Local Mother Launches Postcard Campaign for Gun Laws

Tori Martinez is hoping that a tidal wave of postcards advocating common sense gun legislation washes over our state and national legislators, and she has stepped up to help make that happen.

“What started out as a couple friends and I feeling helpless and wanting to do something has turned into a bigger thing,” Martinez said. “It’s inspiring because everyone I’ve talked to so far has been supportive and willing to help. We want to inundate our representatives with handwritten notes about how their constituents feel.”

Martinez, the mother of two school-age children, created a Facebook page called Postcards to Politicians Door County to serve as the cyber headquarters for the movement. The idea is to convene postcard-writing sessions throughout the county.

“What we’re hoping is that we can get some postcard writing sessions from Southern Door to Northern Door from March 1 through the 24th,” she said, adding that March 24 is the day chosen to march in Washington, D.C., against gun violence and for gun legislation. At least 500,000 people are expected to attend what is being called the March for Our Lives.

The march was created by, inspired by and will be led by students from across the country.

“A child shall lead them,” Martinez said. “It’s going to come from the youth.”

A screenshot of the header of the new Postcards to Politicians campaign’s Facebook page.

Martinez thought the letter-writing campaign in support of common sense gun legislation would be a good way to help the national effort to shake legislators out of their complacency on gun laws.

“Wisconsin’s a hunting culture. We’re not the type of people that want to take their guns,” Martinez said. “It’s about more sensible legislation. Many people say the legislation is not going to help. There are many aspects to this issue, and this seems a good place to start and it’s something we can do as citizens of Wisconsin. I would love to send boxes and bags of postcards to our legislators.”

Wanting to make the effort as easy as possible, Martinez is organizing postcard writing sessions at different locations throughout the county, supplying all the materials needed – postcards, writing material, stamps, talking points and sample letters to legislators.

“What we’re looking for is people to attend and write postcards, people to hold postcard-writing sessions in their homes and businesses, and people to get the word out about the places and times,” Martinez said.

The first session will be in a Sturgeon Bay home on March 6, followed by a session at Cornerstone Pub in Baileys Harbor from 6 to 8 pm March 8, and on March 12 from 3-5 pm at Door County Yoga, Sturgeon Bay. She is also working on a date and time for a session at Grains N Greens in Egg Harbor, and has feelers out for spots in Fish Creek and Sister Bay.

“If anyone in Kewaunee County would like to get involved or host anything, I’d be happy to collaborate there as well,” Martinez said.

“We’re also looking for donations for printing, postage, maybe gas for volunteers if we end up delivering to the offices of some representatives,” Martinez said. She set up a donation box at Healthy Way in Sturgeon Bay.

“People feel so helpless on this issue and I think this is where they can come together and feel like they are doing something,” she said.

You can contact Martinez through the Postcards to Politicians Door County Facebook page.