Letter to the Editor Worksheet

Step 1: Read a Letter to the Editor. Read and analyze "Time to Make a Stand" by Gene Kitchen, a letter to the editor published on April 14, 2011 in the Medford Mail Tribune.

Time to Make a Stand
By Gene Kitchen
It is time to make a stand against the extreme environmentalists.

Every day I read something about saving this or conserving that. What about saving humanity?

Environmental groups want to turn all of the Siskiyou Mountain range and Brown Mountain at Highway 140 north to Diamond Peak at Highway 58 into more monument land and wilderness. I say no!

This is our land, I have been enjoying these forests for 40 years and don't see any huge physical changes except where we have reforested in the past, which needs to be logged now, but the extremists have this timber planted by man deemed as old growth.

Because of these extreme environmentalists, we can't drill for oil, log public land, build nuclear energy plants or mine for rock and minerals in our country. We have the largest oil reserves in the world, some of the best timber in the world but we also have the best extreme environmentalists in the world.

I say we take our country back, or the only people in the future that will appreciate these well-preserved lands will be the Chinese when they come clearcut and mine it all with absolutely no forest management plan. - Gene Kitchen, Eagle Point

Step 2: Analyze a Letter to the Editor. Analyze "Time to Make a Stand." Briefly respond to each of the questions in the chart provided to assist with your analysis.

Prompts for Analyzing "Time to Make a Stand"
• environmentalists extremists?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

Every day
• Literally or figuratively?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

I read something about saving this or conserving that
• Is the author pro or con about saving or conserving?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

What about saving humanity?
• Extreme environmentalists are not interested in saving humanity?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

Environmental groups
• All groups or just particular ones?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

want to turn all of the Siskiyou Mountain range and Brown Mountain at Highway 140 north to Diamond Peak at Highway 58 into more monument land and wilderness.
• All?
• Is this true?
• Any evidence?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

I say no!
• No to what?
• No to whom?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

This is our land,
• Who is "our"?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

I have been enjoying these forests
• How so and for what?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

for 40 years and don't see any huge physical changes
• Significance of 40?
• What is the implication of the author not seeing any huge change?
• What is the difference between change and huge change?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

except where we have reforested in the past, which needs to be logged now,
• Needs to be logged? Is this sarcastic or sincere?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

but the extremists have this timber planted by man deemed as old growth.
• Why the reference to "planted by man"?
• What is the value of "old growth" and who makes this designation official?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

Because of these extreme environmentalists, we can't drill for oil, log public land, build nuclear energy plants or mine for rock and minerals in our country.
• True?
• How are these extreme environmentalists able to control drilling, logging, nuclear plant building, and mining in our country?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

Note: The control mostly lies in the hands of legislatures, courts, and police.

We have the largest oil reserves in the world, some of the best timber in the world
• Is this true?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

Note: In 2010, less than a year before this letter to the editor was written, the U.S. was number 12 on the list of the countries with the largest reserves.

but we also have the best extreme environmentalists in the world.
• Is this sarcasm or sincerity?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

I say we take our country back,
• From whom?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

or the only people in the future that will appreciate these well-preserved lands
• Is this sarcasm or sincerity?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

will be the Chinese when they come
• Why the Chinese?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

clearcut and mine it all with absolutely no forest management plan.
• How will they be able to do this?
• Why would they do this?
• Why with no plan?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?
It is time
• Why now?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

to make a stand
• What is a stand?
• What is the author implying?
• What are you inferring?

against the extreme environmentalists.
• What's an environmentalist?
• What's an extreme environmentalist?
• Are all environmentalists extremists?
Are some

Step 3: Write a Letter to the Editor. After analyzing your responses to the prompts provided in Step 2, answer the following questions in the space provided below:

1. What is the subject of the letter? To what is the writer responding? (This portion of your overall response should be 100+ words)

2. Does the writer agree or disagree with something in the publication? How would you describe the tone of voice? (This portion of your overall response should be 100+ words)

3. Did the writer think critically about the subject before submitting the letter? If so, how can you tell? If not, identify the writer's barriers to critical thinking. What steps to engaging in critical thinking did the writer skip, if any? (This portion of your overall response should be 100+ words)

4. Was the letter to the editor constructive for the publication, or was it merely an avenue for the writer to express support or contempt? Explain. (This portion of your overall response should be 100+ words)

5. Rewrite the letter. Apply critical thinking in order to make the writer's message more effective. (This portion of your overall response should be 250+ words)