Advocacy myths and misconceptions
Think you can't make a difference? Read this list of advocacy myths debunked and learn how you can affect change! Click on a myth below to find out the facts.
 I don't have time! I'm too busy to get involved in advocacy.
I don't "do" politics. I don't want to march on Washington.
I'm shy.
Advocacy doesn't make a difference. I've heard that Congress deletes constituent e-mails, ignores phone calls and sends generic responses to letters.
My members of Congress just don't seem to care about psoriasis. So why bother?
My member of Congress belongs to a different political party than me.
I am intimidated. I am not an expert in government—I am just a regular person.
I can't go to Capitol Hill Day in February.
I've already responded to an Action Alert about this issue, so there's no need to do it again.
I don't really understand the issue the Psoriasis Foundation has asked me to write or call about.
1. I don't have time! I'm too busy to get involved in advocacy.
Taking action takes only a few minutes and can be as easy as a few keystrokes. Sign up for our Action Alerts and the National Psoriasis Foundation will notify you by e-mail when your involvement is needed. We provide you with sample messages so you can easily take advocacy action on legislative and insurance issues that impact our community. You will be contacted only a handful of times each year when communicating with your members of Congress will have the most impact. Sign up now.
2. I don't "do" politics. I don't want to march on Washington.
If you can write a letter, send an e-mail, or leave a brief phone message, you can "do" politics and psoriasis advocacy. Remember, if elected officials do not hear from our community, they will presume that no one cares, and they will respond to those groups and communities that take the time to ask and advocate.
The National Psoriasis Foundation does not "march on Washington," picket or rally in a confrontational way. However, once a year, psoriasis community members travel to Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill Day to meet with members of Congress and their staff to educate them about psoriasis and urge them to support more research funding and increase access to care. To learn more, visit www.psoriasis.org/advocacy/chd.
3. I'm shy.
Most of us are shy, too. A lot of advocacy can be done from the privacy of your home or office. E-mails, letter, faxes and brief phone messages are fast and easy ways to take action. If you're meeting with your elected officials, bring a friend with you. Getting a friend, family member or colleague involved can help make advocacy more fun and less intimidating. It also helps bring more voices to the cause!
We can provide you with everything you need, from tips to talking points, to communicate with your members of Congress. To learn more, check out our tips and tools for advocates.
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4. Advocacy doesn't make a difference. I've heard that Congress deletes constituent e-mails, ignores phone calls and sends generic responses to letters.
It absolutely makes a difference. Congressional offices count all calls, e-mails, faxes and letters they receive from constituents. In fact, we have dozens of examples of one individual with psoriasis making a difference just by sending an e-mail, making a phone call, or meeting with an elected official. They are "average-citizen" advocates who moved their members of Congress to support the Psoriasis Foundation and our public policy priorities—and all they did was ask!
5. My members of Congress just don't seem to care about psoriasis. So why bother?
Sometimes it can seem that elected officials only focus on one or two "pet" issues. However, you never know when an issue might interest your member of Congress or one of his or her staffers. You might be surprised how many members of Congress and/or staffers know someone with psoriasis; all they need is to be asked to take action, and they will! Even one contact from a constituent greatly improves the odds that your member of Congress will become interested in psoriasis.
By educating your congressional members about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and letting them know how they can help, you help elevate our priorities to the national agenda. In just a short time, we already have had psoriasis resolutions passed, letters sent to appropriators calling for more psoriasis research funding, and statements on the House and Senate floor calling for improved treatments and better access to care. Now we need your help to increase the number of members of Congress who care and will contribute to our continued success!
6. My member of Congress belongs to a different political party than me.
Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis affect people regardless of their political affiliation, and treating and finding a cure for these diseases is not a partisan issue. We have recruited a wide range of members of Congress to support our efforts, including—but not limited to—Sens. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., and Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.; Reps. Jim Gerlach, R-Pa.-6th; Steve Lynch D-Mass.-9th; and David Wu, D-Ore.-1st. Members of Congress are obligated to respond to all of their constituents, irrespective of party affiliation. So, when you contact your members of Congress, just identify yourself as a constituent and a member of the psoriasis community and explain how you are affected by the disease. It doesn't matter whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or an independent—the most important thing is to take advocacy action.
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7. I am intimidated. I am not an expert in government—I am just a regular person.
You are an expert on what it means to live with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis and the need to find better treatments and a cure. Remember, your members of Congress work for you—it is their job to listen to your stories and respond to your requests. The fact that you are a "regular citizen" is your best asset when communicating with your members of Congress. In fact, senators and representatives are more likely to listen to you, a constituent, than a hired lobbyist, because you live in their state/district and you can speak firsthand about living with psoriasis. You do not need to understand all of the ins and outs of how the Congress works; the National Psoriasis Foundation will provide you will all the context and information you need.
Visit www.psoriasis.org/advocacy to learn more about your members of Congress and our government and to find additional tips and resources for advocates, If you have specific questions or need more information, contact Alyssa Brown, advocacy coordinator, at advocacy@psoriasis.org.
8. I can't go to Capitol Hill Day in February.
Even if you can't make the trip to Washington, you can still call for a cure from home by participating in our national Capitol Call-In effort. It only takes a few minutes and is as simple as picking up the phone to call a friend. We will provide you with the message to deliver, the names of your members of Congress and the numbers you need to call.
There are many other ways to get involved. You can e-mail, write, fax or make a phone call to your members of Congress throughout the year. You also can meet with your members of Congress when they are home in your community—which is usually Friday through Monday and during recesses (at-home work periods). Members of Congress often host public meetings known as town hall meetings, which are open to anyone from the community; these are great venues to hear about your elected officials' work and to ask questions on specific issues. See the Foundation's tips and tools for advocates.
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9. I've already responded to an Action Alert about this issue, so there's no need to do it again.
While weighing in once does make a difference, with the sheer number of diseases, disabilities and conditions seeking congressional attention, it is important for psoriasis advocates to communicate regularly with their elected officials. The process that Congress undertakes to determine federal funding for biomedical research and various diseases lasts an entire year, so psoriasis advocates must stay in contact throughout the year to have the greatest impact on the outcome. Writing, calling, e mailing and/or meeting with your members of Congress regularly is critical—this tells them that you are going to hold them accountable for their actions or inaction. Even though it may seem redundant, it is important to repeatedly tell your members of Congress about the need to support the psoriasis community—the squeaky wheel gets the grease!
10. I don't really understand the issue the Psoriasis Foundation has asked me to write or call about.
Your knowledge of what it's like to live with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis is what really matters. We will provide all the specific information you need in our calls to action. Don't worry if you are asked a question you can't answer. It is perfectly acceptable to tell the member of Congress or staffer that they have asked a good question, but that you will have to get back to them with an answer. Then be sure to contact the Psoriasis Foundation right away at advocacy@psoriasis.org so we can help you follow up with an accurate and timely response.
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