Every wonder if any politicians actually listen? Every wonder who they do listen to?

There is an old movie that I watched long, long ago on TV when I was about 15. Although I cannot remember the name of the movie, I will never forget the plot and a particularly haunting scene. The film takes place in a country taken over by a tyrant. The Soviets come in and take a peasant husband away to prison. The story unfolds in two places – showing the struggles of the husband, and at the same time the struggles of his beautiful and sweet, loving wife who is left abandoned to rear her children without the love of her life. One day the poor wife goes to her local “representative” to plead her case. She is sitting in front of the official and wringing her hands and earnestly telling the tale of the what happened to her husband. The official shows great concern and listens intently, writing every word down. The camera cuts to the pad on which he is writing – the camera reveals a truth – the official is doodling!

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone out there? Or should I say, does this FEEL familiar? Do you call, write, email your elected officials and get sympathetic responses while at the same time nothing happens?

Many years ago I felt that way. Living in South Jersey I would call my senators and my congressman from Montana. Sometimes I raised my voice in utter frustration. Then one day a miracle happened. My husband called our congressman at his office in Montana. The woman talking to him on the phone showed me that all was not lost – that there WERE people in elected office who DID listen to individuals. My husband asked a question of the woman and she answered honestly that she did not know the answer. Something inside my husband snapped, he yelled at her at the top of his lungs. I saw the pain in his face as he yelled. I knew he felt like the futures of our children would mean total loss of freedom. But instead of hanging up on my husband, this woman – a true angel– calmed him down by talking sincerely about how her job worked – she even described the “call sheet” she used to write down every word of every constituent that called her. She further educated him on the next step – that every morning our congressman called her office and “met” with her regarding every single call she received the day before. I took the phone and she carefully went through her details with me.

From that point on, this woman – this angel – this Esther – became my friend. She created a “Cathy File” and filed every email that I sent her. I sent her information that I found on Discover the Networks; I sent her articles and loads of other information. In her “Cathy File” she organized the documents by subject and from time to time she would call me and let me know how when some big issue came up she would consult her “Cathy File” and often find documentation that helped her boss.

Two powerful events happened in which this Esther showed her true value.

First, she personally influenced Rep. Rehberg to listen to my request to allow Kitty Werthmann (not a constituent) to come to speak to him in his office. He scheduled to meet with her over his full lunch hour. The day before his meeting with her he was in a boat accident. Instead of cancelling – he had his top aide meet with her. Kitty told me that when she went into the meeting with the young man, she decided to get straight to the point. “I looked him in the eye,” she said, “I told him I came to meet with him of my own free will to let him know what was at stake. The young man’s eyes grew big and wide and he picked up his pen and pad and wrote down every word I spoke.” No doodling.

Second incident centered around a statue of Jesus in the Glacier Mountains. I gathered up the stories, gleaned everything I could find at Discover the Networks about the assault on Christianity and bundled my info up to send to my Esther.

She immediately called Rep. Rehberg. He lost no time to craft legislation to stop this attack from the Freedom from Religion Foundation. (Here is just one story about the statue and Rehberg’s fight to defend it:  Rehberg promises to stand watch over Jesus statue,  By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Missoulian Jul 16, 2012 http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/rehberg-promises-to-stand-watch-over-jesus-statue/article_683cfaa4-cfa9-11e1-a275-001a4bcf887a.html).

God gives us bad experiences to enable us to recognize the magnificent and miraculous. If I always had the best results with elected officials and their staffers – I never would have appreciated an Esther when I saw her.

Sadly, Rehberg lost his seat. But “Esther” was able to retain her job with the good man who replaced Rehberg. She is just as valuable now as she was then.

My friend in Jersey told me the story of another elected official who outshines Rep. Rehberg. This man was a Democrat from Philadelphia. He went to work in Washington every day and came home to his family every evening. He went to mass daily and every evening, after having quality time with his wife and children, set up shop to work on the concerns of every constituent that came to visit him. He worked until midnight most nights.  His fellow Democrats hated him – but he was always re-elected because he sincerely considered his constituents the most important part of his job – not speeches before this group and that – not catering to special interests and lobbyists with big bucks – but his constituents.  AND HE MET WITH HIS CONSTITUENTS PERSONALLY!!!

Look for that person – look for the man or woman who will see elected office as a service to the people who voted for him – not as a means to celebrity.

Look for that person who will gather “Esthers” to keep him on his toes and who listen intently to the constituents when they call and react with maturity and true sincerity.

If yours is not that way, start looking for new candidates who will understand the meaning of statesman.

Cathy