--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is really crucial that folks focus on…" description: "\"It is really crucial that folks focus on their own representatives. If you call or write a member who does not represent you, I can tell you that conta..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/ezra-g-levin-33267_contact_it-is-really-crucial-that-folks-focus-on_1041051.jpg" --- # It is really crucial that folks focus on their own… ![“It is really crucial that folks focus on their own representatives. If you call or write a member who does not represent you, I can tell you that contact is going to be a waste of time. You might as well just talk to yourself in your living room.” quote by Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/ezra-g-levin-33267_contact_it-is-really-crucial-that-folks-focus-on_1041051.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/ezra-g-levin-33267_contact_it-is-really-crucial-that-folks-focus-on_1041051.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/ezra-g-levin-33267_contact_it-is-really-crucial-that-folks-focus-on_1041051.jpg) > “It is really crucial that folks focus on their own representatives. If you call or write a member who does not represent you, I can tell you that contact is going to be a waste of time. You might as well just talk to yourself in your living room.” [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes contacting only elected officials who represent you to avoid wasted effort and ineffective communication. **In simple terms:** Talk to the right representatives, not strangers. Key Takeaway Reach out to your actual representatives. Themes civic engagement communication efficiency Mood pragmatic concerned Type advisory instructional When to use this quote - voter outreach - constituent services - advocacy - community organizing Key Concepts representative democracy political efficacy Questions to Reflect On - Who is your current representative? - How can you verify who represents you? A Different Perspective If you lack a clear representative, you may still need to voice concerns through other channels. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contact/) [Crucial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crucial/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus Representatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-representatives-2433366/) [Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-room/) [Member Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/member-does-2433368/) [Members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/members/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Representatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representatives/) [Representatives Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representatives-write-2433367/) [Rooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooms/) [Tell Contact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-contact-2433369/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) [Waste of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste-of-time/) [Wasting time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasting-time/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [How do you, on the one hand, not object to Hillary Clinton being elected, and then, on the other hand, tell people, "Elect me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/how-do-you-on-the-one-hand-not-object-to-hillary-clinton-being/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Few Americans have ever met their Congresspeople. They don't see them at the grocery store; they don't meet them at the bowling alley. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/few-americans-have-ever-met-their-congresspeople-they-don-t-see-them/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [During his presidency, Truman and the Republicans were locked in a series of furious assaults on each other that outraged him and made Truman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/during-his-presidency-truman-and-the-republicans-were-locked-in-a/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [There is too much sour grapes for my taste in the present American attitude. The time to denounce the bankers was when we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/there-is-too-much-sour-grapes-for-my-taste-in-the-present-american/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [On the surface the avant garde as a whole seems united primarily in terms of what they are against: the rejection of social institutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-innes/on-the-surface-the-avant-garde-as-a-whole-seems-united-primarily-in/) [C. D. Innes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-innes/) > [The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-moral-and-constitutional-obligations-of-our-representatives-in/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [The effect of a representative democracy is to refine and enlarge the public views, by passing them through the medium of a chosen body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-effect-of-a-representative-democracy-is-to-refine-and-enlarge-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [While the intelligence profession oftentimes demands secrecy, it is critically important that there be a full and open discourse on intelligence matters with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/while-the-intelligence-profession-oftentimes-demands-secrecy-it-is/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [The genius of impeachment lay in the fact that it could punish the man without punishing the office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-genius-of-impeachment-lay-in-the-fact-that-it-could-punish-the/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [If I can get enough signatures, to present an apology to slavery, I will present it to the President. The House of Representatives has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/if-i-can-get-enough-signatures-to-present-an-apology-to-slavery-i/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [In mid-May, the House of Representatives approved the full amount of money that the Veterans Administration said was needed for next year - plus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-hastings/in-mid-may-the-house-of-representatives-approved-the-full-amount-of/) [Doc Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-hastings/) > [David Rockefeller is the most conspicuous representative today of the ruling class, a multinational fraternity of men who shape the global economy and manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/david-rockefeller-is-the-most-conspicuous-representative-today-of-the/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [The figure of the enthusiast who has just discovered jogging or a new way to fix tofu can be said to stand or, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/the-figure-of-the-enthusiast-who-has-just-discovered-jogging-or-a-new/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) > [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/) [Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/) > [Lemony Snicket. Now, I'm told - the books, of course, starting from the very first one, became hugely popular, selling millions and millions. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/lemony-snicket-now-i-m-told-the-books-of-course-starting-from-the/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) ## More by Ezra G. Levin > [You have to be local. You have to focus on your local members of Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/you-have-to-be-local-you-have-to-focus-on-your-local-members-of/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [Another crucial thing the tea party did really well is to focus in on the folks who are more or less on your side,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/another-crucial-thing-the-tea-party-did-really-well-is-to-focus-in-on/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [If people don't get as engaged as the tea party was, we're going to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/if-people-don-t-get-as-engaged-as-the-tea-party-was-we-re-going-to/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [Stiffening the spine of progressive members of Congress is crucial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/stiffening-the-spine-of-progressive-members-of-congress-is-crucial/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [Members of Congress care about reelection most of all. And that means they care about their constituents. So you have to be a constituent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/members-of-congress-care-about-reelection-most-of-all-and-that-means/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [I really do not think there is a serious split between Republicans and Democrats in Congress in how responsive they are to constituents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/i-really-do-not-think-there-is-a-serious-split-between-republicans/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [The bottom line is that every single member of Congress has to get voted into office every two or six years. That means they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/the-bottom-line-is-that-every-single-member-of-congress-has-to-get/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [Obama had a mandate for change and Trump clearly does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/obama-had-a-mandate-for-change-and-trump-clearly-does-not/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [When someone is running for reelection in Texas, they're not looking for votes in California or New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/when-someone-is-running-for-reelection-in-texas-they-re-not-looking/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [The tea party had a lot of nasty tactics that were needlessly aggressive and petty and scary. But they proved it is indeed possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/the-tea-party-had-a-lot-of-nasty-tactics-that-were-needlessly/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [To the extent that we can shine a light on the bad things being done, that's going to have a positive impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/to-the-extent-that-we-can-shine-a-light-on-the-bad-things-being-done/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [Progressives are the majority; we won the popular vote by a long shot and Donald Trump and the congressional Republicans representing mainly rich old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/progressives-are-the-majority-we-won-the-popular-vote-by-a-long-shot/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [One strategy that the tea party smartly embraced was one of being almost entirely defensive. They consciously decided not to figure out which of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/one-strategy-that-the-tea-party-smartly-embraced-was-one-of-being/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) > [A lot of people are worried that many of our rights and privileges we've come to expect as part of the American democratic process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/a-lot-of-people-are-worried-that-many-of-our-rights-and-privileges-we/) [Ezra G. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) [Explore all 15 Ezra G. Levin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/) ## More Contact quotes > [Politics in Philadelphia is a contact sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/politics-in-philadelphia-is-a-contact-sport/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) > [She'd read once that if you ran into a bear in the woods you should avoid eye contact and you shouldn't run away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/she-d-read-once-that-if-you-ran-into-a-bear-in-the-woods-you-should/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [The improved American highway system isolated the American-in-transit. On his speedway he had no contact with the towns which he by-passed. If he stopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/the-improved-american-highway-system-isolated-the-american-in-transit/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [You should never feel lonely, neglected, fearful, or defeated when you remember that there are the shining ones. They are watching with keen interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flower-a-newhouse/you-should-never-feel-lonely-neglected-fearful-or-defeated-when-you/) [Flower A. Newhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flower-a-newhouse/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [Emma was a shocking driver, simultaneously sloppy and petrified, and for the first fifty miles had been absent-mindedly driving with her spectacles on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-was-a-shocking-driver-simultaneously-sloppy-and-petrified-and/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Is there some lesson on how to be friends? I think what it means is that central to living a life that is good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rakoff/is-there-some-lesson-on-how-to-be-friends-i-think-what-it-means-is/) [David Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rakoff/) > [The Filipino embraces civilization and lives and thrives in every clime, in contact with every people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-rizal/the-filipino-embraces-civilization-and-lives-and-thrives-in-every/) [Jose Rizal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-rizal/) > [I don't know whether we think in moving images or whether we think in still images. I have a suspicion that on our hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-snow/i-don-t-know-whether-we-think-in-moving-images-or-whether-we-think-in/) [Jon Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-snow/) > [One of the best ways into the business is to get a job with a production, which you can do by cold-calling or by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-hurwitz/one-of-the-best-ways-into-the-business-is-to-get-a-job-with-a/) [Mitchell Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-hurwitz/) > [“I never met a pig I didn't like. All pigs are intelligent, emotional, and sensitive souls. They all love company. They all crave contact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sy-montgomery/i-never-met-a-pig-i-didn-t-like-all-pigs-are-intelligent-emotional/) [Sy Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sy-montgomery/) [Browse all 1,740 Contact quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contact/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is really crucial that folks focus on their own representatives. If you call or write a member who does not represent you, I can tell you that contact is going to be a waste of time. You might as well just talk to yourself in your living room.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ezra G. Levin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/it-is-really-crucial-that-folks-focus-on-their-own-representatives-if/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contact" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/it-is-really-crucial-that-folks-focus-on-their-own-representatives-if/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/ezra-g-levin-33267_contact_it-is-really-crucial-that-folks-focus-on_1041051.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/ezra-g-levin-33267_contact_it-is-really-crucial-that-folks-focus-on_1041051.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/ezra-g-levin-33267_contact_it-is-really-crucial-that-folks-focus-on_1041051.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is really crucial that folks focus on their own representatives. If you call or write a member who does…” — Ezra G. Levin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ezra G. Levin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-g-levin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is really crucial that folks...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/it-is-really-crucial-that-folks-focus-on-their-own-representatives-if/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-g-levin/it-is-really-crucial-that-folks-focus-on-their-own-representatives-if/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```