Why Advocate?
Simply put, it matters.
When you make advocacy a habit, you create a positive environment to create change in your community. Issues affecting you affect others in your community across the board. Engaging in regular advocacy means you are in a better position to have a favorable impact on local, state or federal policies affecting your civil rights and civil liberties. Your efforts lay the groundwork for the ACLU to articulate the importance of your constitutional rights every day.
Take a moment to think about how aggressively, regularly and visibly other causes, such as the environmental, education or social services communities lobby state, local, and federal governments as well as the general public.
We must work tirelessly to defend the voices of ourselves and our community.
Every single elected official whether they're in Congress or the Legislature, should answer to their constituents. We must keep elected officials informed on issues that matter most to us and demand their attention when their actions are unfavorable for the state of South Dakota and the communities we serve.
We can't do this alone.
Work and daily life can be overwhelming, we understand that. Whether it be via email, television, radio or the Internet, we each deal with a daily onslaught of news and information that can add to our senses and anxiety. Legislators are no different. In a world with a 24-hour news cycle and options for constant communication, elected officials and their officees face the same struggle to manage an avalanche of information and make the best public policy decisions possible.
We understand public policy and issues that could affect your constitutional rights. Our team knows when to take action, when to contact lawmakers and when mobilize communities. Plainly put, elected officials make important policy decisions based on the positions and opinions they hear from constituents.
The bottom line is no other lobbying effort competes with elected officials hearing directly from you.
