Lesson 25
You're almost done with this online class! I know you're really sad about that.
For this lesson/assignment I want you to write to your Congressman. This can be either your representative in the House of Representatives, or one of our 2 Utah Senators.
Utah has 4 representatives in the House of Representatives and they each cover a different area of Utah:
For this lesson/assignment I want you to write to your Congressman. This can be either your representative in the House of Representatives, or one of our 2 Utah Senators.
Utah has 4 representatives in the House of Representatives and they each cover a different area of Utah:
And here are the 2 Utah Senators that represent the entire state:
All of this information can be found on this webstie: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/UT
For the assignment I want you to write a letter to your Congressmen about an issue you feel passionate about. If you don't already have an issue in mind here are a few ideas of issues to research:
-Affirmative Action
-Ageism -HIV/AIDS -Alcohol Abuse -Airline Problems -Anti-Muslim Discrimination and Violence -Automobile and Highway Safety - Capital Punishment -Child Abuse and Sexual Molestation -Child Labor -Church State Separation -Civil Rights Movements -Corporate Crime -Defense and Security Issues -Divorce and Child Support -Domestic Violence -Rights of Disabled Persons -Eating Disorders -Euthanasia -Environmental Issues, Wildlife, and Extincting Species -Food Safety and Drug Safety -Gambling -Global Warming - Gay and Lesbian Rights -Public Health Care Reform -Homelessness -Housing Costs -Human Trafficking -Illegal Immigration -Identity Theft -Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights -Juvenile Crime Justice |
-Juvenile Reform
-Journalistic Reform -Media Bias -Media, Sex, and Violence -Mental Illness -Natural Disaster and Disaster Relief -Nuclear Energy, Power, and Waste -Obesity -Organ and Tissue Transplant -Organized Crime -Psychological Health -Pornography -Prostitution -Racism -Recycling and Water Conservation -Reproductive Rights and Technology -Scientific Research Ethics -Sex Education -Sexual Harassment -Single Parenting -Stem Cell Research -Suicide -Terrorism -Toxic Waste -Unemployment -Voting Issues -Waste Management -Women's Rights |
Download the document below for a form you can fill out to write your letter. Your representative has an e-mail address that you can send the letter to when you're done... if you send the letter and get a response I'll give you extra credit.
letter_to_congressman_assignment_(2).odt | |
File Size: | 18 kb |
File Type: | odt |
Tips on writing your letter
Senators and Representatives pay attention to their mail (both regular and e-mail). It's good politics. Responding to mail is crucial to reelection. Members know your vote can be won or lost by their response. The most effective letter is a personal one, not a form letter. The letter should be short, informed and polite. Some specific tips:
Senators and Representatives pay attention to their mail (both regular and e-mail). It's good politics. Responding to mail is crucial to reelection. Members know your vote can be won or lost by their response. The most effective letter is a personal one, not a form letter. The letter should be short, informed and polite. Some specific tips:
- Try to stick to one typed page or less; two pages at most.
- In a short paragraph, state your purpose. Stick with one subject or issue. Support your position with the rest of the letter.
- If the subject of your letter is a bill, cite it by name and number.
- Be factual and support your position with information about how legislation is likely to affect you and others. Avoid emotional, philosophical arguments.
- If you believe legislation is wrong and should be opposed, say so. Indicate the likely bad effects, and suggest a different approach.
- Ask for the legislator's views, but do not demand support. Remember, Senators and Representatives respond to a variety of views, and even if they do not support you position on one issue or bill, they may support it the next time.
Assignment 25
So you should have all the tools you need to write your Congressman (Again, you can choose your House Representative depending on what District you live in, or one of our two Utah Senators). Fill out the template you just downloaded, you're writing to your Congressman about an issue that you feel strongly about. Once it's filled out you can upload the document to the submission box and turn it in.
Each Congressman has an e-mail address, so you can copy the letter you just wrote and actually e-mail it to your Congressman. They want to please the people they represent, so if you send them your letter they'll reply to you. If you send me a copy of their reply I'll give you extra credit on this assignment.
Each Congressman has an e-mail address, so you can copy the letter you just wrote and actually e-mail it to your Congressman. They want to please the people they represent, so if you send them your letter they'll reply to you. If you send me a copy of their reply I'll give you extra credit on this assignment.