Write Letters

I used to offer sample letters for people to use when writing to their legislators. Not anymore. And I strongly urge you to avoid using a sample letter or form letter to contact your elected officials. Why?

  • A recent Gallup Poll found that over 70% of all lawmakers said they pay a great deal of attention to personally written letters, while only 19% pay great attention to form letters.
  • Elected officials believe that similar-sounding letters come from lobby groups engaging in pressure campaigns. If your letter sounds like it’s been copied, you get lumped in with the “radicals.”
  • Form letters are quick and easy—and elected officials know it. They aren’t going to believe that you are genuinely concerned about the issue if you don’t take the time to write your own letter.

Here are some quick tips for writing an effective letter to your elected officials. The actual words are up to you, but even if you don’t think you’re a very good writer, don’t freak out! Just do your best, be polite, and touch on what you feel are the most important points. Your personal attention and effort will count much more than any textbook form letter.

YES

  • Be polite and respectful.
  • Address your elected official properly. For senators and representatives, “The Honorable” precedes the name on an envelope, and the letter starts with “Dear Senator…” or “Dear Representative…” If you aren’t sure, do a Google search.
  • Your first sentence should hit the main point of your letter. “I am writing to ask you to vote against HB 2304.” “Please make the community a safer place by supporting non-breed-specific dog legislation.”
  • Explain who you are, whether you are a constituent, and how the legislation would affect you. Include your contact information.
  • Keep your argument brief. With a few exceptions, letters should be short (one page long) and to the point.
  • Choose a few most important points to make and forget about the rest. Don’t worry about not covering everything—any points that you can’t fit into your letter will probably be hit on by someone else.
  • Check this page for a summary of arguments against BSL to use/avoid.
  • Cite facts and examples to support your argument. Make sure what you’re saying is factual—find reliable sources for any facts you provide.
  • Provide non-breed-specific alternatives to BSL.
  • Say “thank you for your consideration” or “thank you for your assistance” at the close of the letter.

NO

  • Don’t send a form letter or a barely-altered sample letter.
  • Don’t be rude, threatening, insulting, etc. Do not name-call. This will backfire—in some cases, very badly.
  • You do not need to mention that you are “a taxpayer and a citizen.” It sounds aggressive and arrogant, and besides, the elected official probably assumes as much already.
  • Do not issue an ultimatum (also known as the “or else” statement). In other words, do not say “Vote against this or else I won’t vote for you.”
  • Don’t send additional material. But do offer to send additional material upon request.
  • If you own a targeted breed and you are addressing an official who has proposed BSL or who has voiced negative opinions about that breed, I advise you to avoid mentioning your dog’s breed. You may say you are a dog owner, or you might say you are a constituent who would be negatively affected by BSL. Pit bull owners, in particular, have to overcome a very strong negative stereotype. Certain legislators have publicly stated that they consider owners of targeted breeds to be “crazy” to own “ticking time bombs.” They have scoffed at input from “rabid pit bull lovers.” It will be easier to make a persuasive argument if you do not mention your dog’s breed; this prevents the legislator from making a snap judgment about your sanity or intelligence.
  • If the legislator sends you a response (this is rare, but does happen), you do not need to write again unless the legislator is requesting additional information.
  • If you don’t get a response from an elected official, don’t take it personally. This is normal. They get a great deal of correspondence and they don’t have enough time to reply to all of it. You can make a follow-up call to the official if you feel it is necessary.

More Links

For more tips, check out these various advocacy and government sites and see what they advise their members and supporters to do. (Note: Some tips may not apply to you because they are aimed at a specific audience and deal with a different issue.)

http://www.lakecountyfn.org/lc-lwv/contact.html#effective

http://www.ucsusa.org/ucsaction/writing-letters.html

http://www.cra.org/govaffairs/advocacy/writecong.html

Next Page: What (Not) To Say

Previous Page: Contact Your Lawmakers