Get involved with politics

It was my privilege recently (Nov. 19-24) to be among 430 delegates representing 43 states in Washington, D.C. We were lobbying our senators and representatives to support continued negotiations for a nuclear-free Iran.

The staff at the offices of Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch were welcoming, and each gave 30 minutes of their time to a lone constituent. I am hopeful that Crapo and Risch will publicly support continued dialogue on this issue.

We are not, all of us, able to travel that distance for a variety of reasons. However, our congressional representatives need to hear from the general public, whether by phone, email or through a visit to their local office. How else do they know what is important to us?

We, as a society, have become very complacent regarding the running of our country, leaving important decisions in the hands of large corporations, paid lobbyists and special interest groups. It is time for “we the people” to become part of the participatory representative democracy that our forefathers envisioned.

So, make a call, send an email, write a letter or, better yet, write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. It’s much easier than you think. It’s how we change the world.

Donna Nordstrom

Hayden