>Dear List:
. . . . .and Ferret/Saracen/Saladin/Stalwart/Scorpion/Fox importers,
Do please really pay attention to the excellent and vital points made by
Gil, having had to deal with political officialdom myself over many
years I can concur that he is dead right.
>
>If you choose to write to the Secretary of State about the restrictions
on import of military vehicles for hobby use (and I believe you should),
please do enough research to spell her name correctly. I doubt that
Madeline Albright will react positively to being called "Madillin"
>
Such a mistake will have the letter-opening secretary likely discard the
communication there and then. Any spelling mistake in the first line
wholly discredits the rest of the work.
>Misspellings, poor grammar, and contorted syntax only serve to make us
appear uneducated, ignorant, hillbilly types not worthy of being taken
seriously. Use your spell checker! Get someone to proof-read your
letter!
>
The vitriolic rantings that have been seen on the list are highly
entertaining and wholly out of place for a senior govt official, do keep
it brief, concise and reasoned, these people read between the lines too
in forming an opinion of the writer and anything more that 2 or 3 short
paragraphs wont get read.
Be constructive, do some homework; even from way over the pond I'm
seeing evidence that your BATF is actually on your side and realise the
instruction is inappropriate, the private military vehicle collector
being of no more danger or threat than a similar car collector, mention
that the BATF has done a good job in the past safeguarding the US
citizen and controlling imports within the original
rules ensuring fitted weapons are correctly and permanently disabled; a
few accurate brownie points wont go amiss.
>Among ourselves we can say, "Y'all be keerful out there now, y'hear?"
But when dealing with officials we'd better use "The King's English."
>
I think thats the Queens English at present. . . . . . . . . .
Go to it and the best of luck to all,
Richard
(Southampton UK)
===
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