HomeUnited We Sit - Divided We Fail

United We Sit - Divided We Fail

Watch our Town Hall VIDEO with State Rep. Julie McCluskie

How it started:

During LWVCO’s Dec. 2020 webinar Promoting Civil Discourse in Politics, State Rep. Jeni James Arndt (Democrat from District 53) told of growing up in a bipartisan family and their dynamic family conversations. She’s accustomed to hearing both sides so she sits with the Republicans in the Legislature. She suggested to a past Speaker of the House that they integrate by seating the Democrats, Republicans & Unaffiliated together so they can get to know each other. She even went so far as to suggest joint lunch or dining rooms. Neither idea went anywhere.

LWVGV's Legislative Committee loved Rep. Arndt's approach and proposed that every League member write a letter to every State Legislator and member of Congress representing them (5 letters) asking that they (like Rep. Arndt) sit with members of the other party.

We have shared this campaign with LWVCO and the other 17 local Leagues across Colorado.

Our simple message of UNITY:

Dear Senator/Representative XX:

In an effort to chip away at the barriers that divide us and find common goals that unite us, the League of Women Voters of the Gunnison Valley is asking that you do one simple thing – ignore the aisle and sit with members of the other party.

We urge you to sit "outside your box" so that you can listen to, talk with, and work with members and leaders from both sides of the aisle. Find what unites us because –

UNITED WE SIT, DIVIDED WE FAIL

Sincerely,

League of Women Voters

of the Gunnison Valley

www.lwvgunnison.org

Let's inundate them with actual letters sent by USPS mail rather than just filling their email inbox or voice mail box. (Maybe do both!)

All the LETTERS and ENVELOPES (for LWVGV members) are ready to be printed out and signed.

For members of Congress, there are letters addressed to both their DC and local Durango offices.

We have included letters to both Barbara McLachlan and Julie McCluskie as State House Representatives since the Gunnison Valley is split between Districts 59 and 61. Please send one to either Barbara or Julie as YOUR representative - not both.

Members can also find these in our Documents Library. Go to Member Tools > Documents > Advocacy Campaigns

The letter can also be copied & pasted into an email. Contact information for your Elected Officials is on the Homepage under "Your Voice Matters".

After you send your letters, go back to the Homepage & complete the SURVEY so we can tally how many letters are sent.

For Non-Member Visitors to our Website

We invite you to join us and send your own letters and/or emails with the same message.