As US citizens we are concerned about the increasing acts of violence by and against the police in our major cities. According to Washington Post, “ fatal shootings by officers increased from 465 in the first six months of last year to 491 for the same period. This year has also seen more officers shot and killed in the line of duty and more officers prosecuted for questionable shootings.” As we hear more voices of protests and our hearts are filled with grief and sympathy for the victims, we hope we could do something to end this senseless violence.

Write an open letter of 300-400 words to President Obama. In your letter based on the information you have gathered about President Obama’s “call for unity” (After watching the video and reading the relevant texts you have been provided through the link below), respond to the position of President Obama in his published statement about his policies and suggested course of action. (See the link below for information on formatting business letters)

The challenge is to address the president tactfully as you will be indirectly addressing a wider community that might read your letter. You could email the White House your letter directly (see the link below). You could also alternatively explore the possibility of publishing your letter in the opinion section of the University Bulletin or a local paper (See the link below).

Business Letter Format and Samples

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/2/

Contact the White House

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

CSUDH University Bulletin

http://www.csudhbulletin.com/

President Obama’s Call for Unity

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/288095-obama-calls-for-unity-after-baton-rouge-shooting

Washington Post’s Report about Fatal Shootings

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/fatal-shootings-by-police-surpass-2015s-rate/2016/07/07/81b708f2-3d42-11e6-84e8-1580c7db5275_story.html