Letter to the Editor
The purpose of this assignment is to give you practice in writing a kind of argumentative writing without having to be concerned about a grade. Another purpose is to help you find an argument topic. Also, this assignment gives you practice in writing a formal letter. Finally, since I want you to mail your letter, this assignment gives you the possibility of being published. At least three of my students have had their letters published already. As you will see, I too have been published this way.
You should first look for articles, editorials, or letters in a newspaper or magazine on controversial issues. Bring in one or two of the articles to class for discussion. Then bring in your own letter responding to one article (preferably the one you brought to class). After I have checked it in my roll book, mail your letter to the editor of the publication you've written to. This is not an optional assignment. You must do it to get credit for your argument paper.
Here is an actual letter written by me in response to the 5-4 Supreme Court ruling that handed the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush, despite the fact that Al Gore won the nationwide popular vote by over 539,000 votes and that a full recount in Florida might well have given him that state and thus the presidency. My letter was sent by e-mail and published in the 14 December 2000 edition of the Los Angeles Times. Follow this format for your letter if you write e-mail. Otherwise, type your address and the date below it first, then the address of the periodical you're writing to.
Subject: The Cowardly Court
To the Editors of the Los Angeles Times:
In the Supreme Court oral arguments for the Bush vs. Gore case Justice Sandra Day O'Connor displayed an arrogance worthy of Marie Antoinette in her dismay over why voters couldn't simply follow instructions, as if enfeebled elderly people or new voters unfamiliar with outmoded voting machines (I know them well; we use them here in my community) shouldn't be given the benefit of the doubt. Her and Justice Anthony Kennedy's cowardice in not signing the outrageous Catch-22 opinion, together with the votes of the hypocritical "states' rights" and highly partisan Justices William Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, has tarnished the integrity of the court for years to come. In plain language, they have discounted the votes of all Americans. Shame on them.
CLIFTON SNIDER
English Department
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90840
Telephone: 562-985-4247
(Note: the Times requires that you provide your address and phone number, although it publishes only the city you're from. The day before the paper published my letter, someone called to tell me the paper was thinking of using my letter. Not all publications do this. You need to keep looking at the periodical to see if your letter gets published. If it does, please tell me and the class about it.)
Notice that the letter is brief and limited to one subject, one on which I had personal knowledge. You don't have to have personal knowledge about the topic you respond to, but you should clearly express your opinion and indicate why you hold that opinion.