Stoiis 1

Chiistian Stoiis

English 2u1u

22 Febiuaiy 2u14
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1&((&" (2 (3& 45*(2" .&'"&
Beai Euitoi,
Ameiicans aie being taken auvantage of by the funeial inuustiy. A business that
piouuces close to 12 billion uollais in ievenue annually. Baving a loveu one pass
shoulun't put a giieving family in financial stiess.

In the 196u's the meuian cost of an aveiage funeial ceiemony was aiounu $7u8.uu
fiom stait to finish. Accoiuing to the NFBA (National Funeial Biiectois Association)
the aveiage funeial cost since 2u12 ianges fiom $8,Suu-$1u,uuu excluuing costly
floweis, obituaiies, anu high-enu caskets.

Alteinative funeials can save families thousanus of uollais just by eliminating a few
simple steps in the tiauitional funeial piocess.

The most cost efficient anu enviionmentally fiienuly methou is a gieen funeial. A
gieen funeial consists of a biouegiauable wool casket, ($SSu.uu) anu eliminating the
use of toxic embalming chemicals. Skipping foimal anu tiauitional seivices such as
Stoiis 2
viewings, visitations, anu pioceeuing to uiiect buiials oi uiiect ciemations will also
save a family thousanus.

The seconu most cost efficient methou is the ciemation piocess, which cuts the
funeial bill in half, although isn't the most enviionmentally safe methou. A
ciemation, (if uone without tiauitional seivices, such as a viewing oi the use of
embalming) can also pieseive the iemembiance of a loveu one thiough memoiies,
anu not how the funeial pailoi maue them look, which can have veiy upsetting anu
tiaumatizing affects on people, especially chiluien.

Baving a loveu one pass shoulu follow with a celebiation of theii life, anu shoulu
have a focus on what that peison meant to you anu youi family.

0veiall, woulu that peison ieally caie about how luxuiious anu pietentious theii
casket anu funeial is aftei they giauuate fiom eaith, if it meant that you anu youi
family woulu be put in a situation of painful amounts of uebt anu stiess because of
theii passing.

Chiistian Stoiis
1444 S. Euitoi Ave. Salt Lake City 0tah
8u1-888-88SS
12Smyemaillive.com
Stoiis S



6&(+/!7+"&'&88 !'+-98*8
1. :3+( *8 92$" ;(3& 7"*(&"< =$"=28& *' (3& +"#$%&'(8> Ny puipose in
wiiting the lettei to the euitoi is to euucate the geneial public on how
piofitable the funeial business is. Along with infoiming the public of
alteinative ways they can choose to save thousanus of uollais anu help the
enviionment at the same time when a loveu one passes. This is uone thiough
the use of numbeis about annual income taken fiom the NFBA website.
Noieovei, this is shown thiough the way I explaineu alteinative methous of
buiial that can be useu.

2. ?27 52&8 (3& "&-+(*2'83*= @&(7&&' (3& 7"*(&" +'5 (3& "&+5&"8 *' (3&
#&'"& +AA&B( 327 (3& +"#$%&'(8 +"& %+5&> The ielationship comes fiom
the shaieu knowleuge that I the wiitei am just an aveiage membei of the
local newspapeis community, ieaching out to euucate my fellow neighbois.

This ielationship cieates a sense of tiust anu unueistanuing, anu
allows me to speak my minu on the topic. Although given that this is a public
aiticle, I must follow the iules of "social noims" anu avoiu using haish
language oi offensive uialogue, if I want ieaueis to take my aigument
seiiously.

Stoiis 4
CD ?27 52 &(328E =+(328E +'5 -2#28 +==&+" *' (3& +"#$%&'(> Ny cieuibility
in &(328 comes fiom the iuea that I the wiitei am a tiusteu anu iespecteu
inuiviuual of the local community, tiying to infoim the public about an issue
that affects them financially. Ny cieuibility is also establisheu thiough use of
cieuible statistics anu facts taken uiiectly fiom the NFBA's website.
0+(328 is communicateu thiough the emotional aspect that comes
with the sensitive topic of ueath, anu how uuiing this tiaumatic time, the
public anu inuiviuual families (my auuience) aie being abuseu financially by
the funeial business. Anothei foim of pathos is shown with the negative
affects that may occui with tiauitional funeials on chiluien anu auults, who
attenu a viewing, oi open casket seivice.
0se of the -2#28 appioach comes fiom giving the geneial public (my
auuience) ieasons anu alteinatives to change the way tiauitional funeials aie
piacticeu, conceining the enviionments well being, anu the well being of a families
peisonal bank account.
Anothei logical note was thiough the statement that; "0veiall, woulu that
peison ieally caie about how luxuiious anu pietentious theii casket anu funeial is
aftei they giauuate fiom eaith, if it meant that you anu youi family woulu be put in
a situation of painful amounts of uebt anu stiess because of theii passing." this
uiiect question follows the obvious logical iuea that since the loveu one has passeu,
aie they ieally conceineu with how fancy theii casket has to be oi how glamoious
theii funeial shoulu look if they aie alieauy ueau. "Baving a loveu one pass
shoulun't put a giieving family in financial stiess."
Stoiis S

FD ?27 52&8 (3& 8(9-&GA2"%+( 2A (3& +"#$%&'( +55"&88 (3& "3&(2"*B+-
B2'H&'(*2'8 2A (3& #&'"&> The style anu foimat of the lettei to the euitoi is
specific to the genie. The lettei opens up with the ihetoiical conventions of a
simple salutation to the euitoi. Fiom theie, an opening sentence telling the
ieauei exactly what I am wiiting about, giabs the ieauei's attention. I go on
to explain what the lettei is about, being quick, concise, anu to the point.
Next, I give eviuence foi euucational puiposes along with a chance to ieceive
piaise oi ciiticism fiom ieaueis. Lastly, I keep the lettei shoit enough to
maintain easy ieauability, anu sign the lettei at the bottom to follow the
conventions of a lettei to the euitoi piopeily.