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| What You Can Do/Sample Letter | |
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Spread the Word, Sow Some Seeds Send a letter to the editor of your local paper to tell people in your community about the creative ways you are activating people to help our democracy blossom. Here are some tips for writing a letter to the editor, with a sample letter below for you to use and change to suit your purposes. Tips for Writing a Letter to the Editor: * Letters to the editor most often discuss a recent event/issue covered by a publication, radio station, or TV program. Your letter has the best chance of being published if it is a response to a story in the paper. Respond as quickly as you can. * Keep your letter short and concise -- 150-200 words maximum. Write in short paragraphs, with no more than three sentences per paragraph. The paper may take the liberty to shorten your letter to suit its format; the more it has to cut, the less control you have of what gets printed. Begin the letter, or "lead" with your most important information. * Focus on one main point and make a compelling case. Try to be witty without lapsing into sarcasm or clichés. Avoid personal attacks, and remember that if you are mentioning 1000 Flowers , we are non-partisan and not promoting any particular candidate or party. * Put your full name, address and phone number at the top of the page and sign the letter at the bottom. You must include a phone number for verification purposes. Sample Letter to the Editor: 8/1/04 To the Editor: There is a lot in the news about the influence single women can have in this year’s election. Rightfully so as the statistics are staggering: in 2000, close to 22 million single women didn’t vote, and 16 million were not even registered. While these women come from all different races, ages, and backgrounds, they are unified in their feeling of disfranchisement with the political process because they do not believe that politicians are speaking to their primary concerns of jobs, education, healthcare, and security. Some feel like their vote will not make one iota of difference. Yet, voting collectively, single women can be a mighty force for change that can shift the tide in their own lives, their own communities, and our nation as a whole. As a beauty salon owner, I am proud to be part of the non-partisan 1000 Flowers campaign to register and activate women to vote at beauty salons across the country. My single women customers are not a faceless statistic, but powerful women who can, like our nail files say, "Shape the Oval Office" on November 2. These are cuticle times, Lily Rose |
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