MsoNormal">Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As Legislative Coordinator, it is my job to help grease the wheels so that our members can participate in legislative action, but I need to know what holds you back.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By this point, by my calculations, a half dozen of our affiliate members have contacted our representatives and senators in the Connecticut General Assembly about SB 1061 and SB 234. That first half dozen makes a big difference per person,
but the second and third half dozen batches of people will make a big difference, too.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If this is all the participation we’re seeing, it means that something is obstructing our members from participating, and this is keeping us from securing the opportunities that we all want, need, and deserve.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I understand that one or two of us will be having the most insane spring season of our lives with all of these obscure tragedies, dogs eating homework, etc. I can’t help those things any more than you can, but I expect that most of our
members are not living like that.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, what are your barriers?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Are you not prioritizing legislative action?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Are you not confident in your ability to send emails or make phone calls? How about face-to-face meetings?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do you struggle to trust that we are fighting for the right thing?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do you think nobody cares?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Please, tell me what’s up. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s getting in your way. If you’re not comfortable talking about the barriers on the listserv, maybe because it’s a confidence struggle, but you do want to do better, call or email
me directly.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Together, we can live the lives we want, but only if we do it together.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yours,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Justin<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Justin Salisbury - Running Thunder Phoenix<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Graduate Student<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Louisiana Tech University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Email: <a href="mailto:President@Alumni.ECU.edu">
President@Alumni.ECU.edu</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Twitter: @SalisburyJustin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Phone: 860-989-7865<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Because I was not a Socialist. <o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Because I was not a Trade Unionist. <o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— <o:p>
</o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Because I was not a Jew. <o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Martin Niemöller<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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