Get InvolvedThere are many ways to get involved with OPN. Perhaps you are tired of governmental interference in your private medical decisions. Maybe you think cannabis has been unfairly treated in the media. Or you believe you have ideas and want to bring about real change. Our committees are designed to do just these things.
To get involved, first become an OPN member. Then take a look at what you do best, what interests you, or what you'd like to learn to do better. Post your interest on the OPN Discussion List. We promise to follow up quickly.
Note to all members and activists: This site also contains another way to get involved. Print off OPN information sheets and flyers (available in the Library section) and distribute them where appropriate.
Write a Letter
Writing a letter to the editor is one of the simplest and most effective ways for the average person to reach a greater number of people with our message of compassion and common sense. Rather than re-create what others have done in this field of communications, we suggest that you take advantage of the tools put together by the Media Awareness Project. MAP, as it is known, has compiled a marvelous collection of letter writing tips and techniques.
You may use the links below; they will take you directly to the pages you need to become an effective voice of reason in your community.
- MAP Letters to the Editor Archive
- Grammar Bytes!
- Guide To Grammar And Writing
- The Antonym and Synonym Finder
- How to Communicate with Journalists
- How to Write Letters to the Editor
- Letter Writer's Style Guide
- Three Tips for Letter Writers
- Tips for Getting Letters to the Editor Published
Extra Credit
Terms you should know:
- LTE
- SENT LTE
- PUB LTE
- News Hawking
An "LTE" is a Letter To the Editor; in the language of reform minded individuals, an LTE is considered to be a negative letter sent in by our opposition and published. An LTE offers an excellent opportunity for an opposing letter to the editor refuting the often false claims made by the opposition. A "SENT LTE" is a letter that is sent in by one of us, but not yet published. These SENT LTE's can be posted to the OPN mailing list for others to see and perhaps be inspired to write one of their own. Please put "SENT LTE" in the subject line, so everyone will know what they are reading. A PUB LTE is a PUBlished LTE for our side. Your first PUB LTE will be very exciting, and you'll want more of them.
"News Hawking" is the process of finding and sending in newspaper articles, both positive and negative, so that they can be archived by MAP and utilized by various organizations throughout the world.
If you get a letter published, you can send a copy to the OPN mailing list, for our records; also, if you see an LTE, someone else's PUB LTE or a news article in a newspaper or magazine which is relevant to drug policy reform, you can "Hawk" it as well, by sending it to editor@mapinc.org. For more information on News Hawking visit http://mapinc.org/hawk.htm
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