You are herecontent / How to Write a Letter to the Editor
How to Write a Letter to the Editor
Be polite, concise, informative, and passionate. Be like the author of the following letter -- even if she did just copy and paste our press release ;-)
Copyright 2005 MediaNews Group, Inc. and New England Newspaper Group Inc.
The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
June 1, 2005 Wednesday
SECTION: LETTERS
LENGTH: 412 words
HEADLINE: Learn the case for impeachment
BODY:
To the Editor of THE EAGLE:-
A coalition of veterans' groups, peace groups, and political activist groups has announced a campaign to urge the U.S. Congress to launch a formal investigation into whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war. The campaign focuses on evidence that recently emerged in a British memo containing minutes of a secret July 2002 meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair and his top national security officials.
John Bonifaz, a Boston attorney specializing in constitutional litigation, sent a memo to Congressman John Conyers of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, urging him to introduce a Resolution of Inquiry directing the House Judiciary Committee to launch a formal investigation into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House to impeach President Bush.
Bonifaz's memo, made available at www.AfterDowningStreet.org, begins: "The recent release of the Downing Street Memo provides new and compelling evidence that the president of the United States has been actively engaged in a conspiracy to deceive and mislead the United States Congress and the American people about the basis for going to war against Iraq. If true, such conduct constitutes a High Crime under Article II, Section 4 of the United States Constitution."
In February and March 2003, Bonifaz served as lead counsel for a coalition of U.S. soldiers, parents of soldiers, and members of Congress [led by Reps. Conyers, Jr. and Dennis Kucinich] in a federal lawsuit challenging President Bush's authority to wage war against Iraq absent a congressional declaration of war or equivalent action. Bonifaz is the author of "Warrior-King: The Case for Impeaching George W. Bush" [NationBooks, 2004, which chronicles that case and its meaning for the Constitution.
The organizations forming the AfterDowningStreet.org coalition include: Global Exchange, Gold Star Families for Peace, Democrats.com, Veterans for Peace, Code Pink, Progressive Democrats of America, and Democracy Rising. These organizations will be urging their members to contact their representatives to urge support of a Resolution of Inquiry.
For more information, see www.AfterDowningStreet.org, or contact: Democrats.com, President Bob Fertik, 718-424-7772, or Washington director David Swanson, 202-329-7847.
DEBORAH LUSIGNAN
Adams, May 27, 2005
The writer is a member of Progressive Democrats of America.
- Login to post comments
-
- Email this page
- Printer-friendly version
Wow.
I submitted that letter through an e-mail request that directed me through a web-site that allows submissions to multiple newspaper editors. I am always a good girl that does all her action alerts (I have a web business so I am always on the computer). I was SO happy to see that published. They published the day after I submitted it, and I was a bit surprised to see my name under the letter since it was the press release that I submitted. I was doubly glad that they published it since I did get in a fight with the editor of that paper after the 2004 election (the editor refused to believe my now PROVEN argument that the election was stolen again, we got in a fight on the phone, I ended up calling him delusional & hung up). I am glad I wasn't permanently blacklisted! So much for being polite.
good going, I always knew you had so much more in you than you showed me. skip.
The Best Letters Are The Ones That Get Printed And Responded To.
My letters are almost always passionate, always informative, always polite, but not too concise. I never cut and paste a whole press release, but it's a great thing that Deborah Lusignan did. My letter to the Public Editor of the NYT got a response, although it took nine days. My response to Bob Herbert of the NYT got an immediate response. It was in answer to his editorial of yesterday, "Truth and Deceit." I sent him an e mail with "Heroic Journalism" and he e mailed me right back with a personal thank you.
On the politeness front, I have found that one thank you is worth 1,000 times more than cursing and ranting and criticising the media for their shortcomings. The door will be open to you the next time your return.
Must go blast off another missive.
GREETINGS FROM THE LEFT COAST.
For all those who may like a glimpse into what could happen
if we stay focused,united and indefatigable,might I respectfully
suggest that you let your fingers do the walking and pay a visit to:-
>SCOOP:GOP SWEPT FROM POWER IN 2006<.
Keep up the pressure - Keep hope alive.
Peace and Power,
Patrick Monk.RN. San Francisco.