Well, if we didn't know before how ineffective form letters are in persuading our political leaders, we certainly do now. The problem is, not everyone _has_ had a lot of experience writing this type of letter. Allison was at least partly right. A little guidance - like some of the suggesti ons that have been made here on the list -- could/would have been helpful. I have received a number of similar requests which have encouraged individual letters but have also supplied background information, recommendations and even an occaisional example. These may not have been necessary for some --or even most--of the recipients but if they encouraged a few more people to write or helped someone write a better letter, they were worth it. Laura Lynne Scharer [log in to unmask]