Whenever our society looks to create political change, the first thought that usually comes to mind is to protest the issue. But is this always the most effective way to go about creating change?
Think about all the different movements that have had great values at the center of their cause but have sadly erupted into violence. For example, if you’ve ever actually taken a look at Occupy Wall Street’s [“Declaration of the Occupation of New York City,”](http://www.nycga.net/resources/documents/declaration/) then you know that the founding General Assembly had some pretty valid points. Holding “students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education,” poisoning “the food supply through negligence, and undermining the farm system through monopolization” or taking “bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continu(ing) to give Executive exorbitant bonuses,” are all very relevant and important arguments.
However, once the protest part of the Occupy movement was underway, the scene quickly turned to violence and the cause lost all of its meaning. Oakland, Calif. suffered some of the most severe ramifications by “occupiers,” as buildings were vandalized, hundreds were arrested and an American flag was burned. But the violence did not solely come from the protesters, as police officers retaliated with tear gas and smoke grenades. As a result, protesters angered by how the police handled the situation fought back, [only causing the whole ordeal to worsen](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57367981/oakland-assesses-damage-after-occupy-protests/).
How is our government supposed to respond to this blatant act of violence as an attempt to make a political statement? The minute a hand was raised to strike someone else or destroy a piece of property, all credibility in the cause was lost. But if protesting an issue won’t result in political action from our representatives, how are we supposed to create change?
Lobbying, the act of influencing the political process by presenting points to a representative, is arguably the most effective way for everyday citizens to create change in our society. The great thing about lobbying is that there are different ways to get involved based on how committed you want to be to the issue. Simply calling representatives’ offices, sending them emails or actually making an appointment to meet with them or their legislative aides are all great ways to get your voice heard.
So maybe, right now you’re thinking, I want to do something like this, but I have no idea how I’m supposed to get started. Well, first of all, in order to be successful with something like this, _always_ remember to attach a piece of legislation to the issue at hand. If you tell your representative or the legislative aide about a specific bill, they’ll hopefully be able to take action on the issue by voting yea or nay instead of abstaining their vote because they have no position on the issue.
Now that you know the importance of bills, it’s time to do some research. [Open Congress](http://www.opencongress.org/) and [Project Vote Smart](http://votesmart.org/) are great resources where you can search and track any and every bill. Once you have found a bill that relates to your issue, know that bill like it’s the back of your hand — the more you learn, the more prepared you will be in case you face opposition.
Next, create a set of talking points to summarize all the information about the bill along with facts, statistics and a good case study to tell. Putting a face to the issue will help you reinforce your point, as it makes it more personal and will hopefully spark some passion in whoever you’re delivering your message to.
In the end of your points, let them know why you care about the issue, why they should care about the issue, and how it’s affecting your community. When you’re finished presenting, always remember to leave a version of your talking points behind and follow up a week later to keep the issue fresh in their minds.
Well, what are you waiting for? You know how to change the world now, so get out there and make a difference!