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Reach out to Congress.
1. Highlight and copy the e-mail text below (which you can use to either email your representatives or paste into your word processing software for snail mail)
2. Enter your zip-code in the box below and click “Go”
3. This will open a Congress.org window
4. Pick your senator or representative from the list on Congress.org, and choose to contact him/her via the web form. Follow the red arrows on the right if you get confused!
Dear Congressman/Senator:
I’m writing about a matter of great urgency to many Americans. Our great national flagship, the ocean liner SS United States, is on the verge of being destroyed. This great passenger ship transported many Americans to and from Europe and other destinations between 1952 and 1969. She carried four U.S. presidents and countless military, diplomatic, and business leaders, celebrities and artists, and foreign heads of state, not to mention the thousands of ordinary citizens and immigrants to our shores. She still holds the world’s speed record, set on her maiden voyage in 1952.
Unfortunately, this great vessel – widely acknowledged as the pinnacle of American maritime engineering and design – has been largely forgotten. I, together with Americans from all walks of life and from all corners of the country, request your help in preserving this irreplaceable American icon and saving our “First Lady of the Seas.”
The SS United States Conservancy, a national nonprofit organization, seeks to convert this national treasure into an economically viable waterfront attraction along a major American municipal waterfront. Early indications of support have been received from officials in both Philadelphia and New York. The ship’s restoration and operation will provide many much-needed jobs for trade and hospitality workers. The re-purposed SS United States will act as a powerful and sustainable economic development engine for the community that hosts her. Restored and repainted, she will be a beautiful waterfront adornment and economic asset.
Specifically, I would like to speak with you about several Congressional actions that could help reintroduce new generations of Americans to this great symbol of American pride and power in the 20th century:
•Reintroduce the 1992 SS United States Preservation Act.
•Support a Congressional resolution to recognize the unrivaled historical role and achievements of this great vessel.
•Investigate the requirements of banning the sale of this ship to scrappers by her current owner, Genting Hong Kong/Norwegian Cruise Line.
•Develop a long-term plan to augment the ship’s current status on the National Register of Historic Places to eventual National Monument status.
I will contact your office this week to request a meeting with either you or a member of your staff. I hope you share our understanding of the importance of this national treasure, as well as the urgency of the current situation. Bids by scrappers are being delivered to the SS United States’ owners as of this morning.
Thank you very much, in advance, for your consideration in this matter. I can be contacted at…
Sincerely,
SS United States Supporter
Feel free to use our sample letter below (copy & paste), or write you own. Please replace “Congressman/Senator” with your representative’s name, and be sure to put your full name under “Sincerely” at the end of the letter.
Here are just a few ways you can help Save Our Ship:
Reach out to the Media. Write a "letter to the editor" of your local
Newspaper. Post a blog entry on one of your favorite sites. Pitch a story
to a media outlet. Educate the press on the historical significance of the
SS UNITED STATES. Contact your local PBS affiliate and suggest that they
re-broadcast the documentary film "SS UNITED STATES: Lady in Waiting."
Reach out to Friends, Neighbors, and Colleagues. Pass on the word to everyone you know that the SS UNITED STATES is in danger of being sent to
the breakers. We need to strengthen our ties to local maritime unions, port
authorities, civic organizations, and other constituencies that could
bolster our base of support for saving the ship. Reach out to everyone you
know and enlist their support.
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