Letters to the Editor: It’s easier than you think!

Letters to the editor are a very important tool for helping to shape political views in a local electorate.

Besides being able to reach large audiences, they are often monitored by your elected officials. They are

also important in that they can bring up issues and information discussed news articles and can create

an impression of large support for or opposition to an issue. (Source:

https://www.aclu.org/other/letters-editor- how-write- them-and- why-they- work )

McHenry Action Group is a group of concerned citizens interested in working on writing letters to the

editor for the purpose of getting relevant information on current issues in the paper. We would like to

focus on well written letters that are written in a way to allow people who think differently than us to be

open minded and receptive. We would like to focus on

1. Issues important to progressives. Letters of advocacy for issues that are important to you.
2. Issues that draw attention to Representative Hultgren.
3. Rebuttals to inaccurate letters.
4. How to respond on the Comment section to be effective.

Our goal is to:

1. Let people know there is a progressive presence in McHenry County by submitting a letter a dayto the editor of a progressive nature, advocating progressive issues and or rebutting inaccurate letters. We will also submit letters to raise awareness of current issues and political positions.
2. Interact with people that think differently than us
3. Provide good information
4. Eventually elect someone other than Randy Hultgren

Our method is:

1. To have at least 30 people willing to submit a letter every 30 days which would give us aconsistent presence.
2. A website where we can share info and help each other with letters
3. Use proven methods of writing that create open mindedness on issues. These methods will beresearch based.
4. Have someone monitor the comment section and Rep. Hultgren’s website.

How you can participate:

Our workshop on June 3rd from 11-1 at the McHenry Public Library will be focused on the latest

research on how and why people are becoming more polarized and how to communicate with people

from different sides of the spectrum. Should be interesting and fun.

We will try and use good sources of information and write in a way that allows people with differing

views to think about the issues in an open way. We will also save time to discuss which issues we think

are the most important.

If you are unable to attend, simple guides for writing letters to the editor can be found here:

https://www.aclu.org/other/letters-editor- how-write- them-and- why-they- work

http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of- contents/advocacy/direct-action/letters- to-editor/main

http://www.nea.org/home/19683.htm

http://www.ucsusa.org/action/writing-an- lte.html#.WSwlxmjyvtQ

For further information about McHenry Action Group or letters to the editor, please contact Jeff Varda

through IndivisibleIL14@gmail.com. We would love it if you could join us. WE NEED YOU