Help me do my homework and help our cause at the same time (1 Viewer)

[Michael Ballack]

The title says it all. I'm taking an American Politics and Government class for college. One of the assignents is to write two letters to two different politicians. They can be as low down on the scale as my local town mayor or as high up as the president of the united states. My idea was to right one letter to a politician complimenting him on what he's doing and to support him, then another to a politician who I disagree with and tell him why he's wrong. While thinking about the assignment, I figured that I should write about something that I'm passionate about like Home Theater,HDTV, the RIAA bullies, being against censorship, and so on. So like the title says, I can do homework and help us HTFers at the same time. Can anyone give me any ideas on where to start? I'd really appreciate it. Thank you.

P.S. I hope this doesn't violate the forums NO POLITICS policy. If it does, I didn't mean to. Just close it then.

 

[Jeffrey Noel]

Michael, how about something about educational funding. Schools should be one of the top priorities but are unfortunately not. Oh, maybe about how ridiculous the "No Child Left Behind" policy.

BTW, I'm graduating with an Elementary Ed. degree this December.

 

[Eric_L]

Jeff, you noob. Read the board policy. I shudder to think that someone who can't follow directions will soon be TEACHING!

Michael - A hard won piece of advice I can share - your grade will be better if your position is in line with your professors political point of view on the subject. Better find out first. It is OK if you fake it. It is mandatory if they try to force their views on you.

A good place to start would be online. Part of the college experience is not knowing the answer, but knowing how to find it. I would suggest that you make certain your letters are informed beyond the basics. Not only address the congressman's position, but acknowledge their finanial supporters who may have influenced that position. If you get lucky you may even find a private or family connection to the funds. Real fun to point that out (good or bad). Also try to compliment the congressman on issues not relating to your chosen topic. Butter them up a bit. Maybe mention a pet project of theirs.

It will show your professor a very well rounded thoughtful corespondance rather than a one-dimensional sniper shot. If you wish (and it is not against the forum rules) I'd be interested in seeing your result posted here.

Good luck.

 

[andrew markworthy]

your grade will be better if your position is in line with your professors political point of view on the subject.

Ahem, as a professor I take exception to this. Provided students remember to write 'Hail Baal' at the end of every piece of work, I am perfectly reasonable in my demands and expectations.

Oh yes, and there should be an apostrophe between the r and s in 'professors'. Good punctuation is likely to help you rather more than professed political belief.

 

[Michael Ballack]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not to worried about writing a letter with the same idealogy as my teach. It's not that of an important assignment where the teacher is going to grade it very critically. He just wants to get us to start thinking and be involved in every day politics that affect us. As long as I write it, he's going to give points. He's just going to check them to make sure no one puts death threats in them. He told us a funny story about he used to not look at the letters and just send them out. Well one day he got a very special visit from the secret service. Apparently, one of his students wrote a death threat to the president saying that his teacher told him to write it.