Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor are one of the most effective ways of communicating your views to others.
Start by checking with your local newspaper about their requirements, which usually stipulate a maximimum number of words, that the Letter must be accompanied by contact information so that they can verify that you were the author of it, that it follow community standards for public discourse (no foul language, etc.). Be sure to conform to their requirements, or you won't get published.
In writing a letter, try to make one point and only one point, for maximum effect. In your mind if not on the Letter, define the audience you are trying to reach, briefly communicate the situation to them, and tell them what you want them to do about it.
Before sending it on to the newspaper, ask a friend to check your grammar and spelling if needed, and to make sure that it "flows" in a natural sequence that keeps the reader engaged.
Click on this link to access our Excel spreadsheet of North East Ohio newspapers & their Letters to the Editor info; please key in any updates/additions & email back to us so that we can keep this info accurate. Thanks.
Examples of good Letters to the Editor follow:
This letter was written by Lou Pritchett, a former vice president of Procter & Gamble whose career at that company spanned 36 years before his retirement in 1989, and he is the author of the 1995 business book, Stop Paddling & Start Rocking the Boat. He sent this to the New York Times; they chose NOT to print it. It was posted by the American Family Association (www.afa.net).
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA
By Lou Pritchett
Dear President Obama:
You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.
You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.
You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with20no visible signs of support.
You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.
You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.
You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core.
You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.
You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.
You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America' crowd and deliver this message abroad.
You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.
You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.
You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.
You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.
You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.
You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on y our wild and irresponsible spending proposals.
You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.
You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.
You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.
You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.
You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.
Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.
Lou Pritchett
The following was published by the Medina Gazette on 3/25/2009. Their word limit is 250 words.
Open letter to Medina County public school parents
Some Medina County Public schools have incorporated Al Gore’s campaign against “Global Warming” into the school curriculum. Using a simplified version of the book “An Inconvenient Truth” in junior high schools and a film version of the same in high schools, our young are being politically indoctrinated at taxpayer’s expense. There have even been rumors of retaliation by teachers against students who have questioned what they are being taught about global warming.
Anyone who has been paying attention to the weather for the last few years should be able to figure out for themselves that Global Warming is a fraud. It is based upon pseudo-science, manipulated data, and opinion represented as fact. Anyone who wants to know the “other side” of the argument should check out the wealth of factual information at the website, http://www.heartland.org.
Global Warming is nothing more, nothing less than propaganda to get people to grant more power to the government. The idea is that government must save mankind from itself. Never mind the question of who is to staff the government, if people can’t even manage their own lives.
Parents, ask your kids if “An Inconvenient Truth” is being taught at their school. If it is, find out when your district’s Board of Education is having its next public meeting, go to it, and demand that either an opposing viewpoint be added to the curriculum for balance, or that the global warming political indoctrination be removed.
Jim Woods
Here is another excellent example.
Speak Up For Freedom
I commend the Gazette for coverage of the "tea party" on the Medina Square on April 15. For the most part the national media is ignoring Americans who are attempting to reinforce our constitutional rights.
I was proud to be among the crowd who filled the square and stood for hours in a chilly rain to make their voices heard. As I looked around at people of all ages - from the very young children with a parent, mother, father, or both, to the very elderly, some in wheelchairs, some with walkers or with canes, even crutches - I felt very proud of them all. Ethnic origin, color, religion, all came together to speak for one great cause - our country and our Constitution.
We must defend ourselves against the surge of socialism that is attempting to change our country and our Constitution.
The speakers at the "tea party" included three very articulate and thinking college students, who also see the changes that are affecting our freedoms. It was an awe-inspiring day, and as Abraham Lincoln once said, "To sin by silence makes cowards of men."
We are not cowards. Do not be silent. Let us all speak up for our freedom and the freedom of future generations. America is unique in the world. Let us work together to keep it so.
Marion Von Dyke-Murray
York Township
Here is another one that helped shape a victory.
To the Editor:
With reference to our flag and the Pledge of Allegiance in the Oberlin School District, I’d like to thank Shawn Marcin for bringing this important issue to the attention of the community.
Our military servicemen and women have fought for our freedoms which have given us the unique freedom of choice, to pledge or not to pledge. The rights of those who wish to honor and pledge allegiance to their country are equally as important as those who wish not to. Not honoring our flag is dishonoring all who served and pledged allegiance with their lives. Freedom is not free.
In 1954, Congress added “Under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance setting this great nation apart from Godless nations. Don’t ask the people to lessen their standards, as these United States were founded – under God with LIBERTY and JUSTICE FOR ALL.
It’s time we stand up and speak out about the injustice to the majority who want to say the pledge. If the Pledge of Allegiance is said at our presidential inaugurations, by new citizens coming into the US, and at the swearing in of other government officials, then what good reason do we have for the pledge not to be taught to our children’s children?
I pray that we continue to educate our children so they will continue to have choices. Voice your opinion to reinstate the Pledge of Allegiance/ flags in Oberlin schools by attending the school board meeting May 12 at the Oberlin High School, 6 p.m.
Linda Davidson
Here is a good formal letter.
Portage County TEA Party
4682 State Route 43 • Kent, Ohio • 44240 • 330-474-3878 • 330-673-4672 (Fax)
Editorial Board May 22, 2010
Akron Beacon Journal
44 East Exchange Street
Akron, OH 44328
Dear Editor,
It is time for the American people to understand that this week we have crossed a line between representative democracy and tyranny in our federal government. In a representative democracy elected officials are charged with the responsibility of acting in the people's interest, not necessarily always according to their wishes, but the majority of the time acting in the people’s best interest. This week the President, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the entire Democratic membership of the House and the Senate told the American people, “We don’t care what you think or what you want or even what the law says. We are going to take direct actions against your best interest to protect our power and our control over you.” A tyrant is an elected official who places his or her own interests, or the interests of a small oligarchy, over the best interests of the general population. This week we learned that our government if full of tyrants.
Despite polls clearly indicating that a large majority of Americans, in all states, support the Arizona Illegal Immigration Law, our so-called representatives did not even bother to read the 17-page bill. Worse, not only did they not read it, they openly lied about it to the American people. The President’s example of Mexicans in Arizona being asked for their papers just for taking their children out for ice cream is an insult to the intelligence of all Americans. I have read the 17-page bill, and you can find a link to it on our website at www.PortageCountyTEAParty.com so you can read it as well. This bill specifically forbids the so-called racial profiling the President and his anti-American allies claim it will cause no less than four different times in 17 pages. Any ordinary American reading this bill would see that it does nothing more than demand that local, state and federal law enforcement do their jobs and follow already existing federal law which is being intentionally ignored by a government class that does not want to defend American Sovereignty. The controlling party in our government, the Democratic Party, choose to support the rights of illegal aliens over the rights of American Citizens. That is not representing the people’s interest.
The rule of these social ideologues in the Democratic party must end in November. I ask my fellow citizens to remember Tim Ryan, Zack Space, Betty Sutton, John Boccieri and Charlie Wilson standing and applauding the Mexican President as he criticized a law supported by 70% of the people in Arizona and a majority of Americans. I ask you to remember in November how they stopped acting in your best interest and openly supported the invasion of our country and our state by illegal aliens in full violation of state and federal law. I ask you to remember in November when the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) spend another $100 million dollars in TV ads and robo calls to protect their influence by electing representatives that don’t represent your best interest but will sell their vote to those who will keep them in power over you. It is time to send them all a message that this is our country and it is not for sale. That if they will not represent our best interests, then they will not represent us at all.
Tom Zawistowski
Executive Director
Portage County TEA Party