let mikey try it...he might help save darfur...

that's right, "let mikey try it, he hates everything,"...

you may recall this catchphrase from a life cereal ad campaign from a while ago...the idea was for mikey, who doesn't like stuff, to try this cereal as a guinea pig, one likely to let the older kids off the hook so THEY don't have to try it...

shocker of all shocks - mikey tries it and LOVES the cereal and all eat happily ever after - or sumpin sumpin sumpin...

well in this instance you could say that we - the local amnesty international faithful - said to markey (mark smith), "you try it," with the it being a lobby visit to the nashville office of republican senator lamar alexander...

and markey tried it - and you know what??? he LIKED it!!! you see mark smith, high school teacher paid 0$ to lobby for anything, had a meeting with michael schulz a field representative for senator alexander and shared with him why the senator should sign a letter to chinse president hu jintao regarding chinese policy with the sudanese government, the government that is responsible for the ongoing genocide in darfur the region in western sudan...

here's mark's report:

4/17/7

Greetings everyone,

I met with Michael Schulz (Field Rep.) at Alexander's Nashville office. It was our first meeting. Prior to our meeting he had been sent (from Washington) the request from Senators Lugar and Biden to sign the "Hu Jintao Letter" on the crisis in Darfur. I showed Mr. Schulz the list of twenty-nine Senators who had already signed on to the letter. We were both pleased with everyone's awareness and briefly discussed the relationship among Sudan, China, the United States, the United Nations, and the African Union. I left Mr. Schulz the information Amnesty International had prepared for the visit which included a copy of the letter to President Hu Jintao.

Mr. Schulz has been in the Nashville office since June when he moved from Alexander's Washington office. I let him know of my desire to begin an Amnesty Student Chapter at East High School next year and our interest in becoming familiar with Senator Alexander's Nashville office.

Senator Alexander had not signed the letter at the time of our meeting, but Mr. Schulz reminded me that the Senator was one of the first to bring attention to the crisis in Darfur. I am sending a copy of this missive to Mr. Schulz in hopes to receive news that Senator Alexander has joined his colleagues in asking China to become more influential in stopping the crisis in Darfur and signed the letter to President Hu Jintao before the April 20 deadline.

Happy trails

Mark Smith
Darfur Delegation Leader

and here's the remarkable thing about mark smith - he went to meet mr. schulz all by himself and it was his first lobby visit!

and what was the outcome of this rookie effort??? well here's the e-mail he received within 72 hours of his visit:

Good morning Mark,

Senator Alexander has signed the letter to President Hu Jintao.

Thanks...

Michael Schulz
Field Representative
Office of Senator Lamar Alexander
615-736-5129

so the moral of the story is not only should mikey and markey try it but so should bill, carrie, danielle, freddie, gil, heidi...

you get my point - congratulations mark on not just a job well done but on the job attempted in the first place...

peace out <3