Writing letters to the editor is usually an exercise in quick response. You read a story, and you respond immediately. I'm in the library from which I get on the 'Net every other day, at best. If I read a newspaper story after I've used my time that day, it's two days before I can send in a LTE. The House Republicans, however, are making our job easier. They are going to vote on repealing the ACA on Wednesday, 11 July.
So, I'll have my LTE for Thursday ready to go. How about yours?
Here's a draft after the jump:
Several years ago, the country was shocked by the story of a woman who had paid health insurance for years. She developed breast cancer, and the insurance company canceled her policy on the grounds that she had suffered from teen-age acne, and that was a pre-existing condition. Congress outlawed that practice. Yesterday, Congressman Dold voted to repeal the law which prevents such actions. If he prevails, his constituents will have health insurance only until they REALLY need it.
Now, the ACA has many provisions. Most of them are popular, many highly popular. The mandate is not so popular. (And the Republicans have done a masterful job of framing so that "Obamacare" is as unpopular as the least popular provision, but that's another subject.) There is a place to explain that:
1 Dold and the other Republicans voted to repeal the entire bill.
2 That repeals every provision.
3 The way to get rid of
some provisions is to amend the bill, not to repeal it.
There is a place to explain that, but that place is
not in a LTE.
Dold, and nearly every other Republican, will vote to repeal the bill, and that will be a vote to repeal each and every provision of the bill.
Choose one popular provision,
Choose your target member of Congress.
Choose which publication you're going to send your letter to.
Write your LTE.
Wait for the vote.
Check here that your target did vote for the repeal.
Send your LTE.
Another point that would be useful as the sole point of a LTE is that your target congressman is voting to reopen the entire issue. (Really, of course, they would put repeal on the front burner and replace on the never-never, but they're claiming to be reopening the entire issue.) We went through that in '09. Do we really want to go through it again?
If you live in a district which sent a Republican to the House, then your target is clear. If, like me, you're represented by a Democrat, then choosing the target requires a little thought.
Look guys, they're grandstanding for their donors. Make them pay a price with their voters.
It would be perfectly fair to write of "the Republicans" promoting insurance companies kicking people off their insurance because they really need it. I think it is more effective to write about a particular Republican doing that. I am not, however, in your situation. If you think that your situation -- or your choice of publication -- calls for an attack on "the Republicans," go right ahead.
Come back after you've written a LTE and add your comment that you have.