GSP
04-08-2002, 07:09 PM
I would like to make post that contains something more powerful than any longbow, compound, 12-gauge, 30-06, Bluetick or #2 double-coil.
It is a "how to" letter written by Ben Hall, Editor of the Kentucky Sportsman. This is the most powerful tool that we as sportsmen have.
The anti's use it every day. I ask everyone to please print this and use it. Make it a goal to write and remember e-mail works as well as a pen. Writing letters that voice your opinion are not viewed on quality; it is all about quantity of letters stating facts.
Fellows I know I usually talk too much, but this is one worth reading and using.
The future is in our hands,
Thanks Ben,
Rick Allen-GSP
From The Kentucky Sportsman, January-March, 2002
Editor’s column
‘I should write a letter to the editor’
By Ben Hall
Editor
Very often, the League or some other organization will ask you to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, or, maybe you see something printed that you think demands a response. Heaven knows, with all the anti-hunting and anti-Second Amendment material abroad it isn’t hard to get upset on your own and feel a need to be heard.
Letters to the editor sections are among the most widely read sections of most newspapers and the writer can reach a wide audience via this means. But not every letter that is submitted gets printed and usually because the writer violated one or more of a few simple rules.
To make your letters more likely to show up in print and to make your point most effectively, keep these points in mind.
Know the paper’s rules for letters. Most papers print these rules on the editorial or op-ed page periodically, but you can always call and ask about maximum length and other rules, which the paper imposes.
Don’t write anything that is “libelous, slanderous, or inflammatory” if you want to see your piece in print. If you accuse somebody of illegal or immoral acts or call for a mob to gather and burn the courthouse, forget it.
If you are referring to something that appeared in the paper, refer to it by headline and date immediately in the letter. “The Post story headed ‘Horse falls down well, February 23, 2002….’”
If the story or a previous letter to the editor contains misinformation, don’t repeat it and give it wider circulation. “Contrary to the writer’s claim, sportsmen are not asking for a 12-month bow season on chickadees,” NOT “The writer says that sportsmen want a 12-month bow season on chickadees, but they don’t.”
It is preferable to type your letter double spaced, although a hand written letter is OK as long as it is legible. Always sign the letter: No responsible newspaper prints anonymous letters. Always include your phone numbers so that the paper can verify that you actually wrote the letter.
Keep it as short as possible, and always within the word limit set by the paper. Avoid colorful words such as “moronic,” “stupid,” “idiotic,” and “absurd,” when referring to the original idea or writer, although any or all may apply to either or both. Be restrained and don’t overstate your case.
Be certain that any facts and figures you use are correct; otherwise, you are doing your cause more harm than good.
Today it is usually possible to send a letter to the editor by fax or e-mail. Faxes are usually acceptable by most papers, but many editors will not open attachments to e-mails from unknown writers for fear of viruses. Put the copy in the body of the e-mail.
After you have sent your letter, if you hear nothing in a week or so, you may want to phone and ask if it has been received. Don’t begin with “Whyinell haven’t you printed my letter?”
If you are upset by something that appears in a newspaper, consider writing a letter-to-the-editor response. Don’t call up the editor yelling and canceling your subscription. The editor may be yell-proof (or may yell back expertly) and papers don’t make their living on subscriptions anyway. And, finally,
Don’t get into a lengthy duel with another letter writer; you’ll bore everybody to death and serve nobody’s cause. Above all, don’t get in a protracted exchange with the editor he buys ink by the barrel.
It is a "how to" letter written by Ben Hall, Editor of the Kentucky Sportsman. This is the most powerful tool that we as sportsmen have.
The anti's use it every day. I ask everyone to please print this and use it. Make it a goal to write and remember e-mail works as well as a pen. Writing letters that voice your opinion are not viewed on quality; it is all about quantity of letters stating facts.
Fellows I know I usually talk too much, but this is one worth reading and using.
The future is in our hands,
Thanks Ben,
Rick Allen-GSP
From The Kentucky Sportsman, January-March, 2002
Editor’s column
‘I should write a letter to the editor’
By Ben Hall
Editor
Very often, the League or some other organization will ask you to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, or, maybe you see something printed that you think demands a response. Heaven knows, with all the anti-hunting and anti-Second Amendment material abroad it isn’t hard to get upset on your own and feel a need to be heard.
Letters to the editor sections are among the most widely read sections of most newspapers and the writer can reach a wide audience via this means. But not every letter that is submitted gets printed and usually because the writer violated one or more of a few simple rules.
To make your letters more likely to show up in print and to make your point most effectively, keep these points in mind.
Know the paper’s rules for letters. Most papers print these rules on the editorial or op-ed page periodically, but you can always call and ask about maximum length and other rules, which the paper imposes.
Don’t write anything that is “libelous, slanderous, or inflammatory” if you want to see your piece in print. If you accuse somebody of illegal or immoral acts or call for a mob to gather and burn the courthouse, forget it.
If you are referring to something that appeared in the paper, refer to it by headline and date immediately in the letter. “The Post story headed ‘Horse falls down well, February 23, 2002….’”
If the story or a previous letter to the editor contains misinformation, don’t repeat it and give it wider circulation. “Contrary to the writer’s claim, sportsmen are not asking for a 12-month bow season on chickadees,” NOT “The writer says that sportsmen want a 12-month bow season on chickadees, but they don’t.”
It is preferable to type your letter double spaced, although a hand written letter is OK as long as it is legible. Always sign the letter: No responsible newspaper prints anonymous letters. Always include your phone numbers so that the paper can verify that you actually wrote the letter.
Keep it as short as possible, and always within the word limit set by the paper. Avoid colorful words such as “moronic,” “stupid,” “idiotic,” and “absurd,” when referring to the original idea or writer, although any or all may apply to either or both. Be restrained and don’t overstate your case.
Be certain that any facts and figures you use are correct; otherwise, you are doing your cause more harm than good.
Today it is usually possible to send a letter to the editor by fax or e-mail. Faxes are usually acceptable by most papers, but many editors will not open attachments to e-mails from unknown writers for fear of viruses. Put the copy in the body of the e-mail.
After you have sent your letter, if you hear nothing in a week or so, you may want to phone and ask if it has been received. Don’t begin with “Whyinell haven’t you printed my letter?”
If you are upset by something that appears in a newspaper, consider writing a letter-to-the-editor response. Don’t call up the editor yelling and canceling your subscription. The editor may be yell-proof (or may yell back expertly) and papers don’t make their living on subscriptions anyway. And, finally,
Don’t get into a lengthy duel with another letter writer; you’ll bore everybody to death and serve nobody’s cause. Above all, don’t get in a protracted exchange with the editor he buys ink by the barrel.