Letters to the Editor

The letters below are available for ADA members to submit to their local papers. Simply select the letter you want to send, fill in your zip code and ADA's system will ask you to which of your local papers you wish to send the letter.

You will be able to customize the letter however you wish and we encourage you to do so. Local papers are much more likely to run your letter if you relate it to a recent story or issue of concern to your community.

Fill in the information required by the paper and click send. It's that easy!

Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

I want to applaud President Obama for calling for the repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which has resulted in the removal of more than 11,000 members of the Nation’s armed forces since its inception.

I want to applaud Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen who have stated their support for eliminating this policy.

I want to applaud our nation, the United States of America for promoting tolerance and diversity. Everyone acknowledges that there are lesbian and gay members of the armed services who are currently serving, and doing so with distinction.... (continue reading)

Continue reading & send this letter to your local paper!

Putting the Youth Back to Work

Over 28 million people are looking for work. We’re reaching levels of unemployment for some demographic that have not been seen since the Great Depression. For the youth of our nation, those just entering the work force, it is a very depressing situation. Close to twenty percent of 16- 24 year olds cannot find a job.

These numbers are staggering; as we prepare for 2010 there needs to be a clear call for direct job creation by the Federal government. The youth of this nation can not wait for bail out money to trickle down from Wall St. and the Big Banks.

Help send them back to work by sending this Letter to the Editor to your local paper!

14,000 People A Day Lose Health Care Insurance

A recent study shows that 14,000 people a day are losing their health care coverage. 14,000 people a day! While some Members of Congress are wasting time and playing politics, real people are experiencing real pain.

The numbers are staggering; as the only industrialized country that does not have a national health care system, we are ranked #1 in cost, 37th in overall performance, 42nd in life expectancy and 72nd by overall level of health. We don’t have time to waste. We need to change from a national where 14,000 people a day lose coverage to a nation with quality affordable health care for all of our citizens. Including today’s 14,000.

Stand up for today's 14,000-- send this letter now!

LGBT Community Needs Allies to Fight for Equality

At the 1963 March on Washington, Dr. King gave his historic “I have a Dream” speech. Another one of the speakers that day was Walter Reuther, President of the United Auto Workers and one of the founders of Americans for Democratic Action. Not a civil rights leader, but a labor leader, he helped to integrate the struggle for civil rights for this country.

The civil rights movement has always had heroes like Walter Reuther who stood up for other people. Today, Americans for Democratic Action is also standing up for others by joining the battle for marriage equality. Opposition to discrimination is part of our history. The dividing line in marriage should be the age of consent, meaning that it should be limited to adults. Discrimination, whether by race, religion, or sexual orientation should not be permitted. In fact, state-sanctioned discrimination that prohibits marriage based on sexual orientation has been found to be unconstitutional in many states, and many of us believe that it is inconsistent with the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.

Arguments against marriage equality are reminiscent of the same arguments 60 years ago against racial integration. Once again, Americans of faith and good conscience will stand shoulder to shoulder with those facing discrimination and demand justice. Not just for ourselves, but justice for all.

Come out to your community as an advocate for equality with this letter to your local paper.

Employee Free Choice Act

If the government is serious about helping average working Americans get through the current economic crisis, the first thing they should do is pass the Employee Free Choice Act. The current system for forming a union is broken and allows businesses to easily deny workers the freedom to collectively bargain. For evidence of the arduous process, one only has to look at the more than 35% decline in union membership since the 1950s.

Much of the trouble in our economy can be traced to stagnant wages, Americans just can’t afford to buy things anymore. Union workers, however, earn 30% more than their non-union counterparts and are more likely to have employer paid health care and pensions. The solution to this crisis is not to make things harder for millions of American workers by encouraging wage and benefit cuts, but rather make the union job standard of living the goal. Put money in the pockets of people who will spend it. Passage of EFCA would do just that.

Want to send this letter on EFCA? Click here and follow the instructions.

TRADE Act

In recent years, the trade model promoted by the U.S. government is one designed to ensure profit for corporate investors while exploiting workers and facilitating the movement of jobs to locations where wages are lowest and environmental laws weakest. The Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment (TRADE) Act is the right bill that addresses these urgent problems while leading us on a new and positive path for trade.

We urge you to make use of the model letter here, with any changes you choose to make, to write your Representative or Senator, asking him or her to be a co-sponsor of the bill.

Want to send this letter on the TRADE Act? Click here and follow the instructions.

Family Leave Insurance Act

At this time of economic crisis it is imperative that Congress pass the Family Leave Insurance Act, an addition to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993.

The FMLA was passed so that eligible workers across the country could take time off from their jobs to take care of the health of themselves and their loved ones, without fear of repercussions or job loss. While the bill helped millions of workers balance family and work, the Bill’s guarantee of only unpaid leave left 78% of the workforce (according to a 2000 survey) afraid or incapable of taking leave. The Family Leave Insurance Act would allow eligible employees to take 12 weeks of paid leave annually, and help employers by increasing productivity and loyalty.

I encourage others to stand in support of the Family Leave Insurance Act, and to persuade our elected leaders to follow suit, so that we may all reap the benefits of a safe, secure and healthy workforce.

Send this letter on the Family Leave Insurance Act by clicking here.

Tips for Writing Letters to the Editor (LTE)

Check your local paper's LTE Guidelines
Your LTE should respond to a recent letter, editorial or article you read in the paper
Be concise, most papers limit LTEs to 150-250
Open your LTE with a strong statement explaining why you are writing - it could be to point out an error, add facts or oppose a position
Use statistics, evidence and citations to support your argument
Avoid personal attacks
Try to relate your LTE to a local issue, editors are more likely to publish letters that deal with issues affecting their readers
Close with a statement you want the reader to remember

Contest!

ADA members are a persuasive crowd. Now, you can reach a national audience! Each month ADA will feature a letter to the editor written by an ADA member that other members can submit to their local papers using ADA's system. The topic must be of national importance, current and should follow all the guidelines mentioned above. In addition to having your letter featured here, winners will receive a commemorative ADA Inauguration Day 2009 canvas bag.

Submit your entries to letters@adaction.org.