SAVE access to voting rights

This blog is part of my ongoing effort to maintain a record of my written communication expressing concern about the actions of the current federal administration that (I sincerely believe) lead to unnecessary (and in some cases cruel) harm to others, to the U.S., or to the global community. 

If any of the text in this blog is helpful in your own efforts to reach your representatives or senators, please feel free to copy and paste.   

I wrote the following letter regarding concerns over HR22 (the SAVE act) which requires voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship in order to vote. The letter was sent to my U.S. Senators and Representative on May 6, 2025.  

More about the SAVE act is here:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22

More about the real-life impacts of the SAVE act, if passed:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/31/congress-republicans-save-act-voting-rights

How to reach your U.S. Senators:

https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

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Dear Senator <Name>,

I am writing to strongly oppose the passage of HR22 as it is currently written.  While the premise of the SAVE act (requiring individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections) seems sound and reasonable, the bill as written will lead to restrictions in voting to certain populations of U.S. citizens, thereby leading to discrimination agains those populations.  This contradicts American values and ideals.

Restricting the right to vote among U.S. citizens, whether explicitly or implicitly, also runs contrary to the 14th, 155h, 17th, 19th, and 26th amendments of the U.S. Constitution.  The American people rely on our states and U.S. Congress to ensure that our right to vote, as U.S. citizens, is protected and available to all citizens regardless of their circumstance, geographical location, education level, or otherwise.   

For example, women often change their name when they marry.  With the passage of HR22, they will be required to track down copies of their birth certificate and their marriage certificate in order to vote.   This adds additional complications to already busy and burdened lives for women. I believe if Congress is insistent on passing HR22, it must also provide accessible means to access these legal documents at little to no expense and additional burden to the requestor .  Yet, these considerations are not included in HR22 and HR22 is therefore  incomplete. As it stands, HR22 is unfair and unjust to U.S. citizens who should be able to vote in a way that does not cause a disproportionate burden or expense to them.  

While HR22 does not impact those who carry a U.S. passport which I believe is still gold standard proof of U.S. citizenship, more than half of Americans do not have a passport.  How does HR22 enable U.S. citizens more practical access to a U.S. passport or other proof of citizenship? What resources are allocated to the states by this bill to serve the resulting increase in requests for passports or other documentation? How does HR22 allow for educating voters well in advance of elections to ensure that those who want to vote and who are eligible to vote...  can indeed vote?  

I strongly advocate for considering these important details prior to voting on the SAVE act.   Like so much else that has happened in the last few months,  decisions are being made and legislation passed in haste without thoughtful consideration of the multitude of impacts on the American people. This is threatening our democracy, adherence to our U.S. Constitution, and ultimately, the health of our country as a whole.  

Please take a step back and reconsider HR22 rather than passing it without sufficient safeguards to ensure that those who are entitled to vote in the United States can vote without undue or differential burden on them to do so.

Sincerely,

Tone Deaf Senators

This blog is part of my ongoing effort to maintain a record of my written communication expressing concern about the actions of the current presidential administration that lead to unnecessary (and in some cases cruel) harm to others, to the U.S., or to the global community. 

I try to be understanding of how busy my U.S. Senators and Representatives (and their respective staffs) must be, especially with the chaos in the current administration. But my patience has run thin with form letter responses that completely miss the mark and send the message that the people who are supposed to be representing me in the U.S. Congress are preoccupied with other agendas that have little to do with their constituents.  

Call me an idealist, but in the U.S. as it should be, what greater priority is there for a U.S. Senator or Representative than the voices of their constituents?   

How to reach your U.S. Senators:

https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

How to reach your U.S. Representative:

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

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Senator Ashley Moody's response to my letter regarding the release of personal data to unelected and unvetted officials is copied below my response to her response at the end of this blog.   

Dear Senator Moody,

In mid-February 2025, I wrote you a letter protesting the inappropriate access to and use of my personal data and that of millions of Americans by DOGE.  In that letter, I ask you specifically to take clear and urgent steps to ensure that the extensive personal information we are required to provide the American government remain ... personal and confidential, to be accessed only by those who have been vetted and who fully and humbly understand their obligations to protect that information.  I simply ask that my personal data be protected as it has historically been protected, that is until the current administration took office.

In my letter, I did not argue against reducing fraud and waste in the U.S. government. However, in April of 2025, I received a response from you and your office that focused instead on the reduction of fraud and waste by DOGE and lauded your accomplishments as attorney general of Florida, but did not at all touch on my concerns regarding the release of my personal information  by the recent hasty and extensive acts of the federal government via DOGE.  I am writing this letter to say that I am deeply offended and concerned by the tone-deaf response I received.  

The release of my personal information (and that of millions of other Americans) in a manner that is wholly inconsistent with the trust we are asked to put in the federal government is unacceptable. This is not a trivial issue to be swept to the side by other agendas. 

I ask you, as part of your duty to provide effective, honest, and relevant oversight to the federal government, to take the protection of personal data much more seriously and make it more central to the future actions of DOGE and other government agencies.   

​​​​​

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Senator Moody's letter to me, sent electronically to my email on April 17, 2025

Dear Denise,

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts regarding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Understanding your views helps me to better represent Florida in the United States Senate, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond.

For too long, our nation has been rife with waste, fraud and abuse at various levels of our government. The Government Accountability Office has found the federal government loses between $230 billion and $500 billion to fraud annually. Since 2003, it is estimated that the federal government has made over $2.3 trillion in incorrect payments without a way to track, mitigate, or recover those finances. As a hard-working taxpayer, it is unconscionable to believe how much of our money has been lost in recent years.

As the former Attorney General of Florida, I led multiple investigations that exposed the bad actors and their abuse of government finances. Most notably, I uncovered over $10 million in back payments targeting Medicaid that shortchanged the state’s program. These actions led to us recouping all the nearly lost funds. With the help of DOGE, we are working on eliminating those risks and putting your taxes to better use.

Most recently, I proudly cosponsored the Recover Fraudulent COVID Funds Act (S. 121), which was introduced by Senator Lankford (R-OK). This legislation would extend the statute of limitations for prosecuting and recovering stolen and fraudulently-obtained COVID funds and payments. Last year, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation unit released a report detailing nearly $9 billion in fraudulent COVID payments, totaling over 1,600 cases – most of which were uncovered over the last year. This legislation will allow us to recover fraudulent payments and hold bad actors accountable.

President Trump and all leaders in Washington understand the dangers to our nation if we do not get federal spending under control. Our debt has skyrocketed, and this leaves our children and grandchildren exposed to an unstable fiscal reality. We must ensure taxpayer funds are working as effectively as possible. Wasteful government practices have contributed to our enormous debt, which is one of the most pressing challenges we face as a nation. Cost-saving measures are required if we are going to ensure the long-term financial stability of the U.S.

My goal is to reduce the national debt, shrink the federal bureaucracy, and ensure that taxpayers actually benefit from any services paid for with their tax dollars.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. If you would like to stay up to date on how I am serving Florida in the Senate, I encourage you to visit https://www.moody.senate.gov/ or https://x.com/SenAshleyMoody for more information.

Sincerely,

Ashley Moody

United States Senator

Where is my Voice going?

This blog is part of my ongoing effort to maintain a record of my written communication expressing concern about the actions of the current presidential administration that lead to unnecessary (and in some cases cruel) harm to others, to the U.S., or to the global community. 

I am deeply concerned that because of automated electronic contact forms used by most if not all offices of U.S. Senators and Representatives that there is a lack of widespread understanding of who is ignoring their constituents.  As a registered voter in Florida, I am unsure if the lack of town halls, the lack of response from my U.S. Representative (Anna Luna), and the tone-deaf responses from my U.S. Senators (Moody and Scott) are communicating that my voice is ignored, minimized, or something else.  

But I am certain that this is not the way it's supposed to go. My voice and that of other Americans is supposed to be top priority for those who represent me.  My concern prompted this letter, sent to multiple senators in other states, attempting to raise awareness of what is going on in other districts and U.S. States. It was sent via snail mail because it would have been automatically rejected had I tried to send it via electronic contact or email.   

How to reach your U.S. Senators:

https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

How to reach your U.S. Representative:

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

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Dear Senator, 

I am deeply concerned that I am neither being represented by my representative in the U.S. House nor by my senators in the U.S. Senate.  I am a constituent in one of the many districts in the country represented by a Republican representative (Representative Anna Luna in Congressional District #13 in the state of Florida) who will not hold town halls, who will not respond to my appeals, who is not communicating with her constituency, and who overall, via her silence, has sent a clear message that in my district, democracy has gone dark.   My senators are similarly troubling.  Senator Ashely Moody (FL) does not respond to me at all and my other senator (Senator Rick Scott, FL) brags at length to me in his weekly emails about many actions he is taking that are blatantly contrary to my opinions on legislation as well as my appeals for a more balanced and functional democratic government.

Unfortunately, the digital age has ensured that contact with a senator outside my state or with a representative outside of my district is rejected outright.  Electronic contact forms simply do not allow communication from "outside" constituents to pass. Although I am not entirely certain of this, I believe this has created disturbing silos of representation, where senators from other states and representatives from other districts remain largely unaware of the sheer volume of voices that are being ignored, not tallied, and therefore not considered in Congress and in American government.   

I regret that I have no clear solutions to this problem.   I am sure, however, that our silenced voices combined with the disturbing actions of the current presidential administration are a clear and present danger to the continuation of democracy in this country.  When constituents are ignored or bombarded with tone-deaf messages, many give up, and some become unproductively hostile.  Only a few continue fighting via appropriate channels, but in the end, we, the American people, become less and less a force in the government of the U.S. as the days go by.  

I beg you not to simply toss my letter in the circular file (digital or otherwise) because I am not a constituent in your state or district.  While I continue to write letters to my representative and senators as a registered voter in Congressional District 13 in Florida, I ask you, on behalf of the many who are also writing letters and making calls, to help us understand how we can reclaim our voice.  

In an age where protests seem to fall on deaf ears and our representatives in Congress are turning away from us, what can we do as "ordinary" Americans to be heard and respected?  More importantly, what can we do to ensure that our collective voices are considered and acted upon?

Please help us to understand how our voices can be restored, and what we can do to support America returning to being America again.   

Two Halves of a Rabbit

On a beautiful summer day in 2024, both of my dogs were out romping on a little over eight acres of woods that we have been blessed to steward in the Pacific Northwest.   While they romped, I was "enjoying" yard work on the property (otherwise known as the ultimate in "free" gym and fitness experiences) when I noticed our older dog racing out of the brush at breakneck speed.  I also noticed a smaller creature with a round little cottontail racing out of the same brush at a slightly faster speed.  Much to my dismay, the smaller creature soon slowed down and my dog caught up to the poor little thing which led to a scene that I won't describe in detail.   

The rabbit did not survive the experience.  To make matters worse, my other dog wanted to get in on the action and we ended up with two halves of a recently thriving rabbit in the mouths of two different dogs, running in different directions around the yard.  There was absolutely nothing I could say to them, no matter what the level of my voice, that would persuade them to stop being so "cruel" to that poor rabbit.  Their brains had turned off and instinct had kicked in at full volume.  

In that moment of horror and dismay, I couldn't recognize the sweet, mild-mannered, playful, and affectionate dogs that I knew and that got  along with my two cats (also "prey") just fine.  In that moment, all I saw was two predators doing what predators do.  

Hunting and killing.

This, despite the fact that these two canines were guaranteed two full meals a day and ample treats that would never leave them truly hungry. This despite the fact that they were "trained" to behave without aggression. This despite the fact that there were at least a hundred other, quite fun things to do in the great outdoors. 

Anthropomorphizing them, however, wasn't the way to go. This behavior was their instinct. The fact that both dogs are part hound only strengthens their impulse to hunt, tree, and kill.  

I hated watching this scene unfold, but I gave up my first impulse to scold and yell at them to drop the rabbit and retreated to the house until it was over. I couldn't watch any more of it.  The image of those two halves will be etched in my memory forever.

The scene made me think about how as human beings, we are created differently. We have been granted the immense privilege of being able to override our instinct in favor of compassion.  And with that privilege, it seems that we have a responsibility to reject cruelty and choose kindness.  We have the potential for self control. We can choose not to be cruel.  If we have enough to eat, we can refrain from hunt and kill.  As omnivores, we have the technology and capacity to kill the animals we ultimately eat -- humanely and with respect.

Yet so often and in so many ways, we choose to do otherwise.  We choose cruelty. We choose to be unkind.  And often it appears to have nothing to do with instinct.  Sometimes... too often...we come up with new and horrifying ways to act.  We come up with unkind and ugly ways of being that are far beyond the capacity of two hound dogs.

They do what they do purely out of instinct. 

And what of human beings?  If our basic needs are fulfilled, why would we and why do we choose to be cruel? 

Unity rather than Division (SB100)

 This blog is part of my ongoing effort to maintain a record of my written communication expressing concern about what is presently going in the U.S.  

Florida has a bill up for consideration this legislative session (SB100) entitled Display of Flags by Government Entities:

Display of Flags by Governmental Entities; Defining the term “governmental entity”; prohibiting governmental entities from erecting or displaying certain flags; requiring governmental entities to remain neutral in certain circumstances; authorizing a current or retired member of the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard to use reasonable force to prevent the desecration, destruction, or removal of the United States flag or to replace such flag to a position of prominence, etc.

Many people view this bill as an effort to keep Pride and Black Lives Matter flags out of government buildings.  In my view, the bill continues to shine the spotlight on divisiveness rather than on unity. I believe that unifying people is part of the responsibility of governments at all levels (local, state, national).   I oppose the bill because I think "objective" interpretation of political neutrality, in the current mood of Florida and the nation, is far more likely to lead to subjective and biased interpretation than objectivity.   The following letter was focused on promoting unity rather than further divisiveness in opposition to SB100.  

Written on March 3, 2025 to my FL state senator and FL state representative:

I am writing as one of your constituents to encourage you to vote against SB100 (Display of Flags by Governmental Entities).   I do not disagree with the premise of the bill which appears to be to preserve political neutrality in government buildings.   My concern is that what is or is not politically neutral is vulnerable to subjective interpretation and therefore, equally vulnerable to bias.  If the state of Florida continues to pass laws that are vulnerable to subjective interpretation, we risk inflaming or promoting further divisiveness. I grew up in Florida and this is not consistent with the Florida I know or the Florida I want.   

I would prefer that we consider bills that are more resistant to cultural or political bias, that focus on unifying rather than dividing. I may be naive on this, but why not simply restrict flags in Florida government buildings to the U.S. flag and the Florida flag with a clear message that reflects the mission of Florida government.  Perhaps, a statement along the lines of "Florida strives to protect, educate, and improve quality of life for all Floridians".  

I fully understand that sometimes the voices of underrepresented groups can seem too loud or too aggressive, but instead of responding in a hostile way to such messaging, I strongly support crafting a positive and neutral message.  As Floridians, we need  to do what we can to stop riding the negative wave that the current culture wars seem to be on.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Corporations are not people

This blog is part of my ongoing effort to maintain a record of my written communication expressing concern about the actions of the current presidential administration that lead to unnecessary (and in some cases cruel) harm to others, to the U.S., or to the global community. 

I wrote the following letter regarding concerns over the increasingly negative impact of the Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission which ultimately gave more influence and power over our federal elections to corporations and the ultra wealthy few in the U.S.  

More about Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

While 2010 was quite a while ago, the increasing impact of the 2010 decision is being felt in a big and ultra concerning way in recent elections.   HJR 54 is a resolution to support a constitutional amendment that limits the rights protected by and stated in the U.S. constitution to natural persons only (and not to corporations).  

Information about HJR 54

How to reach your U.S. Senators:

https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

How to reach your U.S. Representative:

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

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Dear Senator <Name>,

Dear Representative <Name>,

As one of your constituents, I am writing to urge you to support HJR 54, the We the People Amendment, to ensure that the vote and will of the American people are the primary force behind selecting our leaders and guiding our norms, policies, and laws in the U.S.

Corporations are not people.  Money is not speech.  The Supreme Court's 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission handed a disproportionate and growing amount of influence and power in our elections to those who have money ... both corporations and the ultra wealthy few in the United States.

Money pays for propaganda and influence that the ordinary American cannot compete with.  And the transparency presumed to prevent the Citizens United decision from increasing corruption and limiting influence in American politics to a select few has not materialized.   Now more than ever, I am deeply concerned that our leaders and legislators are pressured into serving the interests of corporations and the ultra wealthy few instead of us, the people. Corporate interests, power, and greed have become far too influential in policy priorities and decisions. 

If not HJR54, then please act and act quickly to restore the balance in our democracy, so that the voice, vote and influence of ordinary Americans on our federal government is on par with the voice and influence of other entities and the wealthy. The U.S. Constitution makes no mention of corporations or other organized entities exerting power over the will of the people.  Yet, here we are, in exactly such a situation.  Money and power must not be the determining influences in our government; by definition, this denies us democracy.   

Sincerely,

<Name of Constituent>

The Crickets and the Oak Tree

Let's start with the fact that I don't like bugs.  Particularly bugs in tropical and subtropical climates (like Florida and related environs). They tend to be oversized, fly, bite, eat structural parts of houses, or any combination thereof. Palmetto Bugs. Termites. No-see-ums. Mosquitoes. Ugh.  

Crickets would be no exception to my general dislike of bugs, were it not for the fact that I never actually see them:

Crickets are nocturnal, pleasantly heard but not seen.  As importantly, they aren't aggressive and they don't bite.  The males rub their wings ceaselessly together in an effort to attract females.  Their collective chirping is a familiar sound at night, growing ever louder as the temperatures rise.  Their collective sound is impressive given that each cricket only weighs about half a gram (about the same as a raisin).  Among all bugs, crickets are among the best.  

Also among the best of Florida's impressive variety of species is the Live Oak, The Live Oak is so named, because it doesn't lose its leaves in winter, thereby appearing to be alive when other deciduous trees appear to be the opposite. According to Smithsonian magazine, the Live Oak "embodies the American ideal of individual resilience."  Sturdy, strong, solitary, and sprawling, the Live Oak has historically provided a safe harbor to people and animals during hurricanes and itself is largely invulnerable to hurricane-force winds.  Recently, the latest claim to fame for the Live Oak is its exceptional ability to absorb carbon in the atmosphere, making it a friend to anyone who believes in and fights against climate change.  As a tree hugger, I love the Live Oaks in Florida as much as I love western Red Cedars in the Pacific Northwest.   

It's not much of a surprise, given my love for both crickets and live oak trees, that they were the first thing that came to mind when the following questions were posed at my book club:

Where do you find your best “quiet and still” time to facilitate heartfelt prayer?  Is that time static (are you physically still) or dynamic (are you doing something) or a combination of both?  How can you tell when your spirit is becoming still enough that you will be able to hear "the still small voice" of God?

One of my biggest challenges to regular prayer is finding a place to calm my schedule and mind long enough to pray with sincerity. I can say the words and use the language that I've heard others in the church use but in the end, I often stop midway through these futile efforts to force prayer.  I realize that I am not fully attentive to what I'm saying, that at some level I am just going through the motions. so I just stop.  

Yoga helps me to center.  Even while twisting my body into various forms of a pretzel, I can focus more on meditating -- quieting the million things running to and fro in my mind and body long enough to get within sight of intimacy with God. More often than not, though, yoga class ends and reality returns before I get there from where I started. Hubbub and conversation erupts in the room immediately after class ends. To me, conversation is the last thing that I'm thinking about after an hour of connecting mind, heart, body.  I guess that's an introvert thing.  And from the looks of it, I guess I am one of very few introverts doing yoga these days.  

And so the search continues -- to find a proper centering place for meaningful prayer. It's out there -- but in the strangest of places.

While in Florida, I sleep in a bed that is surrounded by windows on all sides except for one (unfortunately, I have to get out of bed in the morning somehow).  Late in the evening, when my neighborhood has calmed down and the neighbors are asleep (as are their lawn tools, vehicles, and other noisemakers), the sole remaining sounds in the night air are courtesy of a convention of crickets.  To hear them better, I often stick my head out the open window as far as it can go without pushing the screen out (hence why this blog is not called "The Cricket, the Mosquitoes, and the Oak Tree") to hear them more easily.  While the crickets chirp in song, the two large oak trees in my postage stamp size backyard reach their massive canopy into the night sky, dappling the ambient city light onto the lawn below.   And these are my moments -- centered and still.  On the luckiest of nights, I also hear the still small voice of God.  

In those moments, it's the easiest thing in the world to pray.   

Weird.