Use Your VOICE: Writing an Open Letter
This morning, I sent off the letter below to my local news station and each of its team members. This is one of the many ways we can use our voices to express how we feel and stand in solidarity with the views we feel strongly about.
I’m offering this as an example of how we can make a difference in our politics, in our communities, and even, perhaps, in our families. We don’t have to agree on every issue. A difference of opinion is certainly what makes humans diverse, interesting, and innovative creatures.
I must clarify that there is a difference between an opinion based on fact and statements made through the omission of reality.
Yet, I do believe we must treat each other with respect and compassion—agreeing to disagree on hot topics while still presenting our case. But in order to achieve anything of significance in our lives, we must first agree on foundational truths. For me, those are the same truths the framers agreed upon in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, when they wrote the preamble that set forth our Constitution:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
For me, the rule of law, the principle that no one is above the law, and the agreement that each person should be equal under the law—these things matter.
Please feel free to use this letter as inspiration or as a template in any way that helps you express what’s on your heart, in your own voice.
The motto? Use your voice.
Set yourself free! And thank you for reading my Substack newsletter, Radically Relevant.
February 15, 2025
Western Mass News
1300 Liberty Street
Springfield, MA 01104
Dear Team,
Thank you for your ongoing work and for being the voices that deliver accurate and essential news to Western Massachusetts.
These are unprecedented and unpredictable times. As the media landscape evolves, I encourage each of you to expand your presence across as many platforms as possible. In particular, I’d love to see you on Blue Sky, a growing space for independent journalism and thoughtful discourse. Ensuring your reporting reaches a broad and engaged audience is more crucial than ever.
Additionally, if you haven’t already discovered historian and professor Heather Cox Richardson, I highly recommend her Letters from an American newsletter, available on Substack and Facebook. She delivers a daily synopsis of current politics, connecting events to their historical context in a way that is digestible, insightful, and essential for understanding the bigger picture. Letters from an American helps keep me—and her more than 2.1 million followers—focused, grounded, and informed. Here is the link:
🔗 Letters from an American – Heather Cox Richardson
I also want to emphasize how vital it is for Western Mass News to continue its rigorous coverage of critical issues, including the implications of Project 2025 and Trump’s continued sledgehammer to our government. Too many of our fellow citizens still don’t grasp the full extent of this administration’s dangers—from Trump’s insistence that he can take over Gaza, to cuts in funding for underserved communities, to the appalling proposal of outsourcing American citizens to El Salvador’s harsh and dangerous jails or sending non-criminal immigrants to Guantanamo Bay.
The stakes are high.
We must remain vigilant against the systematic dismantling of our healthcare, judicial, social, and democratic systems. Please do not give up. As the saying goes—when they attack one group, they will, without hesitation, come for us all.
The press has always been a cornerstone of democracy, and your role in holding power to account is more important than ever. The people of Western Massachusetts—and beyond—rely on you to help them navigate truth in an era of misinformation.
Wesley Days, I especially want to acknowledge your interview with Holocaust survivor Henny Lewin—powerful and necessary work.
Thank you for your time and conviction. Thank you for your courage and hope.
With gratitude and solidarity,
Richard Silvia
YESRISING TOGETHER
Photo by Flavio Amiel on Unsplash