Dear Rep. Doggett,
Like many Americans, I feel like my voice no longer matters to politicians. I've become frustrated. Every time I think the anger of the nations citizens is on the brink of erupting into a wide scale movement for change, politicians come up with something else to distract us. The flames of political outrage are once again reduced to smoldering embers of discontent. Please don't misunderstand Rep. Doggett, I am writing you because I know you're different. I admire your history of political protest with the Killer Bees in the Texas Legislature. Please know that this letter is not a political rant, it's a plea from a young American.

The state of the country must weight heavy on your conscience. I know deep down you're waiting for the people to stand up for all that is right and good about democracy. You're waiting for a sign you can't ignore, something tangible you can hold up to your fellow politicians and shout, "See? They really are paying attention. They won't let us get away with this any longer. We must listen to the people!"

Well, today's your lucky day. I think I just might have a solution for both of us. It's a bit unorthodox, but hear me out. In WWII there was this thing called the Used Typewriter Campaign. When war production forced typewriter factories to convert to weapons factories, the government turned to the patriotic citizens of the USA for help and launched a campaign called Forty-Two Keys to Victory.

You're probably wondering how this relates to you. Well, I got to thinking about the Used Typewriter Campaign. I wondered how it must have been to live in a time when people felt so proud of their country that they were moved to make sacrifices for the sake of the greater good. I tried to imagine the patriotic love Americans must have had for their country and the democratic ideals it represented. I saw in the campaign potential for change, potential for political disruption and democratic revolution.

So today I'm writing you to announce my revival of the used typewriter campaign, re-imagined. I present to you Forty-Two Keys to Democracy. Obviously if you're reading this, you're know I mailed you my typewriter. I know you know because, well, it's pretty hard to ignore. It's big, it's heavy, it's, well, a typewriter. That's the point, see? It's an inconvenience. The arrival of such a large, unexpected package probably raised some eyebrows. I'm sure it had to be screened for hazardous materials. Some intern probably got stuck with the job of reading this letter. And now, you're going to have to figure out what do with it. It seems kind of wrong to just throw it away, doesn't it? But you have no use for it. It's a large, useless annoyance that has no relevance to your life. Just like a federal government that has lost touch with the people it represents.

It doesn't end here though. The revival of the used typewriter campaign is going national. I'm encouraging every American who feels disenfranchised by a system that only gives political power to those who can buy it to send their typewriters to the US government too. I hope it catches on. Imagine, at first a typewriter will arrive every few weeks, then every few days. Soon Washington will be up to its' neck in typewriters and they won't be able to ignore us anymore.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, Rep. Doggett.
Sincerely,
Valerie