Postcards From The 8

Question: Why should you write a letter?
Simple Answer: Simply stated, because it will clarify how you feel about this issue.

More complicated answer: When we put our feelings into words, we force ourselves to make sense of our emotions. That can sometimes be simple, and it can sometimes be a little harder. But either way, when we make sense of our emotions, it usually becomes much clearer what we can -- indeed, what we should -- do in terms of actions.

We also, in writing, practice what we might say when asked by somewhat what we think about this issue. The website editor's father -- just as a for instance -- was interviewed by a newspaper reporter about this issue. The words that he used in that interview came, pretty directly, from the letter he posted here (to read the article, go here).

Question: To whom should you write my letter?
Answer: It can be someone specific (see below), or it can be to a class of persons. My friend Jack has already written to his parish priest. My friend Marge plans to write to her grandson. My father wrote to the local Catholic bishop. Others have said they’ll write to mothers, or to friends, or to fellow Christians, or just to all who supported Proposition 8.

Question: How can you find a specific person to write to?
Answer: Well, one method is to ask your friends, family, and neighbors how they voted. This might be an opportunity to have an honest conversation with someone important to you about your feelings on equal marriage rights. If you don't have somebody near and dear to you in mind, you can find a list of donors online - donating money to a campaign in California is a matter of public record. Several newspapers have constructed searchable databases: the Sacramento Bee, and the San Francisco Chronicle, both of which draw from the California Secretary of State's online records (note, the State records are not as user-friendly as the newspapers).

Question: Should I mail my letter “for real” to someone specific in the opposition?
Answer: Only if you feel comfortable doing so. The website editor, for instance, did yet mailed his letter to his neighbor.

Question: Are all letters posted?
Answer: The website editor is committed to respectful civic dialogue. All civil and respectful letters will be posted.

Question: Why the name?
Honestly? Because we send a lot of postcards in my family – it's how we communicate with each other.