Justice For All
                   jfa@mailbot.com

                  Captioning Alert!
    TELL CONGRESS HOW IMPORTANT CAPTIONING IS TO YOU!
ACT NOW!  Help protect U.S. Department of Education funding 
levels for captioning!
WHAT YOU CAN DO:  Write (send via fax, email, and pony express)
Congressional representatives (Lieberman and Coats, as well as 
members of the Senate Appropriations Committee) using the 
sample letter below, or you may prefer to write your own 
letter.  Keep your message short and to the point--and send 
it ASAP!
BACKGROUND:  Certain members of the U.S. Senate (Senators 
Lieberman and Coats) feel that the Department of Education 
should not fund some shows like "Jerry Springer" (Currently 
the number one rated talk show) and "Baywatch."  Their 
reasoning is that those shows have no "educational value."   
It is important that we tell Congress otherwise--quickly and
loudly--and that they should not cut or reduce ED funding 
levels for captioning!  If they cut one or two shows, then 
where does it stop?!!
SAMPLE LETTER/EMAIl/FAX:  (NOTE:  try NOT to "copy" this 
letter word for word--substitute some of your own words.)
[Your Mailing Address]
[Date]
[Senator's Full Name]
United States Senate
Washington, DC  20510
Dear Senator [Senator's last name],
Please do not cut or reduce U.S. Department of Education 
funds for captioning!
These funds provide critical access to television programs 
that I watch and enjoy, such as [list the names of various 
TV programs you watch regularly].
Captioning also makes it possible for me to watch television 
with family members and friends who can hear.  [Add more 
comments here, if you wish.]
Again, please do not put deaf and hard of hearing Americans 
like myself back in the Dark Ages--without access to 
information provided through television!
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Your full name]
--
Kelby Nathan Brick 
National Association of the Deaf       
kelbynad@worldnet.att.net
301-587-1791 (FAX)
--
Fred Fay
jfa@mailbot.com
Justice For All Moderator
http://www.mailbot.com/justice