10,000 Against Torture
At the start of 2010, all eyes will be on the Obama administration to see how it will re-affirm its commitment to closing Guantanamo and upholding justice in the face of terror.
Show your continued commitment to the America you believe in–an America that leads the world on human rights–by clicking the counter to join our 10,000 Against Torture campaign.
Now more than ever we need you to be a voice of conscience.
Please join us over the next several weeks as we race to stand 10,000 strong against torture. When we reach our goal, we'll send the White House a special reminder about the importance of getting America on track to a country that respects the rule of law and rejects torture.
Action for Week 1:
Write a letter to the editorPlease send an email to one of the papers below or consult your local paper for instructions if your's isn't listed. National PapersNew York Times
New York, NY
letters@nytimes.com
The Washington Post
Washington, DC
letters@washpost.com
USA Today
McLean, VA
letters@usatoday.com
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles, CA
letters@latimes.com
Wall Street Journal
New York, NY
wsj.ltrs@wsj.com
Please Let us know
It helps us a great deal in our work to know if you've sent a letter or gotten it published. Please fill out the form to let us know that you've participated.
| Talking Points
- As of January 11, 2010, the infamous Guantanamo detention facility will have been open for 8 years.
- The Obama administration will not close Guantanamo by its self-imposed January 22nd deadline, meaning that the U.S. will continue its practice of indefinite detention and unfair military commissions.
- Over 100 Guantanamo detainees – including many from Yemen – have already been screened and cleared for release. Their prolonged and indefinite detention is a violation of the rule of law.
Letter-writing TipsTo significantly increase the chances that your letter is printed, please keep the following points in mind:
- Make it your own. Use these talking points as a guide, but put your letter in your own words. Try to frame your letter as a response to a recent article, editorial, or event covered by your newspaper.
- Keep it short. Check your newspaper's website for guidelines on word count; bear in mind that most newspapers will only accept letters of 150-200 words.
- Pick one angle: You likely have many reasons for believing what you are advocating for, but you only have 250 words to tell your side of the story. Pick just one reason and tailor the LTE to fit that choice.
- Make sure to give your contact details, including phone number. (Phone numbers will not be published; editors generally call authors to confirm the validity of the letter before publishing.)
- Because so many newspapers are closing in this economy, some of our information may not be up to date resulting in your email being returned to you as undeliverable. You may want to save a copy of your letter and try again with another newspaper. If you are cutting and pasting from MS Word please save the file as plain text because some special Microsoft characters may not be converted correctly when being emailed.
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