Letter to the Mayor
Catherine Conner
Dear Mayor Thomson,
1As you know, our town just passed a new law. Kids can no longer ride skateboards on our town’s streets and sidewalks. This is unfair. Our town does not have a skate park, and not everyone has a driveway. This means that some of us can’t ride skateboards at all.
2You spoke about this new law last week at a town meeting. You said that riding skateboards on streets is dangerous. You are worried that kids will be hit by cars. However, we have many small side streets in our town. Cars rarely drive on these streets. It is safe to ride a skateboard on a side street in our town.
3You said that people walking on sidewalks are afraid of skateboarders. They think that skateboarders might crash into them. This is not true. My friends and I have never crashed into someone walking on a sidewalk. We slow down when we see people. We smile and say hello.
4You also said that kids riding skateboards make too much noise. You believe that the people of our town want peace and quiet and do not want to hear us clang our skateboards on curbs. But children are rarely ever quiet when they play. Kids playing in yards make noise. People driving cars honk their horns. Skateboarders are not the only people who make noise.
5You also said that riding a skateboard is dangerous and kids could fall and be seriously hurt. I wear a helmet in case I bump my head. I also wear knee and elbow pads. My friends do this, too. This will keep us from being seriously hurt if we fall.
6Please change this law, Mayor Thomson. It is unfair to the children in our town. Many of us ride skateboards to get from place to place. We also ride them for fun. We are not hurting anyone and we are careful.
Sincerely,
Reginald Carter
What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?
Responses
A to entertain the readerto entertain the reader
B to persuade the readerto persuade the reader
C to inform the readerto inform the reader
D to anger the reader