Monday, June 6, 2011

Now I've Gone And Done It

I try to read the paper every day. Mostly just the funnies. Some days, however, I have more time to leisurely read while I have my coffee. And so it came to pass that I read a particular article. While I read it, I became incensed.

I never become incensed. Irritated, perhaps, but incensed? Never.

The people in the article were obviously idiots, I immediately thought, and what they were doing was completely stupid. I read further.

It was a crime against humanity of epic proportions.

I finished the article. I was incensed!

I just could not sit idly by and allow this to continue.

Something must be done!

So I wrote a letter to the editor of the paper. Well, given the technology of the day, I sent an email. But still.

I'd like to say that I got this streak of blatant activism from my parents, but that would just not be true. My parents are as apolitical as they come.

They don't belong to any political party.

They don't read up on government and civics in their spare time.

They don't vote.

They didn't even vote for Nashville Star, and they actually watched that show.

They certainly would never write a letter to the editor of a newspaper!

Somewhere in my DNA, however, must be the missing link to my recent spurious activity. Someone in my family, at some point, must have decided to take a stand on a particular issue in this particular fashion.

I can picture some distant relation, scribbling on parchment with a quill, denouncing the fact that the price of butter had gone up.

The good news (for me) is that even if my letter is published, most people that I know don't actually read the part of the paper that has the Letters to the Editor in it.

I think I will just stick to the funnies from now on. It's safer that way.

2 comments:

  1. Well, I am actually proud of you for writing...no matter what it was. I encourage and train my students to write letters to the editor when something "pushes their buttons." I know many people who read that section of the paper and it is one way to let our voices be heard. Since we have the First Amendmant...let's practice it!! The Express News ombudsman, Bob Richter, is a great guy and answers every opinion sent to him!

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  2. I always read the letters to the editor page. And I have visions of someone in your family (preferably female) waving a bra in a past life.... ;)

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