On Valentine’s Day, in classrooms around the country, children are instructed to inscribe affectionate words on pink heart-shaped cards and deliver them to a prescribed group of people they know.
Letters to elected officials can play a role in impacting policy and shifting lawmakers’ perceptions of what their “base” believes — even when they’re written by those of us who recognize the stark limits of electoral politics and tend to operate in more grassroots arenas. This applies to local, state and federal officials alike.
“Be clear in the text of the letter about what the problem is, how it impacts your community, what’s your proposed solution and what are your supporting details,” El-Tayyab said. “Be concise with your language and make sure to delete any words and sentences that are not essential to support your key arguments. Less is more!”
Following up after sending a letter matters too, El-Tayyab says. It often makes sense to ask for a meeting with our representatives or officials after delivering a letter. Sending a copy of it to the press can also be a useful move, to maximize its impact and uplift its message in the public eye. “Clemency is a political process, and so letters in support of a person’s release can be very helpful,” Rachel White-Domain, director of the Women & Survivors Project Illinois Prison Project, told me. White-Domain has filed many clemency petitions on behalf of incarcerated survivors of gender-based violence.
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