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1) LETTER ON AN ISSUE Assignment

Write a letter to your legislator on a justice issue that you feel strongly about. In your letter explain the issue and your position on it in detail. Describe the action(s) that you would recommend to resolve this justice issue. Be sure to address the goals, conditions and strategies of the action that you recommend. Your letter must be word processed in a business letter format (see Bedford Handbook for more information). Your letter will be graded on its content, and grammatical correctness. Due: Friday, December, 15th .

__________________________________________________

Example

Dear Representative Murphy:

I am writing to talk to you about the legalization of same-sex marriage in Wisconsin. I understand that same-sex civil unions are legal in the state, marriage itself is still banned. Some of the reasons gay marriage is still banned in Wisconsin include religion, science, and family structure. For each of these arguments used against gay marriage, I can give a counterargument for gay marriage.

As a Christian, you probably believe that homosexuality is against the teachings of the Bible. Did you also know that eating shellfish is against the Bible (Lev. 11:10)? There are many things that have been forbidden in the Bible. However, the second greatest commandment is “you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” according to Mark 12:31, and Jesus' Golden Rule says “do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). In my opinion the laws of equality from the Bible outweigh those against homosexuality.

A man who believes in science might say that the best rearing of children in nature happens when there is a mother and a father, and that this is the most natural and effective form of family. Homosexuality is actually well-represented in the animal kingdom. About 8% of male sheep are gay, and there are many other species of animals in which there have been homosexual tendencies, even raising young together. Homosexuality is a natural trait in some individuals, just like left-handedness, and neither can be changed.

Finally, some people would say that homosexuality results in unstable relationships and families, which would damage any children in such a family, because of the higher rates of suicide and depression among gays. If gay marriage becomes legalized, depression and suicide among homosexuals will begin to decrease, because society's view of gays will change, and homosexual children would not be raised believing their feelings were evil. Families of same-sex couples have also been proven in studies to be more stable and result in more tolerant and better educated children being raised.

I hope you will consider the facts and statements I have made in this letter. The equality of all people is a very important fundamental belief of this country, and discrimination based on sexual orientation must be eliminated, starting with the legalization of same-sex marriages.

I wish you a Happy Holidays.

Sincerely,