i promised earlier i would post the text of my practice letter to senator barbara boxer. here it is.

points from the tip sheet:

- i sent this letter through the regular mail. it's on my own letterhead, and mailed on june 24 also. (always remember to date your correspondence.)

- it is all on one page.

- i identified myself as a constituent, and personalized my relationship with senator boxer

- the topic, c2ea, is at the very beginning.

- text uses my own language to reflect my concerns

- i said i wanted to hear back

june 24, 2005

senator barbara boxer

112 hart senate office building

washington, dc 20510-0505

dear senator boxer,

i am your constituent living in los angeles, and i am a member of beingALIVE, the grassroots self-help aids/hiv service organization that awarded you their “spirit of hope” award last year. it was unfortunate that you were unable to accept the award in person, though i remember the videotape. i had looked forward to meeting you. i have admired you for a long time.

i will be coming to washington, dc in october to march with the campaign to end aids. i have some questions for you in that connection.

will you march with us? we will be in washington october 8-12.

what are your positions on our four demands?

1. fully fund high-quality treatment and support services for all people living with hiv everywhere in the world.
2. ramp up hiv prevention at home and abroad, guided by science rather than ideology.
3. increase research to find a cure, more effective treatments and better prevention tools.
4. fight aids stigma and protect the civil rights of all people with hiv and aids everywhere.

what are your positions on our four legislative objectives?

1. reauthorize and fully fund the ryan white care act.
2. keep medicaid strong for people with hiv/aids and all other beneficiaries.
3. strengthen the global fight against aids by fully funding the global fund and backing debt cancellation.
4. restore and revive effective hiv prevention worldwide based on the best science.

i am curious without meaning to be critical: why do you not mention your stands on hiv/aids-related issues in your website bio? you mention the patient’s bill of rights, insurance and medicare and prescription drugs reimported from canada. why do you not include hiv/aids in your list of major issues? i am concerned because i think its invisibility undercuts its scope and gravity. I believe aids issues are vital to everybody, whether acknowledged or not.

what hope for success can you offer us?

i hope you and/or your staff members will have time to look in on my blog, on the engines of enlightenment: journal of an aids shaman. i will have regular postings in it about the campaign to end aids , as well as reports on the road from the car caravan to washington in october. i look forward to hearing back from you, and will be happy to post your response there.

thank you in advance for your time and attention and support.

sincerely,

richard kearns