Write a letter to the editor

* Successful letters to the editor are short, strong and well-argued. Make your point clear within the first two lines and keep the length to a maximum of two paragraphs, about 100-150 words.

*We've included a few suggested talking points, but your own opinions are the meat of your letter. Please visit our analysis of the first 100 days of the Obama administration for more details.

Step 1 - Select a Recipient

Letter to the Editor

The Letter to the Editor Section is one of the most widely read sections of the newspaper and can reach a large audience. It allows community members to comment on the way issues are being addressed in the media and to influence the topics the local paper may choose to cover. Elected officials often monitor this section of the newspaper and take notice of constituents' opinions.

We've made it easy for you to contact your local newspaper with your views, but editors want to hear from you in your own words.

Step 2 - Write your message

Subject:

Your Letter:

First Name*

Last Name*

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Click on a point to add it to the letter.

The first 100 days of the new administration of President Obama have come to an end. Despite hopes for real change, to date, the administration has continued many Bush administration policies on surveillance, state secrets, detention and human rights.

One of the most significant political events of the early Obama administration has been the release of the “torture memos” written by Bush administration lawyers, including John Yoo, Jay Bybee and William Haynes. These memos lay out the participation of administration lawyers in attempting to provide legal cover for illegal torture.

These revelations have come at the same time as the release of other critical documents, including a confidential 2007 International Committee of the Red Cross Report that details torture in CIA detention and the Senate Armed Services Committee report exposing torture and abuse in detention facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo.

While shutting down secret CIA detention facilities and repudiating the “torture memos” are an important step forward, the real test of the Obama administration is whether it will act to hold the torturers accountable. Accountability and prosecutions are necessary to secure justice for the victims and ensure that future officials do not return to the dark path of torture.