I frequently receive emails asking me to send a message to my senators, my congressman, or various cabinet officials, asking them to support or oppose various actions and bills affecting the environment and wildlife. Just today I have filled out forms to send a message protesting the federal government's decision to allow the slaughter of wolves in the Greater Yellowstone Region, and to ask my congressman to support a bill protecting polar bears.

While I would generally think that these mass mailings to officials have little impact, I remain mindful that the Humane Society's email assault on the NFL and Nike impacted their actions as to Michael Vick.

What I find interesting is the response you get. I received email responses earlier this week from both California Senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Fienstein, thanking me for contacting them about a global warming bill. However, my congressman is one of the worst in the country - Republican Dana Rohrbacher. So while I dutifully send my emails to him, I do it primarily to irritate him and his staff. I have written him letters before on a variety of issues, and never receive any response.

In contrast, when State Assemblyman Jim Silva (R) sent out a questionnaire seeking confirmation that his constituency agreed with him that the most important issue facing us today was making sure we weren't paying to house any illegal aliens in our jails - like those liberals want the state to do (and I'm quoting here) - and seeking confirmation that we should spend tens of thousands of dollars to root them out of the jail population, I wrote back "Please don't spend my tax dollars on your own personal political agenda" and signed it "one of those liberals". I recently received a response thanking me for supporting hiim on this important issue. (I had asked to be excluded from future mailings).

While I'm not a huge fan of John McCain, I have to admit that when he voted against a bill that would have allowed drilling in ANWR, I wrote him a thank you note, and received a response that actually addressed the issue. In contrast, I received no response to my letters to the two Hawaiian Democratic Senators, chastising them for voting for the bill . . .

Does any of this have any impact? Who knows, but I guess I have to try.

On another note, Hanna is having surgery today to remove two lumps - Get Well Soon, Hanna!

(Old photo of her hangin' on the porch)