We so miss hearing from you. We know letter writing has become old fashioned, but letters to the editor are the lifeblood of the newspaper's op-ed page and lately there has been a serious drought.
We have our theories about this phenomenon, the foremost of which involves the Internet and "commenting." Those with opinions are quick to post their comments when invited to about almost anything posted on the World Wide Web. The tit-for-tat conversations are amusing and easy, not requiring the effort of drafting a well-thought-out and composed response to an article or opinion on a subject.
There is also the wonderful opportunity to remain anonymous on the web. As often stated on this page, we will not publish letters unless they are signed. It is our belief anonymous comment has less impact. If you really stand behind a stance on a topic or controversial subject, putting your name to it illustrates your staunch sincerity.
We understand the Internet's attraction, but we still miss being able to share readers' opinions on this page. It seems lately the only people who send us letters are politicians, and even though we need to fill the space we are rarely desperate enough to publish those. In fact I have a policy against publishing politicians' letters unless they provide a direct comment to something that has appeared in our publications. So all you politico minions out there who churn out letters for your bosses and get them to sign on to them, take note. You can take us off your email list.
As for you, our valued readers, enjoy the online debate, but consider sending us a letter next time you get riled or a warm fuzzy feeling about something you read in the paper. Or pick your own topic and tell us about something we've been missing.
Looking forward to the next "Dear Editor" and "Sincerely yours."
