LOVE Letter Writing F.A.Q.

One method of communicating the vegan ideal of non-exploitation is letter writing.  Activists have written letters for a variety of reasons, including sharing vegan ideas with the readership of a blog or publication, influencing legislation or regulation in their communities, or supporting people who are currently imprisoned.  This letter-writing guide has been created with the intention of inspiring LOVE collective members to communicate change in a new way.

Writing letters to local news media
In many cases, the goal of letter writing is to bring exposure to the topic about which you’ve chosen to write.  A letter in your local newspaper denouncing exploitative forms of entertainment, like circuses, may not bring about change right off the bat, but you are creating the awareness that the exploitation of human and non-human animals for entertainment is something to which you, a member of the community, are opposed.  Anyone who reads your letter espousing the reasons for avoiding and eliminating speciesist oppression may be swayed to explore veganism, even if they had never considered it before.

Take a look at our resources at the bottom of this page to find your local news media outlets and get started!

Writing letters to prisoners
Letters written to prisoners typically serve a different purpose.  In a world where dissent is often punished, many activists, progressives, thinkers, and revolutionaries have found themselves threatened by the ruling class with imprisonment.  (See also: the Black Panthers and the U.S. government’s systematic oppression of Black activists via COINTELPRO; police brutality against anti-war protestors in countries around the world; the Green Scare.)  Our comrades who have been put into cages simply for speaking out against oppressive policies need the support of people still working for change.  A letter written to a prisoner is a tangible reminder that their lives and experiences have not been forgotten and that their struggle continues to be fought despite efforts to suppress them.

Note: Some anti-oppression advocates hesitate to use the term “political prisoners” because there is an implication that there are “non-political” prisoners, which is not the case.  In the United States, the prison system is a political one, and its systematic targeting of people of color and poor people is both oppressive AND highly political.  For a great discussion of these issues, please see The Vegan Ideal.

A note on language
When writing letters, our choice of language can both help and hinder the achievement of our goals.  The vegan ideal of non-exploitation considers the exploitation and oppression of all animals, including humans.  Activist letter writers may not be aware of the impact that disempowering language can have on readers.  Using racist/sexist/heterosexist/cissexist/ableist/speciesist language, co-opting the experiences of one group to further the goals of another, or failing to respect or acknowledge our own privilege can immediately discount our message – not to mention that it also perpetuates oppression and, by definition, hinders the creation of a vegan world.

While this task may seem daunting at first, evaluating one’s language choices becomes easier with experience.  The more you write and the more you read of others’ writing, the more you will recognize less-exploitative choices for words and phrases.  This is more than just a drive for “political correctness;” common language has the very real capacity to empower or disempower individuals and groups.

Tips for successful letter writing
Note: These tips more generally apply to letters written to the media.  When writing letters to prisoners, there may be considerations of letter length, what or if anything can be included beyond just a letter, whether your letter will be read before being delivered to the prisoner, etc.  These may be found on a prisoner support website or by contacting the prison facility.

1.    Keep it clear and concise. In addition to having to adhere to actual word limits on most letters written to publications, we are more successful when our letters are to-the-point.  Try to keep it to just a few, powerful paragraphs and you are more likely to keep people interested from start to finish.
2.    Speak your truth. As we have encouraged in other forms of activism, telling your own story has a powerful impact.  Don’t try to regurgitate facts or reach beyond what you know; just talk about why you have made the choices you have and how a vegan world can be achieved.
3.    Customize the message. If you’re writing to several different sources on the same topic, it can be ineffective to copy the same message over and over again.  Think of whom your audience is going to be and what can best persuade them to read your opinion.
4.    Think local, act local. It is always best if you can write to a local paper or a legislator in the community where you live and work.  Opinion makers want to know what actions to take on behalf of the people in the areas in which they live.  Make your words count by keeping it close to home.

What we haven’t said
Activists have also historically been involved in letter-writing campaigns to corporations, often encouraging these companies to modify their policies.  While the actions of companies can and do have an impact on the lives of animals, there is some discomfort with propagating the idea that buying “better” products from “different” companies is the solution to creating a vegan world.  People may have limited choices, either financially, geographically or otherwise, in what they can purchase, and we want to be respectful of that.  Furthermore, it is consumerism that has generated the widespread demand for animal products, and we want to perpetuate a bigger change than just buying something else.

Additionally, writing letters to lawmaking bodies in support of a particular legislative effort may also cause more harm than good.  As laws and lawmaking bodies generally exist to protect the interests of those in power, legislation typically falls short of addressing the power structures and hierarchy that allow oppression to run rampant through our world.  Animal cruelty statutes often push for incarceration, an act that can be considered violence against (human) animals.  As a collective working toward an end to violence and exploitation, members of LOVE may choose to focus their energies on letter-writing efforts that do not unwittingly promote more violence.

Letter writing resources

Here are some resources for you to use when crafting an activist letter or letter-writing campaign:

Newspapers.com – Find your local newspaper: http://www.newspapers.com/usa_news.htm

Emptying Cages: Resources – This list was compiled for a prison abolition presentation but has a number of great resources related to letter writing.