If you are writing a letter to the editor you need to make sure that you have someone else look over it for you.

I think it's important that a second set of eyes reads it. If you're writing something, sometimes you can get too close to it. I know as a former columnist myself, I used to fall in love with certain passages and that's why I need my editor to look over it and say, "Well, this is really well-written, but it's kind of redundant. You say it a second time, and you don't need it. I think it's real important as you're writing the letter or the op-ed piece, to ask yourself, "If I took this out, would it really harm it? Is it necessary for the logic of the idea I'm trying to express?" If you can take it out and it reads perfectly OK without it, then you don't need it. Throw it out.

You can find more great information about writing letters to the editors in How to Use Newspaper and Magazine Editorial Pages.