Last Monday, I was in Washtington DC for the School of the Americas Watch Lobby Days, meeting with Congressional staffmembers to promote human rights in Latin America.

As I lobbied, I became more and more convinced of the power of truth and the value in grassroots organizing.

There is a perception that the only things that matter on Capitol Hill are money and large voting blocks. Those are important, but I was able to see how influence and values can also play a roll on Capitol Hill.

I saw this most clearly when we met with the aid to Rep. Schwartz. Schwartz’s aid is a Major in the Air Force Reserve. He is a firm believer in military-to-military ties and the stated goals of the School of the Americas, and he is deeply committed to the honor he sees in the armed forces.

What did we have to face him with? We are not a major voting block, and we certainly don’t have big piles of cash.

But we did have the power of persuasion. We had a shared commitment to human rights and a concern about ensuring that the U.S. military is not linked to torture. We could agree that closing Abu Ghraib was an important symbolic action, and that closing the School of the Americas might have a similar symbolic importance.

Rep. Schwartz hasn’t signed on to the bill yet, and to be honest, he may never do so. But we did make a connection. We did have some influence. And your continued calls, letters, and emails can help extend that influence.