Randy Hillier: I place considerable weight on these personal interactions, but with advancements in technology, including social media, this form of communication is increasingly being replaced with the speed and convenience of form emails that are composed by others and empty of any personal experiences or meaningful insights.
Form letters generated by impersonal third-party websites belong in the trash can and that is where they end up in most government offices, whether they be those of elected members, ministries or government agencies.
“Form follows function” is a maxim that appears to have lost currency in our society, at least as it relates to engaging in public policy. If you want to affect change, but the most effort you are willing to exert is resending someone else’s email, do not be surprised when the recipient does not exert any more effort than the button press you put into it.
Regurgitating someone else’s talking points is not advocacy. Rather, it has the same effect as elected members who act as trained seals — no one takes them or their talking points seriously and no one is swayed by their arguments.
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