Write Op-Eds & Letters to the Editor: Samples
Opinion pieces and Letters to the Editor may seem old-fashioned, but they are in fact an excellent way to reach out to your community and Congressional leadership to show what issues really matter to you and the constituents. Here, find templates for an Op-Ed and for a Letter to the Editor, provided by the Children's Leadership Council, that will give you a good start to writing your own.
Op-Ed Template
If political leaders in Washington take revenues off the table as they haggle over how to fix the nation’s debt and budget crises, children and families are the ones who will suffer. Although the one thing all parties agree on is that our children didn’t cause the problem, many of the options under consideration would make kids one of the biggest victims of the budget stalemate.
Draconian cuts have been proposed to health care, education and nutrition programs like Head Start, school lunch programs, special education, children’s hunger relief and child care assistance for low income parents.
These federal cuts are amplified at the local level, as nearly every state grapples with its own deficit. In Illinois, for example, which faces a deficit of $8.3 billion, more than 18,000 seats for children have been cut from preschools in the past two years. According to a recent Sun-Times editorial, the state budget “inflicts much pain” – mostly on children and families in need.
The cuts represent the same kind of short-sighted thinking that got us into this mess. Over time these cuts will cost far more than they might save by requiring far more intensive health care, social services and even criminal justice interventions down the line.
They would also create a poorer, sicker and less educated population that makes our country weaker and less competitive.
Cuts like these would only exacerbate the already weak condition of America’s children. Our nation ranks 34th out of 43 industrialized nations on Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers report, which measures infant mortality, health care, poverty rates, and educational opportunity, among other factors.
The United States lags other developed countries in academic achievement. According to an annual CIA ranking, 45 nations report better infant mortality rates than we do. In the richest country in the world, one-quarter of American children face periods when they don’t have enough food.
But it isn’t inevitable that these tragedies will get even worse. Resolving the debt and budget crises must include reasonable revenue measures and spending reductions that protect essential services for children and families. It will require prioritizing our children’s welfare over continuing tax breaks for the wealthy.
It is simply unconscionable that Congress is considering retaining tax breaks for corporate jets when the future of America’s children hangs in the balance.
Incredibly, the government stalemate appears headed for a final showdown as the debt ceiling deadline approaches August 2. The partisan nature of this political brinksmanship was evident July 13 when a “Sense of the Senate” resolution asking that millionaires share in the cost of deficit reduction was defeated 51-49 along party lines.
One option being considered would include a total of $4.3 trillion in federal budget cuts over the next decade. But just eliminating tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans would save $4.2 trillion over the same period.
The nation’s budget is a reflection of our values. Even if we put aside the emotions like compassion and empathy that are the essence of our humanity, enlightened self-interest dictates that we should invest in children to strengthen America.
Letter to the Editor template
To the Editor:
As the debate continues over whether the United States should solve its debt and budget crises with revenue enhancements, spending cuts or a combination of the two, our leaders should stop to ask themselves a simple question: Which approach makes (STATE) and America stronger?
Draconian cuts that have been proposed to programs that protect children and families represent the same short-sighted thinking that got us into this mess. Just as politicians couldn’t resist the temptation to borrow a little more rather than make hard decisions about our budget problems, these cuts would cost far more over time than they save in the short run by requiring more intensive health care, social service and even criminal justice interventions down the line.
They would also create a poorer, sicker and less educated population that makes our country weaker and less competitive.
There is a better option and it’s called enlightened self-interest. By reaching an agreement that includes reasonable revenue measures and spending reductions that protect essential services for children and families, our leaders can put the country’s fiscal house in order and preserve the future. Resisting the temptation to slash health care, education and nutrition programs that allow countless children to grow up to be productive citizens would enhance both American democracy and our nation’s competitiveness.
Want to learn more about Letters to the Editor? Read about how they've been making a difference for Pell Grant advocates. Also find more about improving communications and advocating effectively on SparkAction's Communications page.
The Children’s Leadership Council is a coalition of child advocates representing over 50 leading national policy and advocacy organizations who are working everyday to improve the health, education and well-being of children and youth in order to prepare them for school, work, and life. The CLC organizations have members in every state in the nation. The Forum for Youth Investment and SparkAction are proud members of the CLC.
