The second assignment in this term’s English course involves the editorial page of the Denver Post.
I’m looking forward to reading the various opinions of columnists and professional writers (read: those actually paid by the Post or other news agency). That said, I am not relishing the idea of building an essay based on their work and the letters received by the paper about the original editorial.
This is because I think about 80% of people who bother to write letters to newspapers are idiots.
Not that people’s opinions don’t matter, mind you, but letters to the editor usually serve the purpose of a) preaching to the choir (what I call the “kudos” letter), b) attempting to change the hearts and minds of the opposition (the “beating your head against a wall” letter), or c) writing the same thing over and over - usually in relation to the reason in b) here - and expecting a different result each time (the “very definition of insanity” letter).
Most don’t make sense to me based on the above. It’s a waste of your time to write it and my time to read it, so why bother? To see your name? Anyone can do that these days.
This very website is a testament to the concept.
Worse, however, are the comments in the online forums for the editorials page, “conversations” which sometimes devolve quickly into name-calling and outright rancor. I’ve purposely avoided getting involved in such discussions for years, mainly because I witnessed (and was involved in, I’m embarrassed to say) more than a few “flame wars” in the early BBS days. I learned quickly that even the most adult debate, on the most innocuous topic, can and will degenerate into what amounts to a junior high school-level verbal war.
As a result, I rarely read blogs (unless something is just so good a friend posts a link to Facebook) and I rarely, if ever, respond or comment. The only exception to this rule is when I personally know the writer.
I also worked at a newspaper once upon a time, at the front desk, and had to deal with the opinionated morons who called to bitch or worse, came in to drop off their letters. I saw one so often I didn’t have to refer to him in e-mail as more than * (inside joke from Breakfast of Champions, which you really need to read if you haven’t already).
No, I prefer to leave the opinion writing to the professionals, because even if I totally disagree with them, they usually present a considered argument wrapped in a well-written piece.
The letters of * and others? Not so much.
Opinions are like assholes …
