One way to express your opinion publicly is through a letter to the editor in your local

newspaper. While every letter may not be published, editors pay attention to well-written
letters. This is especially true when there are many letters written on the same topic. In
turn, elected officials are also influenced by letters newspapers have chosen for
publication.

This guide will help you prepare an effective letter to the editor that expresses your
opinion on an issue. It includes two letters about a controversial issue and specific
guidelines on how to prepare a successful letter yourself.

After you read the guide, prepare a letter yourself. Let a friend read it for clarity. Be sure to
sign the letter and list your address – newspapers will not publish anonymous letters.

Your letter can be positive, negative or informative in tone. It can also be emotional or
objective. But it should be simple and short – rarely more than 300 words. And, of course,
it should reflect your true opinions.

Here is an example of a letter supporting a proposed program:

Dear Editor,

The big jump in the cost of heating a house has me concerned. I just got my utility bill in
the mail, and I was shocked. Even though the weather has been mild, this bill was as high
as any I have seen. I’m worried that some of my friends won’t be able to pay their bills
when it gets really cold. If I’m not lucky, I may not be able to pay my bill. I want to praise
our elected officials for having the courage to try to do something about this problem
when other cities and the state government won’t because they’re afraid of politics. The
life-line utility program is a good idea whose time has come. It’s getting cold now. We
can’t afford to wait for every legal opinion in the state. I believe the city should act before
it’s too late.

Sincerely,
Tom Seekins
1400 New York
Anytown, USA 04521

Here is an example of a letter opposing the same program:

Dear Editor,
The City Commission is considering increasing everyone’s gas utility bills to create a
subsidy program for the poor. I am able to pay my own way on a small, fixed income. I
haven’t used my furnace yet this winter, preferring to wear three woolen sweaters. I am
saving so that I can pay the proposed 38 percent increase in gas bills when it REALLY get
cold.

I called City Hall to protest and was told, ever so gently, that I was one of those who would
be helped by the subsidy. Absolutely not! No self-respecting oldster would accept a dole
extorted from other struggling citizens. The churches have prime responsibility in this
area. Churches are close to the source and are in a position to locate those actually
suffering in the cold.

I am outraged by the proposal to the City Commission.

Mrs. A.B. Tony

543 South Ave

Letter Preparation Guide

This guide is designed to help you write a letter to the editor on some issue that concerns
you. Read the general activities and examples, and then complete the form. Use the blank
spaces to write what you want to say in your letter.

1. Open the letter. Get the editor’s name and address from the editorial page. You might
address your letter:

2. Tell why you are writing the letter. State the problem or issue that concerns you.
Example: “The big jump in the cost of heating a house has me concerned. I just got my
utility bill in the mail, and I was shocked. Even though the weather has been mild, this bill
was as high as any I have seen.” You might say:

3. Tell why this is important. Tell how the problem or issue affects you or others, or tell
what will happen if something isn’t done. Example: “I’m worried that some of my friends
won’t be able to pay their bills when it gets really cold. If I’m not lucky, I may not be able to
pay my bill.” You might say:
4. Praise or criticize what someone has said or done about the issue. Make a positive or
critical statement about a public action related to the issue. Example: “I want to praise our
elected officials for having the courage to try to do something about this problem.” You
might say:

5. Tell why this is good or bad. Explain your view about why the particular action or
comment is good or bad. Example: “Other cities and the state government won’t face the
problem because they’re afraid of the politics.” You might say:

6. State your opinion about what should be done. Explain what you think would work.
Example: “This life-line utility program is a good idea whose time has come.” You might
say:
Dear Editor:
The press has created an illogical and unjustified equivalence between Israel and the Palestinian
Authority. The media disregards the discrepancies that exist between Israel's largely transparent society
and the Palestinians' repressive, despotic regime. While the Israeli press frequently challenges the
legitimacy of Israeli government actions, the Palestinian press is not dissimilar to that of Syria or Iraq.
Given recent documented Palestinian distortions of the events in Jenin and Bethlehem, why do the
American media still insist on granting credibility to Palestinian spokespeople?  When journalists deal with
totalitarian, closed regimes, they know that officially released information must be met with a certain level
of skepticism. Why is Yasser Arafat's regime -- one that is internationally recognized as being dictatorial,
corrupt, and collaborative in orchestrating terror -- not held to the same necessary level of skepticism?

Dear Editor,
A regional Middle East conference can re-establish regular lines of communication between Israel and
Arab states, setting the stage for restoring the peace process. Like Madrid, the regional conference
should facilitate bilateral and multi-lateral negotiations -- and not become an instrument for imposed
solutions. The common ground for states attending a regional Middle East conference is a commitment to
peace and a total rejection of terrorism.

Dear Editor,
Yasser Arafat is now "free" after the siege of his Ramallah compound was lifted. With Arafat's newfound
popularity, he must take these overdue measures. He must detoxify his people from the anti-Israel, anti-
Semitic venom spewed forth by the PA's radio, television, school curricula, and religious preachers. He
must redirect resources from the major industry of arms smuggling and weapons manufacturing to the
rehabilitation of the Palestinian economy. He must relocate Palestinian refugees from the cramped camps
within the Palestinian Authority to new housing within the PA's areas of control. He must spend the
hundreds of millions of dollars he received for the labor-intensive construction of housing. Finally, he must
deploy his still-substantial police forces to stop terrorists, break up terrorist cells, and destroy bomb
factories.

Dear Editor:
Israel has nothing to hide with regard to its battle against terrorists in the Jenin refugee camp, or the
provision of humanitarian aid to the civilian population. During the battle, Israel suffered many casualties
in order to avoid harming Palestinian civilians, choosing to move carefully from house to house rather
than relying on airpower, as other armies would. Throughout the fighting, Israel provided as much aid as
possible to the civilian population. Sadly, much of the aid was refused, offers to admit ambulances were
rebuffed, and even Israeli blood donations were rejected. Although Israel did not choose this battle, it is
proud of the way it fought. In Jenin, Israel defeated the terrorists, minimized harm to the innocent and
defended the lives of its citizens.

Dear Editor:
It is abundantly clear that there is a lack of good faith on the part of the Palestinians regarding the
accurate portrayal of the recent events in the Jenin refugee camp. Accusations of an alleged 'massacre'
of hundreds of civilians have been propagated by official PA spokesmen, as well as charges regarding
the alleged denial of vital humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, the material facts -- such as the number
of Palestinian killed and the extent of structural damage to the area -- have been manipulated. It now
appears (Apr. 30) that while around 50-60 armed terrorists were killed in the battle, 7 or 8 civilians were
also killed -- a far cry from the hundreds that were claimed to have been massacred. In addition, there is
absolutely no indication of starvation or any other humanitarian atrocities.

Dear Editor,
Those who called for an investigation of a so-called "massacre" that never took place would do well to ask
themselves the following question: Where were they when a very real massacre of innocent civilians took
place in Netanya? The facts that are borne out by the media indicate that many more innocent civilians
were killed in Netanya than in Jenin. Moreover, these civilians were not used by armed terrorists as
human shields, and were not caught in any crossfire. They were killed simply because they were Israelis,
and this on one of the holiest days of the Jewish calendar.

Dear Editor,
The decision to accept the solution proposed by the U.S. regarding the wanted terrorists in Arafat's
Ramallah headquarters was not an easy one. Nevertheless, Israel accepted the proposal, following the
personal request of President Bush, a friend of Israel, and out of appreciation for the United States and
the special Israel—U.S. relationship. Now, Arafat and the Palestinian Authority face a clear-cut decision:
Is the Palestinian Authority ready to show the international community that it is willing to take the steps
required by the agreements that it signed and which the world demands of it—or will the Palestinian
Authority revert to the path of terrorism?  The Palestinian Authority must now show that it will take a clear,
unequivocal and determined stand against terrorism, as well as firm action against the terrorist
infrastructure.

THE International Movement for a Just World (Just) condemns the massacre of 44 Christian worshippers and two
priests at the Sayidat al-Nejat Catholic Cathedral in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct 31.

An al-Qaeda affiliate, the Islamic State of Iraq, claimed responsibility for the massacre, which is a part of the attempt
to drive Christians out of Iraq.

The massacre reveals how bloody, brutal and barbaric al-Qaeda and its affiliates can be. It is a manifestation of the
vile hatred and vicious bigotry that characterise this terrorist group.

Al-Qaeda demeans Islam through its violence. Its massacre of Christians in a church violates every tenet of Islam, its
acceptance of the right of people to worship in a manner of their choosing, its respect for the sanctity of places of
worship, its observance of the bond it shares with Christians as people of the book and as co-religionists in the
Abrahamic tradition and, most of all, its commitment to our common humanity.

Christians in Iraq who, before the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003 by the United States and Britain,
constituted three per cent of the population are an ancient community that has lived in peace with the Muslim majority
for centuries. 

They have contributed to the advancement of Iraqi society. Before the invasion, there was hardly any political
pressure on them. Today, many are leaving the land of their forefathers out of fear and anxiety.

It should be emphasised that before occupation, there was no al-Qaeda in Iraq. Religious bigotry had no adherents in
Iraqi society under former president Saddam Hussein. 

Atavistic notions of religious exclusiveness and doctrinal purity had no followers.

These destructive religious sentiments have come to the fore as a consequence of the Anglo-American occupation.
At one level, al-Qaeda sees itself, and is perceived by a small segment of Iraqi society, as a resistance movement
fighting the unjust occupation of Iraq.

At another level, it has fashioned itself as a group protecting Muslims from the alleged onslaught of Christian
evangelists determined to convert Muslims to Christianity.

It is true that in the wake of occupation, Christian right evangelism, sometimes allied to Christian Zionism, has
become active and aggressive in Iraq. Though they have had little success in converting Muslims, their belligerent
thrust has created uneasiness among the country's Christians. These ancient Christians sometimes refer
disparagingly to the Christian right elements as the "new" Christians. 

Needless to say, the "new" Christians, like the al-Qaeda bigots, are driving a wedge between Muslims and Christians
of Iraq and have inflicted massive damage on the nation's social fabric.

The time has come for Muslims and Christians to join hands and hearts and fight these divisive and destructive forces
in our religious communities. For a start, let us express our solidarity with the Christians of Iraq who have displayed
such restraint and compassion, despite their pain and anguish.

Read more: Iraq massacre: Al-Qaeda violence demeans

religion http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/29dra/Article/#ixzz16JI8vcOr