writing your reps is not going to change anything.
we need participation and referendum rights, and in that sense a direct democracy:
on a regional level
on a state level
on a national level
you got to be able to stop things like this with your yes or no - and if that is not happening, you should be able to force the matter: if you manage to accumulate enough signatures, that has invoke a nation wide vote on the matter.
everything short of that, is NOT democracy. period