It’s an election year, and yes, I know. You probably knew that. With the raft of political statements, ads, debates, and election guides produced by everyone, including athletes, it seems that everyone has a voice about politics, except maybe the people who should matter the most, those fine folks voting their ballot. But did you know that you DO have a voice?
See, in the time-tried tradition of a true testament, you have power with your tasteful Letter to the Editor! Okay, enough teasing and time to get serious: Yes, you, YOU THERE, have a voice. You can, of course, go to a street corner downtown and start yelling about how you feel about what’s happening, not only in Politics but in our city in general.
This will garner some attention from folks passing by. As with many opinions, some will agree, some will disagree, some will think you are just obnoxious, and some will cheer you on. And you’ll probably reach 100 people before your voice gets tired. Or, you could write a letter to the editor. It’s quite easy.
The Gazette accepts letters to the editor via email, Postal Service, and drop-off at our office, and we’re even looking for a way to accept them by voice on our phone system (coming soon, it’s a work in progress!).
So what do you need to do to write a letter? It’s simple: state your position. A perfect example is a message I received recently about a press release from an elected official. Our reader felt that the press release was inappropriate because it appeared to be campaigning using official resources (which incidentally is illegal in every state). Generally, there are a couple of ways of dealing with this. You can always file a complaint with the Commissioner of Political Practices if you feel a candidate or elected official is not following our laws. Alternatively, or in conjunction, you could share your view with other readers.
Now, there are a few rules. You can not advocate or threaten to commit a crime. We won’t print it; better ways exist to get a point across. You should state facts. If we find unbelievable claims, we will check the facts, and if we can not find any basis for the claim, we’ll probably reject the letter. Do not “me too” other people. If you agree, support them with additional facts and describe your feelings. No one wants to read 20 letters that say, “I agree with Paris Hilton on the layout of the town.” with no further information. Add to it, say WHY you agree. That’s how you make a cohesive argument.
We ask that you include your first and last name and the city/town/area you are from. We also ask for a phone number, which is not divulged publicly. We won’t print your address or phone number, but you do need to own up to your statements. We generally only print the first name and last initial. You may request that we only print your first and last initial if you are concerned about repercussions, however you must include your full name for us to print the letter. And if you wish to have your full name, we’ll happily include it. Just let us know!
Do NOT campaign in a letter to the editor. Blatant political ads will be ignored. You may, however, answer a specific question another reader raises. You MAY NOT ATTACK OTHERS FOR THEIR IDEAS! We will not print letters that are blatant attacks or threatening in any way from ANYONE.
Letters WILL be respectful. Pretend you’re at a $200-a-plate dinner that your boss is putting on. If you can’t be respectful of others, we’ll not print your letter. Vulgar language or innuendo will not be printed. No matter how acceptable they may currently be, character assassinations will not be printed.
For our part, we will include as many letters as possible in each edition. That may mean that not every letter will make the next issue, but we will try to include as many as possible in each issue. As a paper, we reserve the right to refuse any submission, ad, letter, or comment for any reason or no reason at all. Generally, we try our best to include everyone’s point of view in the paper.
To send letters to the editor, you can do it via email at letters@gfgazette.com (note: you will need to click on the hidden email address to see it; it’s part of our security.) You may also mail or drop them off to:
Letter to the Editor
%Foxys Publishing Co
1601 2nd Ave N.
Great Falls, MT 59401
Author: Andy Anderson
Andy is publisher of Foxys Publishing Co, as well as pressman, ad sales, distribution and sometime janitor. He occasionally makes a wild attempt at writing but quite often is seen running around our offices trying to "Get 39 million things done today..."
