There must be 50 ways (#2)

 Participating in democracy #2: Letters to the editor

Writing a letter to the editor seems like an insignificant blip in the sweep of millions of people going about their business in a large country that is, at least for the time being, a democracy. It used to involve a piece of paper, an envelope, a stamp, and a bit of time to dash off one's thinking du jure.

Nonetheless, it matters. It's even more democratic than voting, in the sense that many who cannot vote can still write a letter to the editor. I know I've done exactly that, many times, when incarcerated for my anti-nuclear nonviolent resistance. 

Children too young to vote can write a letter to the editor. Refugees, asylees, people on Temporary Protected Status from countries too dangerous to return to, and others with some block on their ability to vote can still write a letter to the editor. Those letters can influence those who do have the right to vote. A child in Sweden can write a letter to the editor in some American city and influence American voters to take a stronger position on stopping climate chaos.

Some newspapers keep a count, by topic, of their letters to the editor, and, at the end of the week, post a note on their op-ed page describing how many letters came in that week on, for instance, banning assault rifles, and how many were for or against. In this way, letters to the editor act almost as a straw poll on hot-button issues, prompting elected officials to notice, to assign staff to research it, and to refine their positions. 

A great explainer[1] and how-to on letters to the editor is available via Indivisible, a US nationwide organization dedicated to bringing citizens into our democracy. They help us craft powerful letters to the editor that stand a better chance of getting published and getting noticed by powerful people, influencers, and our fellow citizens.

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[1] https://indivisible.org/resource-library/how-write-letters-editor-really-get-attention