1) We need to grow support for the "alternatives to violence" movement, not just talk to ourselves. A lot of people read the letters to the editor section in their local paper.

2) The most important thing you should know about letters to the editor is that numbers count. If you can write an incredibly eloquent letter, fantastic! If you can write a decent letter, fantastic, do it! If your letter is not the one chosen to be published, it will still help tip the balance so that that really eloquent letter does get in. Consider making the commitment to write a letter to the editor once a week for the foreseeable future.

1) You have to include your phone number and street address. Editors must confirm that you in fact wrote the letter. Don't worry about privacy. They'll only list your city of residence underneath your name.

2) You need to be relevant to the paper. Try to respond to a news story or editorial that has very recently appeared in the paper. This is your "hook" that will allow you to get your opinion on current events heard.

3) You need to be brief. Most papers won't touch anything over 150 words. (On the other hand a brilliant long letter may have impact on the minds of open-minded editors. Many papers have op-ed sections for longer pieces written by "experts" in the field.)

4) You must show your expertise. Personal experiences are very valued as are academic degrees. Use them if you have them. Otherwise show you know the subject.

5) Try to use facts, not just generalizations/theories.

6) Don't be discouraged if your letter isn't printed. You are helping other letters get printed and over time, as you demonstrate your experience with the subject, your letters will be taken more seriously.

7) You can send slightly modified versions of your letter to the editor to your senators and representative as well as to places such as your religious institution's newsletter. If you take this approach, you can get a lot of bang for your time and effort.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SOME SEATTLE PAPERS

You can write a letter to the editor of virtually any paper including neighborhood papers, religious papers, alternative papers, etc. The idea is to get new audiences to consider your views. You can usually find the contact information for the paper in question on the bottom of the editorial page.

Here follows contact info. for some major Seattle papers:

Seattle Times: You may mail, fax or e-mail your letter to the editor, but letters must include your full name (no initials), home address and daytime and evening telephone numbers(s) for verification.

e-mail: opinion@seattletimes.com

Mail:
Letters Editor
The Seattle Times
P.O. Box 70
Seattle, WA 98111

FAX: (206) 382-6760

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: to enhance the public discussion of issues, the P-I welcomes letters to the editor (maximum 300 words) and contributed essays [Op-ed] (maximum 800 words). Because of the volume, we can publish only some of the pieces we receive, and cannot respond to inquiries about unsolicited material. Everything we publish is subject to editing and must be submitted with full name and address and a daytime telephone number for verification.

E-mail (the best): editpage@seattlepi.com

FAX: 206-448-8184

Mail:
Letters to the Editor (or Op-Ed)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
P.O. Box 1909
Seattle, WA 98111-1909

Seattle Weekly: by submission of a letter, you agree that we may edit the letter and publish and/or license the publication of it in print, electronically, and for archival purposes. Please include name, location, and phone number.

Mail:
Letters
Seattle Weekly
1008 Western Ave
Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98104

FAX: 206-467-4377

e-mail: letters@seattleweekly.com

  SAMPLE LETTER

This is an actual letter sent to the Times. Therefore, please DO NOT copy it! (A borrowed phrase or idea would not be out of order of course.) This is just to give you an idea of the kind of thing you might write.

Letter to the Seattle Times, written on 9/25/01, 285 words (note, this is pushing it length-wise. The shorter, the better.)

Dear Editors:

In his editorial dated 9/25/01, Mr. Dionne admits that in fighting terror with a military response "we will form alliances with unsavory regimes and make decisions that go terribly wrong." He manages to conclude, nevertheless, that "it's a battle that needs to be fought."

It might be apt to point out that one of the unsavory alliances the US saw fit to form in its anti-Soviet campaign was with a young militant named Osama bin Laden. I think it is fair to say that that alliance went terribly, terribly wrong.

More importantly, Mr. Dionne is not asking the right question. Hardly anybody doubts that the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks should be brought to justice. The important questions to be asking are A) Will an attack on Afghanistan help in the struggle to reduce a terrorist threat or, conversely, result in an intensified threat? and B) Are there other possible responses that would be much more effective in securing global security?

In my view, reinforcing the cherished myth of the perpetrators--and indeed many in the Muslim world--that the US is an unjust bully which seeks to destroy them and their way of life will only drive new recruits into the terrorists' arms. It is the myth we should seek to destroy, not the people.

Today a delegation of leaders from the European Union embarked on a five-country tour of nations near Afghanistan. These leaders have very visibly opened their minds, their hearts and their wallets to the people of the Muslim world. Would that the same could be said of our leaders. These, and not reflexive military strikes, are the types of actions that the unraveling of deadly myths are made of.