Subject Letters With I-M-P-A-C-T

From: Kinship Circle

I am preparing presentations for AR 2003, the upcoming national
conference in Washington D.C. I hope to see some of you there!

Since many of you personalize or start from scratch - when sending
letters based upon Kinship Circle sample letters - you might be
interested in the following "nuts-and-bolts" of a successful letter.

Brenda, Kinship Circle

BEAR WITNESS. SPEAK OUT. DEMAND CHANGE. ACT.
Kinship Circle Letters For Animals, Articles & Literature
info@kinshipcircle.org
http://www.KinshipCircle.org

Letters With I-M-P-A-C-T

I--IDENTIFY YOURSELF

Identify why they should care about your concerns.
* Letter to your legislators: "As a registered voter in your
district..."
* Letter to government agencies/officials: "As a taxpayer... or As a
concerned citizen..."
* Letter to a business: "As a consumer... or As a potential
tourist/vacationer..."

If you can, personalize your connection to the animal issue even
more:
"As a mother, I would like to buy your line of diapers, lotions and
ointments, but I do not feel confident using items that are
determined safe in animal tests. Every year over 50 percent of animal-
tested goods are recalled or relabeled due to harmful repercussions
in people..."

In the concluding paragraph, repeat your personal connection to the
issue:
"My family would be pleased to purchase your products and suggest
them to our friends, when your company switches from outmoded animal
tests to tenable non-animal research methods. Thank you for your time
and consideration."

M--MAIN MESSAGE

What is the main message in your letter? Don't merely berate
recipients for alleged animal abuse. Clearly state your CALL TO
ACTION within the first two paragraphs of letter. Always restate the
main message, more succinctly, in your closing paragraph.

* TO DA OR JUDGE IN ANIMAL ABUSE CASE: Prosecuting attorneys CHARGE
offenders and judges SENTENCE or CONVICT them with penalties. Within
the first two paragraphs of your letter, clearly state:
"Please seek the maximum jail sentence and fine, as well as mandatory
psychological counseling. I encourage the district attorney's office
to also request that [defendant's name] be prohibited from owning or
harboring animals under any circumstances..."

* TO LEGISLATORS: Ask them to initiate and/or SUPPORT a pending
animal protection bill OR ask them to OPPOSE a bill's language if it
is detrimental to animals. If a favorable bill is stuck in committee,
ask them to get the bill moved to the floor for a vote. Be very
specific. I.E.:
"As a registered voter in your district, I urgently ask each of you
to oppose any language in H.R. 1588 that shields the military from
environmental laws, particularly the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and
the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The Defense Authorization
bill once again contains military exemptions that threaten America's
federal wildlife protection and environmental laws..."

* TO OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES: Ask them to stop using federal funds
for lethal wildlife management or animal experimentation. (USFWS,
EPA, etc.) I.E.: In a letter to Secretary Ann Veneman, asking the
USDA to enforce the AWA in regard to puppy mills, politely state your
CALL TO ACTION within first paragraph...BEFORE any description of
puppy mills:
"I respectfully request that the USDA enact final regulations to
cover retail and wholesale breeders of hunting, breeding and security
dogs under protections provided by the Animal Welfare Act. Under the
AWA, the USDA has the leverage and duty to ensure that these
animals receive minimal safeguards. Please authorize final
regulations now."

ALWAYS RECAP THE MAIN MESSAGE IN YOUR CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH:

"It is against the law to mistreat animals this way. But USDA's
misinterpretation of the AWA continues to let puppy mills flourish. I
kindly ask the USDA to simply perform its job. Please enforce AWA
provisions for licensing, regulation, and inspection of ALL cat and
dog breeders."

* TO PRIVATE INDUSTRY: Ask them to make it store-wide or industry
policy to ban the animal-abusive practice, SUCH AS: selling fur
items, testing on animals, offering circus tickets as a customer
incentive program, etc. I.E.:
"Over the years, I have found your store to be a reliable source for
merchandise and customer service. While my family and I would like to
purchase your quality goods, we are no longer comfortable shopping at
a store that is one of the largest distributors of fur in the U.S.
We sincerely hope you will join the many ethically responsible
retailers that have implemented a store-wide ban on fur goods."

P--POINT & PROPOSITION

Know the key POINTS of your argument.
When applicable, PROPOSE alternatives to the animal-abusive situation

KNOW YOUR FACTS
Don't make false accusations about what you think might have
happened. Use verified facts from news stories or credible
investigations.

Also, a letter has more impact if you are able to present
alternatives to the animal-abusive situation. For example:

* WHEN WRITING ABOUT VIVISECTION OR PRODUCT TESTING: Suggest viable
non-animal research tools:
"I encourage you to evolve with the most credible, proficient and
humane technologies available. Many research/development facilities
now fulfill study requirements with non-animal research tools,
including in vitro analysis, cell imaging, epidemiology, computer and
mathematical modeling, genetics, clinical research, autopsy/biopsy
studies, and advanced MRI imaging."

* WHEN WRITING ABOUT LETHAL WILDLIFE CONTROL PROGRAMS: Suggest
humane solutions for managing the species in question. Rather than
sharpshoot deer, for example, urge them to:
"Consult university extension services, landscape firms or nurseries
to determine which fence or mesh-netting system best suit a site's
topography and vegetation. Ask them to reduce temptation by lining
property margins with native repellent plants or resistive edge,
vines, flowers and groundcover that the deer find unappetizing." ETC.

* WHEN WRITING ABOUT A DEFENDANT CHARGED WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY: Stress
statistics and studies that show rage against animals as a precursor
to aggressive crimes and violence against humans:
"Numerous studies indicate that a majority of homicidal criminals
unleash their rage on animals before graduating to humans. A U.S.
Department of Justice report identifies this link and criminologists
concur that the intensity of a violent crime--not the identity of the
victim--is the most significant factor in abuse cases...In the
study, "Childhood Cruelty Toward Animals Among Criminals and
Noncriminals," 25% of aggressive criminals confessed to five or more
acts of animal torture..."

* If you are a regular letter writer, I suggest that you save facts
in your computer. Set up files for vivisection, companion animals,
animals in entertainment, animal abuse cases, wild animals and other
categories you write about frequently. Refer to your compiled Fact
Library when writing letters.

A--AVOID MELODRAMA

Yes, you are outraged, distraught and may feel powerless over the
single animal or thousands of animals in distress. Do not use letters
to vent. The legislative aide or office receptionist likely to open
them will not get your point - they'll only get your anger or
perceived irrationality.

* While the person, group or institution you're writing about may be
guilty as all get-out--ACCUSATORY statements or vulgar references do
nothing to help the animals.

* There is a fine line between a strong letter that commands the
reader's attention and an overly emotional rant. In other words, you
want to make the recipient feel SOMETHING - just something other than
wanting to clobber you. In the best-case scenario, your words prompt
them to see the situation through the eyes of the animal.

C--CONTACT INFO

Whether you use a sample letter service such as Kinship Circle, or
research and implement letter campaigns on your own, it is imperative
that the LETTERS REACH THE RIGHT PEOPLE. All the words in the world
won't matter if they don't ultimately reach the decision-makers.

* Use a letter service, such as Kinship Circle, for researched
contact information.

* Use action alerts from many national AR groups--online or via mail--
for accurate contact information.

T--TECHNIQUE

Okay students: Did you pay attention in high school English class?
Correct grammar and spelling are essential. Logical letters that
follow a basic essay setup--with an intro, thesis, conclusion--are
ideal. If you want letters to be taken seriously, you must take
TECHNIQUE seriously.

Everything I learned about writing came from my high school honors
English teacher, Mr. Wehling. Think of your letter as an essay:
* OPEN THE LETTER WITH AN INTRODUCTION--a brief synopsis what has
happened and why you are writing.

* WHAT IS YOUR THESIS? Know and state the main objective for writing
your letter.

* SUPPORT YOUR THESIS WITH CONCISE PARAGRAPHS that each have a clear
topic sentence.

* CONCLUDE your letter by reiterating your thesis. What action needs
to be carried out for the animals at stake?
For example, if writing to a DA to ask for maximum charges in an
animal abuse case, wrap up the letter with a brief repeat of your
CALL TO ACTION:
"The community is at risk when elected officials discount coldblooded
crimes. [Name of defendant]'s heinous crime warrants felony charges
with the maximum jail sentence and fine. Thank you for your
conscientious action in this case."

TECHNIQUE CHECKLIST:
* Use CORRECT GRAMMAR.

* Use SPELL CHECK. If still not sure, use a dictionary.

* DO NOT RAMBLE. I personally believe letters should fit into a
single-page format, on the front side of an 8-1/2" x 11" standard
letter-size sheet. Recipients will lose the point of your letter if
it goes on and on and on. In some cases, you may wish to enclose a
fact sheet to support your argument. This should be entirely separate
from the main letter.

* Write in SHORT PARAGRAPHS. Giant blocks of run-on text are
intimidating. Think like a journalist: Concise, small paragraphs.

* Use the STANDARD LETTER SETUP, (even when emailing letters) with
the recipient's name/address in the upper lefthand corner, followed
by the salutation and body of letter. Always sign letters, with your
full name and address. You may wish to include your phone number and
email address as well.

* PUT A STAMP ON IT. While it is always easier to email letters,
postal letters still garner the most attention and feedback. Whenever
possible, especially to government officials, send hard-copy versions
of letters through the standard mail. Faxing is second on the "impact
heirarchcy." Of course emailed comments are absolutely better than NO
comments. Whatever your venue, keep talking. Be heard. The animals
need you.

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Jun 8, 2003