Letters to the editor

Getting a letter to the editor published is easier than you think. wikiD site moderator PattyMacDaddy is a former editorial writer for a daily newspaper. Here are a couple of tips:

1. Remember your goal. It is not to make you feel better; it is to persuade others to your point of view.

2. Keep it short. Small community newspapers may let you go on and on, but more people read shorter letters. And short, focused opinions are more persuasive in the letters section.

3. Keep it simple. Short sentances. No semi-colons. Write like you are trying to persuade a 12-year-old and want her to be able to understand you.

4. Use your spell checker and if you have a husband or wife hanging around, have him read it for you.

5. If you don't get published, try again. Keep trying.

If you are successful, cut and paste your letter, adding the name of the paper and the date it ran, create your own page under Volunteers/Donars (such as Marjorie's Page) and then past it under the heading "My Letters to the Editor."

Blogging and posting

You're already on line, you might as well sound off, and wikiD is a good place to do it. The comments are a good place to voice opinions and spelling and grammar can be casual. Please watching the language and personal attacks, but good, spirited debate is always welcome. Page content is a little different, but not that much. You can add pages, add to pages, edit pages, add images. It may take a little trial and error, but once you get the hang of it, it's easy. Be a writer! If you have any problems or questions, please don't hesitate to e-mail the site moderator PattyMacDaddy (PattyMac or PMD for short) at PattyMacDaddy1@yahoo.com.

Remember: silence is the voice of complicity!

On the street

This is where it really counts. When someone says they want to go bomb Baghdad to ashes, and when you say, "And then what?" it stops them. If you talk to five people you know to be an independent voter about Democratic issues, it helps. Even if they don't automatically agree with you, they'll think about it. They'll be less susceptible to the screaming rants of the Republicans. The most effective way to do this is by <link>volunteering</link> for a local candidate or for your local county Democratic committee and going door to door identifying friends, foes and other potential contributors and volunteers/activists.

Remember -- when you have an encounter, good or bad, come back to wikiD and share with the rest of us on your Volunteers/Donars page!