My activism, a letter to the editor.

[Meldread]

I am going to e-mail this to my local newspaper's editor. I live in a highly conservative area of rural Southern Virginia and not shockingly the paper is horribly right wing. I'm not trying to get this published or else I'd rephrase things a bit. I'm just making my feelings known. Would like some feedback.

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Memo to the Editor:

I was wondering when you would get around to making a comment on the Kelo v. New London SCOTUS ruling. I must say your paper never fails to disappoint me as long as I keep my expectations exceedingly low. I have to wonder if you feel the least bit like a whore the way you shill for George W. Bush. Hardly a week goes by that you don't have your lips firmly planted upon his ass.

In this ruling -- what did you expect? Oh, don't get me wrong I agree with you that it was wrong. I agree that the Judges should have ruled differently. However, they are doing EXACTLY what you and your wonderful, unfaultable President have asked them to do: leave such things to the legislature.

Whenever a ruling comes down the pipe that you do not like you call it an act of judicial activism. You say such things should be left up to the legislatures, that in a democratic republic such things will sort themselves out. Tell that to Wal-Mart as they bulldoze down your home.

One of the roles -- one of the many important roles -- for SCOTUS Judges is to uphold the Constitution and ensure that the majority cannot use its power against a minority. We have seen this in the past. The founding fathers were wise to know what would happen with a democracy that ran unchecked. (In case you have trouble wrapping your mind around exactly what, it's called "mob rule.")

Now, you might think it is odd that I am writing you over something we agree with in a harsh manor. That is because you couldn't even make it half way through the column without shilling for Bush saying, "The good news is that the court was badly divided, meaning that if President Bush can get another conservative or two named to the court, things will be different."

That's just pathetic. You are most certainly entitled to your opinion -- and by god, you are full of them -- but your constant shilling for Bush is making me ill.

Just several weeks ago you made negative comments against Howard Dean accusing him of trying to "divide" the nation. You ignored the fact that it was Bush who divided the nation to begin with, and each and every week that goes by you sound like a broken record of Republican talking points.

No, Howard Dean does not divide people Mr. Coleburn journalistic shills like you do. I am not even going to bother to ask for balance in your paper because I know you are beyond that, and after all it is your paper and you're entitled to print or say anything that you want. Just as I am entitled to wipe my ass with it when it is delivered to my doorstep, which is exactly what I'm going to do with it.

[Mythsaje]

1. Good job! n/t

[NJCher]

2. a few points

--Should be "letter to the editor." Memos are for internal communication.

--Shorten it to three paras, max.

--Stay away from inflammatory language (e.g.,last two sentences in first para). Just make your point and say goodbye.


Cher-

[ovidsen]

3. I agree with NYCher

I know it felt good to write with anger. Hell, I know I've done it. But I hope you wrote it to change other minds and not just to ease your rage. You won't change many minds here at DU; I bet we all agree with you! But if you come across as more diplomatic, there's a better chance you'll be published, meaning more people will read you, meaning you might make a real difference.

Also in your 5th paragraph, it's spelled "manner", not "manor". I'm not trying to be picky, its just newspapers pay attention to stuff like that. I used to be a script editor, and little things like that stand out to me.

Now break a leg! :applause:

[Meldread]

4. In response to the last two comments...

...I'm not trying to get published in the paper. In fact I am certain that doing so would be pointless as 90% of everyone who reads the paper agrees with it. I wrote the letter just to give the editor a piece of my mind. I'm not trying to change his mind, because I also know that is useless.

If I wanted to get published I would have most certainly written in a different tone. I've been published in this paper before -- several times.

EDIT: I should also point out that I used Memo to be slightly insulting, though I suppose I'll change that as it seems the insult was lost.