Google Gets It Right

I’m no fan of Google. Although I use gmail and their search engine I view them as the best of a bad lot. In particular gmail’s spam filter is annoying. It has way too many false positives, making it necessary to periodically go through the spam folder to see what non-spam emails it caught. That defeats the entire purpose of filtering spam if you have to check it anyway.

Recently though, Google got it right. I had emailed the person that represents^[1] the 83rd House district for Indiana on her vote on SJR-0013.[2][3] I crafted a carefully worded email, outlining my position with simple but not simplistic succinct strokes. Eventually I got a reply from someone in Representative Heuer’s office. Google finally got their spam filter right, and routed it straight to the spam folder.

Am I being harsh? Here’s the reply, judge for yourself.

Thank you for contacting me. Your concerns and ideas are important to me and to our community. In an effort to serve you well, I review each e-mail and letter that is sent to me from our community. My legislative staff and I are dedicated to maintaining open communication with all of our constituents, and we look forward to responding to you in the very near future. Thank you again for contacting me and thank for your willingness to help make ours a better community by sharing your ideas, thoughts, and opinions.

Sincerely yours,

Kathy Heuer

State Representative

The only possible saving grace in that canned chunk of offal is that they say, “we look forward to responding to you in the very near future.” If they do indeed respond in the very near future I will post it here and publicly kowtow to all.

[1] I deliberately referred to Kathy Heuer as “the person who represents” and not as my representative. She certainly doesn’t represent me.

[2] It’s nearly impossible to find the text of bills before the Indiana State Legislature, and even harder to find out who voted for what. Here’s the text of SJR-0013.

SJR 0013 — Definition of marriage. – Provides that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Indiana. Provides that a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized. This proposed amendment has not been previously agreed to by a general assembly.

[3]“But Chuck”, you’re all saying, “what is your opinion on SJR-0013?” Well, since you asked so nicely, I can’t say it any better than my newest inspiration, Wendell Berry, said it in The Way of Ignorance.

“Justice and (with luck) mercy should be the government’s business. Let sacraments such as marriage be the business of religions and communities.”

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