VoterSpeak

Your vote counts once a year but your voice counts every day...

The Letter Wizard is now available for Beta Test - Try it today and let us know what you think.

Why write a letter? Letter Wizard Search elected official profiles: - by Name - by State - by County - by Keyword U.S. Senate List U.S. Delegates and
Representatives Lookup by zipcode News/Media sources Congressional Quiz Bibliography

Keeping in mind the sorting scenario we just described, the most successful "opinion" letter has a few characteristics:

It is specific.
The letter addresses only one topic at a time (remember the sorting piles...) and states the topic clearly in the first paragraph (remember the scanning....)
It is short.
By short, we mean one or two pages but not much more, at least as a FIRST letter. Some topics can be very complex and don't lend themselves to three of four sentences, but as an introductory/first contact letter, brevity is a win. Think of the first letter as the beginning of a conversation: Introduce the topic, give your initial comments and see what happens.
It is respectful, even if in disagreement.
Differences of opinion are the lifeblood of good debate and a key component of a healthy Democracy. If everyone agreed about everything, we wouldn't need elections. But disagreements about topics, policies, etc. should never become disrespectful, personal or offensive. Letters that attack, belittle, mock or are offensive or vulgar are simply thrown in the trash, rarely read and never achieve the original intended goal.