Write a Letter to the Editor - Respond to Obama's Afghanistan Withdrawal Plan

Just 3 easy steps!

Follow the instructions below and enter in your information where prompted. We have included a sample letter that you can edit as you wish.

Remember, the most powerful tool you have is your own story! The best letters, and the most likely to be published, are short (under 250 words), well written, and include a personal story. To include information on how much your community has contributed to the war and what else that money could have paid for, go to the National Priorities Project Trade-Offs Database

Tips for adding your own story and editing the letter:

Click anywhere in the letter to edit
Please include only plain text (no html)
Include the most important or compelling points of your story and write them in a concise way that relates to the rest of the letter. For example "I'm proud of my son for volunteering for the Army. But after 3 tours and missing the birth of his son, I wonder, was it worth it?"
Click on the talking points to the right of the sample letter to add them

Step 1 - Select a Recipient

Step 2 - Write your message

Subject:

Your Letter:

As a military family member, I was disappointed that President Obama did not keep his promise of starting a significant withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in July.

A large majority of the American public, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and growing numbers of Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate are all calling for an end to the war in Afghanistan as quickly as possible.  Why is President Obama out of step with the rest of the country?

The financial and human costs of continuing the war are indefensible. With over 1,600 troops killed and tens of thousands more wounded, the human toll of the war continues to mount every day. And while Congress fights over every penny of domestic funding, it is time to admit that we can no longer afford over $100 billion a year.

According to the Department of Defense, between 20 and 50% of service members returning from combat zones are suffering from some sort of trauma. When our service members do come home, they are returning to VA back-logs, limited job prospects, and a mental health care system unprepared to serve the needs of traumatized veterans. Of course, we’re talking about those who get to come home. How many more service members will lose their lives, or take their own lives, in the next 3 years because of the ongoing war in Afghanistan?

It's time to end the war now and reinvest in our communities.

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