As a political science major I learned that lobby groups are one of most influential entities in American Politics. I did did not know how big an impact they had until I took part in lobbying myself for the House Resolution 306 which urges the Republic of Turkey to safeguard its Christian heritage and to return confiscated church properties, that it stole during the Armenian Genocide. I phone banked a lot of people to get them to call their State Representative and have make sure they vote yes on the House Resolution 306. At first I did not know how people were going to respond to my phone calls informing them about the House Resolution 306. The first 20 calls were disconnected or not working and the next 15 calls were who people were to busy to call their US representatives. As I made more phone calls more people picked and eventually they agreed to call their state representatives.

I remember seeing a name that was not of Armenian dissent. I thought this person might hang up on the phone before I could say that I am from the Armenian National Committee. When he picked up the phone, I asked him how was his day. He politely said “good how about yours”. I then explained to him that I am a volunteer at the ANCA. I info him about the House 306 and if he was willing to make a phone call to his state Representative and urge him/her to vote yes on Amendment that was going to be presented voted in the Foreign Affairs Committee. He told me that he would call the US Representative. I provided him with the number and name of his state Representative and told him that I am very thankful for his help. I was pleased that a person would go out of there way to help support an important Armenian issue. The experience of phone banking with the ANCA-WR showed me that lobby groups are very influential in many positive ways. This was just one.