Two Names to Know for 2016

“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” – Winston Churchill

Yesterday we asked this question:

1. What is completely free,
2. takes less than 5 minutes to do,
3. is the single most important first step that most Delawareans can do to help make Delaware the most Bicycle Friendly State In America and
4. involves finding out – and remembering – just four words?

We got a lot of creative suggestions:

“ride a bike” • “follow bike safety rules” • “wear helmet / bike safely” • “bike safety hand book” • “vote vote vote vote” • “League of American Bicyclists” • “bike trails at beach” • “write letter to politicians” • “Motivate the First State” • “register your bicycle online” • “slow down for bikes” • “like Bike Delaware” • “share the road together” • “follow road rules” • “ask the right questions” • “ask for bicycle lanes” • “wear reflective clothing” • “Bicycle Friendly American program” • “safety check your bike” • “inland bays bike trail” • “think before your ride” • “make your voice heard” • Carney, Carper and Coons” • “write to your congressmen”

It was reader Nancy Mikkelsen who who finally figured it out. The four words that every Delawarean who wants to make Delaware the #1 Bicycle Friendly State in America should know are two names (we were being tricky):

Word #1: The first name of your state senator

Word #2: The last name of your state senator

Word #3: The first name of your state representative

Word #4: The last name of your state representative

Why is it so important to know the names of your state senator and state representative?

Just a few years ago, Delaware was ranked in the 30s for bicycle-friendliness among other states by the League of American Bicyclists. Over the last five years, however, we have advanced farther and faster than any other state ever in the League’s rankings, to #18, then to #10, then to #5, then to #4 and, this year, to #3, behind only two other states in America. But going from the 30s #3 was easier than going from #3 to #1 is going to be! To do that – to really make Delaware the #1 Bicycle Friendly State in America with all the cycling awesomeness that that would entail – is going to take a lot of hard work. We are going to need help to get there.

That’s where your state senator and state representative come in.

Do you know her name?

We know how slow and frustrating government can be! But ultimately the sort of changes that we need in Delaware largely depend on actions by our state government. And your state senator and state representative may be critical. It’s their job to help the people who elect them and to make state government more responsive to their needs. That’s what being a “representative” means.

Do you know his name?

But our elected legislators can’t read minds. To represent us well, they have to hear from us. And here’s something that might be surprising to many people. Some cyclists think that, if their state legislators are not themselves cyclists, then they will not have any sympathy for cycling. But that’s not how politics works. To be effective, legislators have to be able to be empathetic with people who are different than they are. Though a politician may have never been the victim of a crime, to do her job she has to nonetheless be able to represent crime victims. Though she may have never served in the military, she still needs to be able to represent veterans. Though her closest exposure to agriculture may be her local supermarket, she should still be able to understand the concerns of farmers.

Our politicians hear from their constituents all the time about education; about public safety; about taxes; and about dozens of other issues. That’s how they know that something matters to their constituents.

In 2016, you may have an opportunity to communicate with the two people who represent you in Dover about cycling. But before you do that, the first step is to know their names!

Who is your state senator and state representative? Tell us the names of these two very important people in the comment section below!

If you don’t know their names, you can look them up here:

Look up my State Senator (enter your address and then click once on the map)

Look up my State Representative (enter your address and then click once on the map)