Description
In the early days of television, executives had a very primitive — but apparently powerful — way of gauging how the public really felt. They assumed that every letter received by a television station was roughly equivalent to 40,000 letters. That is, they felt that only about 1 in 40,000 people would take the time to write a letter expressing their opinion about any given idea. This makes sense. How many of us would try to contact a TV show or a news organization with a complaint?
With social media, these numbers no longer hold, particularly for tweets or Facebook likes. However, a letter or an email still holds a lot of sway with politicians, many of whom are eager to appease voters. A letter-writing campaign — where you encourage everyone you know to write a letter to your congressional representative — is still effective.
In this unit and the one before it, we have studied, at length, the historical impact of immigration on fair labor practices — from 19th century labor disputes to 21st century temporary labor. We have also studied job security and the impact of a college education on employment opportunities. Which issue resonates with you the most? The treatment of temporary employment among immigrants? DACA? tenure? union strength? the value of a college degree? the plight of essential workers, many of who have no job security or, worse, are temporary employees?
Write a letter, using the template below, to your congressional representative (Links to an external site.), local government official, or Senator (Links to an external site.). Write a letter to President Biden, if you like. In your letter, you will make a convincing argument for the position you hold on the issue you care about most. Be sure to cite details from the texts we studied in this unit.
If you remember only one phrase about writing, let it be this: All good writing includes details. My wife sent me to the grocery store with a list. On it, she wrote a total of four words: lettuce, tomato sauce, plums. When I returned with everything she requested, she said she wanted iceberg lettuce not Romaine, Hunt’s tomato sauce not the generic variety, and black plums instead of red. If I can misinterpret 3 items out of 4 words, think about how many misinterpretations could exist in a letter of 200 words.
As you write your letter, tell your representative what position you take on the issue (sounds like a thesis, right?). Then, in the body of the letter, make a case for your position. Use detailed historical or textual evidence to substantiate the case you wish to make.
I’ve provided a template, but don’t feel you need to use it. This is just one way your letter may be organized.
Rubric
Clarity* 5 points
Explanation and development of ideas 10 points
Implementation of sources we studied 5 points
Total 20 points
* Grammatical mistakes, when compromising my ability to understand precisely what you mean, will result in a point deduction.
(I’ll offer 2 points if you can weave a quotation from Winter’s poem “Job Security” into your letter — and make it sound like it belongs there!)
Your Name
Address (I don’t need your real home address)
City, ST ZIP Code
Telephone Email
Date
Recipient Name
Recipient Company Name
Recipient Address
Dear Recipient Name,
Start with a pleasant opening. You don’t start letters (or emails) with, “Hey, give me this thing I want.” Then, state the purpose of your letter. What position do you hold and wish the congressional representative to know?
Make the first point you wish to make, in simple terms. What is the first reason you think you are correct about your position? What details from our reading — or your own research — substantiate this position?
Make the second point you wish to make, in simple terms. What is the second reason you think you are correct about your position? What details from our reading — or your own research — substantiate this position?
Make the third point you wish to make, in simple terms. What is the third reason you think you are correct about your position? What details from our reading — or your own research — substantiate this position?
End by expressing your appreciation for their time and attention.
Sincerely,
Your Name
