This article is going to a tad personal so please bear with me.

When I was in Highschool taking my useless AP Government class one of our projects required getting involved in politics itself. Our class had a lot of leeway on what we could do and one of the more easy options was emailing a letter to your congressman.

I live in California and our U.S. Representative for the 50th congressional district is none other than Duncan Hunter. I probably don’t have to do much to explain why that name should send a cold chill down your spine but in case, here’s a little refresher.

Last year Duncan Hunter and his wife were indicted on twelve criminal charges including wire fraud and campaign finance crimes. The prosecutors allege that they used over 250,000 dollars to fund their family activities like personal trips to Italy, buying school lunches and, my personal favorite, fly a relative’s pet rabbit to Washington.

So I sent an email to Duncan Hunter and absolutely tore him to pieces. I don’t have the original letter anymore and neglected to make a copy, so sadly I can’t show you everything I said. However, I vividly remember the main idea of it. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the letter.

1. I listed every crime he committed and then blatantly called him a criminal
2. I said, “I worry for our great state.”
3. I said I had no faith in him as a representative
4. I asked what he planned to do as our representative.
5. I commented on how it was possible he’d be sent to prison while in office.

I sent the letter back in December 2018 and just last week I finally got my response from good old Duncan Hunter. I was surprised, to say the least.

Dear Fabian:

Thanks for contacting me regarding your views. I appreciate the opportunity to respond.

Like many in California’s 50th District, I believe it is crucial to maintain a strong military, rebuild America’s manufacturing base and create economic opportunity for all Americans.  It is important to remember the original intent of our founders to build a nation of liberty, common defense, and domestic tranquility.  In order to maintain that vision, we need to adhere to principles that do not trample on the rights of states and, most importantly, the rights of individuals.

Please be assured that I will continue to fight for these principles with your specific thoughts firmly in mind.  In the meantime, if I can be of any future assistance, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Part of me wished for a more unprofessional response from Hunter but I was well aware that it was unlikely. To be honest, I didn’t even expect a response at all. I’m just glad he had to sift through my inflammatory message. If there’s anything I can take away from this, I’m glad no matter how small my voice is, I can still be heard.

Guess I can scratch this one off the bucket list.