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Election letters and the Forum
I mentioned it in a brief note in the Nov. 5 edition of The Daily Reflector, but I want to extend my gratitude to our readership for their participation in the election through our Public Forum. We received a tremendous number of letters and did our very best to publish as many as we could. Layout of that letters page on Sunday posed a particular challenge but, as always, we made it through.
I also wish to mention the editorial I wrote on Nov. 8 following the election, and its relation to the Public Forum. Following the election cycle and some difficult campaigns, it is important that we all come together to embrace our commonality and to do so in the spirit of civility. Too often we see letters that are calling complete strangers names or offering snide remarks that fail to serve the public interest. There is simply no reason for such nonsense.
As some point in the near future, we hope to recast the Public Forum by limiting the length of letters, perhaps limiting the frequency of letters from each author, setting forth a comprehensive list of rules and policies and so on. A key part of this will be to reject, return or request editing of letters that shun a civil tone in favor of name-calling, personal attacks and other worthless remarks. We do not need writers lowering the level of debate by attacking a person rather than thoughtfully critiquing an idea or viewpoint.
I hope that if writers embrace this principle early it will allow for a better product and less work on my side. But I just don’t see how personal attacks serve a greater purpose and I believe letter writers and Forum readers believe the same thing. I hope that the result will continue to be a lively place for public debate, but one that a greater number feel comfortable participating in.
Comments
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By Cynthia
November 14, 2006 4:03 PM | Link to this
Brian, it would have been nice if liberal Democrats had remembered those words of yours back in 2000:
“Following the election cycle and some difficult campaigns, it is important that we all come together to embrace our commonality and to do so in the spirit of civility. Too often we see letters that are calling complete strangers names or offering snide remarks that fail to serve the public interest. There is simply no reason for such nonsense.”
But they chose not to. Conservatives have had no other option than to fight fire with fire. Now you all just wanna get along?
Are you kidding me here?