assignment
read the following letter to the editor and answer the questions below.

what is in an opinion?

the 3e english times
123 some street
somewhere, on

may 23, 2007

dear editor,

re: bullying in schools is getting out of hand (may 21).

your article about violence at the local high school only confirms what i have suspected for some time; young people today have no respect for authority and its time to do something about it.

just last week i was driving down the road when a young man cut in front of me, made rude gesture as though i had done something wrong, and then tore off down the road, almost hitting a young girl on a bicycle. my wife and i were shocked by this careless and rude display. people shouldn' t be able to get their driver' s license until they are 21. if they aren' t willing to follow the rules or mature enough to drive, then they shouldn' t be allowed to.

my wife won' t even go to the mall alone anymore because of the teenagers who hang out there. if they aren' t shopping, why are they there? they should get jobs or be made to go into the military for a few years to teach some discipline and respect.

something needs to be done.

sincerely,

i. m.crusty
111-222-

questions:

1-although the person writing this letter is fictitious, describe what you think this person is like (age, character, etc.) citing two things from the letter itself as proof.
2-if you could identify a main point or thesis to this letter, what would it be? (you may quote the letter directly.)
3-for young people who might read this letter, what is unfair about this person's point of view?
4-using appropriate letter format, write a brief response (100-150 words) to this letter to the editor in which you tackle mr. crusty's points.