Letters Needed: Write Away for Turkeys

By Jasmin

 
Remember the old days, before the Internet, when people used to write letters? Nowadays, it seems that long-hand has been overtaken by short, hurried e-mails – often full of codes and abbreviations (which, truth be told, I can rarely decipher). One way of bridging the retro thoughtfulness of the letter-writing of yesteryear with today’s information craze is by submitting a letter to the editor (LTE). The impact that an LTE carries with it can be Herculean; remember, the letter section of your paper is the most-read section aside from the front page.

With Thanksgiving just a gobble away, there’s no time like the present for writing a letter for a turkey (or for the more than 46 million turkeys who are killed each year for Thanksgiving alone). If you see an article featuring turkey recipes, why not send an LTE suggesting that people include some compassionate vegan items on their menu this year? Be sure to include some facts about turkey production. If there are news stories covering the Thanksgiving sale at that huge department store in your area, why not send a letter suggesting that people instead spend their money on sponsoring rescued turkeys as gifts for friends and family, since the true point of Thanksgiving is intended to be all about “giving” and “spreading thanks.” With such a staggering amount of turkeys exploited and killed for Thanksgiving each year, that’s a sad irony. But by offering a compassionate alternative, we can exemplify the spirit of the holiday in a positive way.

Our Letters for the Turkeys page provides you with clear guidelines and tips for writing your LTE, as well as outlining some talking points for turkeys.

Even if your letter doesn’t get published, you’ve still succeeded in making hay. The more letters a paper receives on a particular subject, the more likely the editor is to publish one in the future. Plus, you’re also giving the editors ideas for possible stories, so write away right away!

Comments

[Dorothy]

Great idea Jasmin! It's something so simple yet effectual! I'm actually disheartened by reading my subscriptions this time of the year because they have so little vegetarian let alone vegan options. (obviously Vegetraian Times had a lot of great articles including what to do when you hit a crossroads at that holiday dinner and how to handle it)I think publications should be aware enough to consider adding in something even for veg guests at the holiday table and even to have the gusto to go beyond just sides. Thanks again this is something I will definately do!

[Catherine]

Great idea, Jasmin! In addition, with so much news content now online and often a space for user comments, readers can also go straight to the newspaper's web site to chime in for compassion. One can educate about the horrors of factory farming, and link to easy-to-make vegan recipes.
http://www.adoptaturkey.org/aat/recipes/

Have a happy and humane Thanksgiving!

PS- My turkey Rhonda arrived. I love her!

[kris]

acronyms :)

I'll submit an article to my independent hometown paper - they are usually willing to print entire articles written by residents!