... FDR led the nation out of the Great Depression of the 1930s with the bold slogan, "we have nothing to fear but fear itself." Yet the current White House's themes -- warfare and security concerns -- sow uncertainty, hesitation, and above all, fear.
With just days to go, this is our last opportunity to speak up through the media, by sending letters to the editors of our newspapers. Letters to the editor can have tremendous impact. The letters section in a newspaper is among the most widely read -- a very visible expression of a community's civic mood. One letter can sway many votes on Election Day. And with control of Congress likely to be decided by less than one vote per precinct, that could make all the difference.
We've made it easy for you to send a letter, by providing a few examples below... Here are some tips on how to make the most of them:
(1) Your newspaper's letters page should give you an email address or fax number to use, or you can try this website:
http://congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/
(2) Your own words are always best.
(3) Brevity is the soul of wit.
(4) The key to publication is to pounce on something specific you've seen in the newspaper -- especially an editorial or op-ed article. The art of a letter to the editor is to move quickly from a statement in the newspaper to your own point. Use the letters below for ideas.
(5) Be sure to include your name and address, and especially your phone number when submitting your letter. Editors need to call you to verify authorship before they can print your letter. They don't print your phone number.
(6) Please let us know when you've sent your letter, at:
http://www.moveon.org/lteprinted2.html?id=859-637244-dEyhx2n9v5fvjUYVKt2m3w
Please send a letter to your paper today. Now is the time.
--Wes, Eli, Joan, Peter, Doug and Carrie for MoveOn.org PAC October 27, 2002
LETTER #1: IN HONOR OF PAUL WELLSTONE
To the Editor:
Senator Paul Wellstone's tragic death lends new urgency to the final act of his career: his courageous vote against the resolution authorizing President Bush to attack Iraq. Though locked in a close race for reelection against the White House's hand-picked and well funded candidate, Paul Wellstone did not hesitate to do the right thing. "A unilateral U.S. attack on Iraq is wrong," he said. "I will not support it."
Those who share Wellstone's commitment to peace and justice will not allow his death to defeat the cause to which he devoted his life. We will work to elect a Congress that resists the Bush Administration's agenda of militarism and greed. We will carry forward Wellstone's vision for America: to make liberty and justice not mere slogans, but realities.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your telephone number]
LETTER #2: IN HONOR OF PAUL WELLSTONE
To the Editor:
The late Senator Paul Wellstone's campaign manager called him "a man of principle and conviction, in a world that has too little of either. He was dedicated to helping the little guy, in a business dominated by the big guys."
Wellstone was truly a senator of the people. He fought hard to ensure that small farmers and small businesspeople stood a chance against multinational conglomerates. He championed the poor and the homeless when most politicians paid them no attention. He insistently stood up for the rights of veterans.
Wellstone's agenda ran against the prevailing culture of corporate greed, militarism, and elitism. We will carry forward Wellstone's vision for America: to make liberty and justice not mere slogans, but realities.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your telephone number]
LETTER #3: IN HONOR OF PAUL WELLSTONE
To the Editor:
For many of us, Senator Paul Wellstone's death was a heartbreaking blow. Wellstone was a constant champion of the little guy, a man whose principles and convictions were a beacon for his colleagues and followers.
Senator Wellstone will be sorely missed. He was a fearless leader and fighter who spent his life in service to us. He worked unceasingly to make sure that our country was governed with a genuine respect for the American people.
Wellstone will not be forgotten. In an age where political decisions are often swayed by big money, big business, and big lies, our elected officials would do well to remember, as Wellstone did, that they must serve the common good.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your telephone number]
LETTER #4: FEAR ITSELF
To the Editor:
Franklin D. Roosevelt said: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." George W. Bush, on the other hand, seems to be playing on the nation's fear.
Seeking to distract from a faltering economy and corporate scandals, President Bush and the Republicans have exaggerated the danger of Saddam Hussein and led the nation to the brink of war. As a result, oil prices have climbed and employers are issuing pink slips and relying on temps.
The economy will recover only when we have the confidence to invest in America. We need to invest in a new generation of renewable energy technology that would lessen our dependence on imported oil. We need to rebuild public transportation. And we need to invest in the new generation itself through education. We cannot do these things if the President and Congress spend the lion's share of our money on military increases and tax cuts to the rich.
America will be strong when we have leaders who emphasize hope, not fear -- and then put the nation to work making that hope a reality. Voters should use this point as a litmus test when they go to the polls on November 5th.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your telephone number]
LETTER #5: THE C.E.O. WHITE HOUSE
To the Editor:
George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and many Republicans proudly campaigned as rugged businessmen who could bring their skills from the boardroom to the Oval Office. Two years later, we have a better idea what those skills were. Enron, Harken Energy, and Halliburton are now models of executive mismanagement and malfeasance. Like Martha Stewart with IMClone, George W. Bush sold his stock in Harken just before its share price tumbled. His friend Kenneth Lay of Enron -- was for years his largest contributor. Dick Cheney sagely presided over Halliburton as the company played accounting tricks.
As anyone with a retirement account knows, insiders pocketed millions while ordinary investors were left with a shadow of their former savings. The rest of us have learned a hard lesson -- but have Bush and the Republicans? Just weeks ago, the Bush Administration tried to skimp on funding for the Securities and Exchange Commission by proposing $208 million less than Congress recommended, though the S.E.C. needs the funds to catch corporate wrongdoers and restore investor confidence. Yes, after an outcry the Bush team relented -- but what will they try next?
Voters may wonder whether the Bush Administration, filled with corporate insiders, is truly looking out for the public interest any better than they looked out for stockholders' interest. On November 5th, we should support Congressional candidates who will put the nation's well-being ahead of the well-being of wealthy contributors.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your telephone]
LETTER #6: AMERICA -- A ONE-PARTY STATE?
To the Editor:
On November 5th, voters will be going to the polls for the first time since a bitterly divided Supreme Court voted 5-4 to end the recount in Florida and thus put George W. Bush in the White House. If Republicans gain in mid-term Congressional elections, Bush will win confirmation for a new generation of ultra-conservatives on the Supreme Court and in other Federal courts. Right wing courts would put a chill on America for years after Bush himself leaves office.
Hard-won rights that make America the democracy we know and love are now under attack. A woman's freedom of choice is first on the right's hit list, to be eroded and if possible abolished. Minority access to higher education faces a rollback. In the name of fighting terrorism, Attorney General John Ashcroft has launched an assault on civil liberties. Will we have a Supreme Court that defends real liberty -- or one that accepts a moralistic, unequal, and intrusive state? That depends on whether Congress accepts the extremists whom the Bush Administration wants to put on the bench.
The Founding Fathers saw that a system of checks and balances was essential to American democracy. But if Republicans win on November 5th, they will control not just two branches of government, but all three. The evidence shows that Mr. Bush has one of the most extreme right wing agendas of any President. Voters still have a chance to prevent a lock-step march to points unknown.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your telephone]
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