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Op Ed

This page contains information on how to write a letter to the editor, followed by an example of an actual letter to the editor.  Your tutorial starts now!


 

 

Letters to the Editor 101

An easy and free method of influencing potentially hundreds of thousands of people re LGBT civil rights is writing letters to the editor of newspapers and select websites.  With our opposition churning out lies and crass appeals to bigotry, it is important that we balance the public discussion with mature and factual perspectives.

Writing the Letter

Letters should be 200 words or less.  Some venues restrict letters to that length but even if greater size is permitted, readers will more likely read a succinct letter than a lengthy one.  Libel, personal attacks and wild statements must be avoided:  leave that to our opposition.  Keep focused on the topic and work on getting just one or two major ideas across.  Submit only once every two months.  Email is preferred by the newspapers so they need not retype -- and probably make errors.

Sending the Letter

Email your letter to all of the Delaware newspapers, remembering that some Delawareans only read, for example, The Cape Gazette or The Dover Post -- not everybody reads The News Journal.  Email them individually:  newspapers will be much less likely to print your letter if they see all of their competitors in the address line as well. 

 The E-Addresses

Go for it!

Who knows how many Delawareans you will help to enlighten on LGBT issues?  And remember that legislators and other decision-makers read the papers too – you can educate and influence them as well.  Now just do it!

As an example...

June 22, 2010

To the Editor:

Those considering Rep. Michael Castle a moderate Republican learned otherwise when he recently voted against ending “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” Although 79 percent of Americans say gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military (CNN), Castle obeyed his party and voted to continue the discrimination. 

I spoke with him, expressing my disappointment in his partisan vote for bias.  As an independent without party loyalty, I also told him my vote in November will be for his opponent, Chris Coons, who supports ending “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” 

I am an Army veteran myself, having enlisted at 18 during Vietnam.  I served successfully and rose five ranks in three years in the Army Security Agency, a military intelligence organization.  I created top secret materials in an overseas location and was honorably discharged.  I am also gay.

The point  is, I was very willing to serve my country and if necessary, die for it.  And if some 66,000 gay and lesbian personnel now serving are willing to fight and even take a bullet for their country, the least we can do is not require them to lie about themselves or discharge them for being honest.  Mr. Castle doesn’t get this.  Mr. Coons does.

Toward equality,
Douglas Marshall-Steele

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© 2004-2010 Mr. Douglas Marshall-Steele