[Media-watch] letters to politicians + newspapers

[Sigi D]

 --- Rose Frain <rose.miracles at dsl.pipex.com> wrote: >
Dear Sigi, I always get replies to my emails and
> letters from both my  
> MP and MSP.
> 
> Replies to emails from my Westminster MP only
> started happening when I  
> pointed out (via email) that I what I was sending
> was 'an electronic  
> letter' ie not a mass mail-out, and  that I value my
> time highly and do  
> not have an assistant.
> 
> I imagine they all receive shoals of emails and
> letters. But then they  
> also have assistants.
> 
> I have never received an acknowledgment from Tony
> Blairs office  
> however, in spite of having to include all ones
> contact details (on the  
> Locata website), but I always do from George Bush's,
> albeit a form  
> acknowledgment.
> Nothing from A Sharon et al either  ....
> 
> I've had replies from Independent journalists on a
> range of topics, and  
> I know they are worked extremely hard there.
> 
> Suggest you test by writing under a nom de guerre?
> 
> send update please (!)
> Best wishes
> Rose F
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Wednesday, October 22, 2003, at 01:50  pm, Sigi D
> wrote:
> 
> > Hi - dear Media Watch friends,
> > A few questions:  POLITICIANS + NEWSPAPERS
> > (1) from your experience - do politicians reply to
> > your
> > emails / and letters?
> > (2) Does anybody know how many emails and letters
> an
> > average politician, I mean a 'normal' (not high
> > profile) MP gets on a day?
> > (3) Do we have a right to get a reply from
> > politicians?
> > (4) is anybody actually reading the emails /
> letters
> > we send to the House of Commons? And if yes, who??
> > (5) Has anybody else experienced rejected emails
> from
> > the House of Commons because of the email filters
> in
> > use there? I had emails sent back / blocked - that
> > didn't
> > contain bad words or indecent stuff, honestly.
> > And
> > DAILY NEWSPAPERS:  how many letters / emails are
> sent
> > to an
> > editor per day? for instance say the Independent?
> -
> > I rarely get replies - but I have a very
> > foreign sounding surname, whereas my friend with a
> > very English sounding surname gets replies - same
> > subject, similar letter...
> > Talk shop, journalists!
> > Regards and best wishes
> > Sigi
> >
> >
>
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> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> http://lists.stir.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/media-watch
> >

Oh god, I can't believe it!
I have sent so many emails and written many many
letters, to politicians, to newspapers... and there
were very very few replies (Hoon's office was very
good!)
I copy you two of my letters into this email - 
I never received a reply to the first one, not even a:
received with thanks.
That really makes me feel like I have no voice 
(except on local issues, I am active there and then my
MP is getting things fairly quickly).
I delete my address etc - (don't want it all over the
internet)

15th April 2003

Dear (name of my MP)

Yesterday I heard on the radio that hospitals in
Baghdad don't even have CLEAN water.
Amputations are done without  anaesthetics.
People in Iraq are dying because doctors have
absolutely nothing to help them.
I cannot tell you how disgusted I am.
All this is happening in the name of the British
people who did NOT support the war: two million
demonstrated against this war in February 2003 - the
biggest and most wonderful peace demonstration Britain
has ever seen.
Though PM Blair chose to ignore it.
I understand that under the Geneva Convention
occupying forces have a duty to ensure civilians don't
suffer - that means the British and the American
governments are responsible for that dreadful, truly
dreadful, situation.
It is a  shame and disgrace that in our modern times
things like this can happen - civilians dying because
there is no clean water available in hospitals.
Robert Fisk writes in today's Independent (15.04.03)
about the destruction of books and old manuscripts in
libraries in Baghdad.
Iraqi people are being stripped of their cultural
heritage.
I as a German cannot tell you how appalled I am.
In my own country's history there was the burning of
books - and it indicated the beginning of fascism.
I as a German  don't understand why British members of
parliament follow a PM who has lied to them about the
weapons of mass destruction, who has lied to them
about the length of this terrible war, and who
presented forged documents to the House of Commons -
the most important institution of this country.
Last but not least Blair ignored the will of the
British people. Is this British democracy in action?
And then Blair tries to close one chapter of British
colonial history  by meeting with Bush in Northern
Ireland: the two men responsible for a new aggressive
colonialism in the middle east meet in the place where
only a long painful PEACE process has brought
stability and hope.
What stunning cultural insensitivity!
What I simply cannot understand is this British
loyalty to 'we have to support our boys': I - as a
German - have learned that a people can be mislead -
their feelings of national pride can be abused. Thus
international law, and the values of our democracies
are so important - especially human rights and the
freedom of our press.
Are all those achievements, the world community has
worked for relentlessly since the end of the second
word war, suddenly invalid because of some patriotic
emotion that breaks out in one country?
I - as a German -  have also learned that to
stigmatise a minority, or to scapegoat other people,
is an extremely dangerous thing to do.
But this is happening right here, right now:
it’s not synagogues but mosques which have burned in
the aftermath of September 11.
I have seen some appallingly racist headlines in 
British papers, and muslims have been attacked.
The French have been blamed for this war by Blair -
something which I as a fellow European (yes, there is
something like a European identity) find very shocking
and personally insulting.
This behaviour is against the spirit of Europe.
Who will Blair dare to accuse next for his own
mistakes and neo-colonial aspirations?
American and some British politicians talk about Iraqi
people as if there are 'Untermenschen' - and unable to
create a democracy in their own country.
Aren't our Members of Parliament aware how racist this
is?
Aren't politicians aware of the dreadful stereotypes
of Arabs, of Muslims, which they are using as basis
for decision making?
Politicians in Britain should have understood by now
how racism works: many  scholars have written about
the stereotyping of black people and racism and how to
recognise and combat it;
on intergovernmental level we had Northern Ireland,
the dirty war, misinformation, and extremely serious
cases of miscarriages of justice (Birmingham Six, and
Guildford Four).
Now we are entering a new witch hunt with the
so-called war on terrorism. Better call it war on
human rights!
I am very worried about that British troops will
attack Syria.
And which country will be next to be attacked?
Which other international law will be broken by this
government?
And what is happening with the people in Palestine? 
How many are being killed each day (not even
newsworthy any more)?
Once again we have a double standard - a clear
indication of racism.
A country, Iraq, and its people, are currently being
completely destroyed - their culture, their national
treasures, are stolen, and ancient manuscripts, and
books are being burned.
We - the world community - have lost with those
burning libraries part of our world heritage.
Britain and America have lost more than that.
 With every hospital in Baghdad that has no clean
water, with every book burned  - Britain and the US
are losing some of their reputation as modern, caring
'first world' democracies.
Yours faithfully
-- etc
And this letter, dear Media Watch Friends, is very
close to my heart and I really think about the
questions I asked this MP (not my MP) - about the
Labour party, and about his Labour colleagues... - He
sent me one line that he too is worried but obliged to
pass the letter on to my own MP (Why? My letter was
written to him personally).
What am I doing wrong here? My prepositions were never
the best but...Skip the repetitions about the war...
And this letter was sent by snail mail on the first of
May, 2003
Dear X (name of the other MP)
I am really worried about the developments in Iraq.
American soldiers have killed Iraqi demonstrators.
German newspapers and television reported 13 unarmed
demonstrators being shot dead at a peaceful
demonstration (29.04.03). They reported that someone
threw stones at the soldiers who retaliated with a
barrage of shots. German television showed cars which
were riddled with bullets.
Today (30.04.03) more demonstrators were shot dead.
American and the British forces are a coalition. So is
this killing of demonstrators also happening in
British name? And doesn't it remind you of Northern
Ireland? Liberation - occupation - and the shooting of
demonstrators?? Aren't British soldiers in danger
after the overreaction of American forces? Every
British soldier should leave Iraq - now.
This is not democracy what is happening.
This is neo-colonialism.
And the majority of the British Labour party allowed
to it to go ahead and voted for this war - against the
will of the British people.
By the way - I heard the other week that the oil
pipelines in Iraq were repaired. But 40 % of people in
Baghdad still don't have access to electricity and
clean water.
- Who said that the reason for this war was to
liberate the Iraqi people and NOT about oil??
- Who lied to the British Parliament about the war?
- Who is undermining human rights... (I don't want to
go into that but I heard on Question Time Radio 4 at
the weekend that there are children - CHILDREN! in
this dreadful Camp X, which is against all kinds of
international convention, human rights, etc. -
absolutely dreadful.)
- And now LABOUR begins to destroy the national health
service with these new foundation hospitals.
In whose name is this happening??
I don't understand how a few ministers and a PM who
believes that he is the saviour of the world and talks
to god (god help us!) are allowed to go ahead and to
destroy the basic social fabrics of British society.
- We had the dome (remember the dome? - an absolute
financial fiasco);
- Privatisation of British Rail was a complete
disaster;
- our schools don't have enough money, and the Labour
government blames our wonderful headmasters and
hardworking teachers;
- our fire fighters don't get a decent pay (but we
have enough money to liberate Iraqi oil for the
Americans by dropping bombs on children);
- and now Labour is developing a two tier health
system.
Excuse me - but I simply don't get it!
Where are the morals of the Labour party people?
Who are these men and women who became Members of
Parliament for the Labour Party? Did they sell out
their labour morals and their brains after they were
elected?
Don't they have any basic sound knowledge of politics,
or history, for that matter? 
And don't these Labour Members of Parliament remember
the smear campaigns against left wing people, like
Scargill or Foot?
Now there is smear against outspoken anti-war people
like Galloway, and Dalyell might be kicked out of the
party (and I bet we will have some dirty smear against
Cook coming up soon!).
And do you remember - Labour also talked about the
introduction of proportional representation in
Britain...
We are facing an 'Americanisation' of British society
- and what does the majority of Labour MPs do?
Absolutely nothing.
You must be aware how dreadful the situation is in
America for the poor (access to health services, job
security etc.).
You probably read Barbara Ehrenreich "Nickled and
dimed in America". Shocking, amazing, and a good read.
She describes the underbelly of America - the real
America - that of the poor exploited majority.
And that is what Blair will create in Britain - as a
Labour PM!
And this is happening in the name of the Labour
party?!
Our societies in the western world have developed
democracies.
It was a long fight and very hard work and it took
many years and generations to get results - to fight
for rights and security of workers, access to
education and a health service for the poor, the
equality of women, to educate people about racism, and
last but not least to develop the dream of a peaceful
co-operative Europe.
Aren't your colleagues, the majority of people of the
Labour party, aware, that those lifelong achievements
of our parents, and grandparents, struggling for
rights and equal pay, and shorter working hours, and
decent education for their children, is being
destroyed right now - by a Labour PM and his
ministers??
What about individual responsibility - each and every
Labour MP's responsibility?
How does it make your Labour party colleagues feel
what is happening right now - in their name?
Why is the majority of LABOUR MPs staying silent? 
I really don’t understand it.
I know that you yourself are incredibly active for
peace, and for justice. 
I have heard you speak on many occasions.
But how can you personally cope of being associated
with this Labour party which completely changed? 
New Labour are like a trendy version of the
Conservatives, but without any morals.
Many people think like me. But we don’t seem to be
heard, or represented in Parliament - especially if
the Labour party kicks out their anti-war MPs.
Blair’s politics is so incredibly hollow. He sounds so
fake, and he looks absolutely manic.
Look at the non-fiction best-seller list - look, what
people are reading right now! Moore, Palast, even
works by Machiavelli and Plato were represented some
time before Easter.
 We, people living in Britain, are not some kind of
fluffy, brain-dead focus group - we are feeling,
compassionate people. 
We, the majority, wanted peace. 
Blair lead us into his immoral war and now he
gleefully believes that we are as corrupt as he is.
Though Blair seems to have corrupted the vast majority
of his own party.

With regards and deep respect for your own personal
peace and political work
(my full name and address)
etc etc.
So,dear Media Watch friends, are the letters too long,
or not polite? 
Any suggestions for a nom de guerre??
Best wishes
Sigi (voiceless and / or suffering from November
blues)




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