Actually, yesterday February 25 was Museum Advocacy Day, something organized by the AAM, the American Alliance of Museums. So we missed it by a day. If you are, however, inspired to do a bit of advocacy from either your armchair or while visiting Washington D.C., you might want to bone up by reading the AAM's book "Speak Up for Museums: The AAM Guide to Advocacy."
For us, every day is Legation Advocacy Day. We provided a handy list of actions – letters to the editor, donations-in-kind, full-blown lobbying – for readers as a kind of New Year's resolution to advocate for the Legation. Though some stalwarts and a few newcomers have chimed in through comments or emails, we have yet to see many people actually carrying out an effective action (i.e., we haven't gotten any surplus Macs in the mail).
If the check is in the mail, well, the postman may not yet have found America Street. We'll stay tuned, and in the meantime, your suggestions and comments are welcome, as always. But as much as I like to read comments from readers, fellows, and board members, I would like even better being cc'd on letters to their Senators or Members of Congress.
Gerald Loftus
I have received a copy of the letter signed by Henry Clay from the Archives but it was taken from microfilm and therefore dark and hard to read. I won’t be able to go until April to see if I can see the original letter but if you would like I can send you what I have.
Cordially,
Renee Payne