To the Editor:
It’s no secret that people who write letters to the editor are often upset or angry over some public policy, whether local or national. Human nature- we don’t generally opine publicly unless we are aggrieved about something. Lately, its no secret that federal policy has upset many moderate or left-leaning citizens. And many have expressed their views in the Enterprise. Until now.
What a convenient time to discover that many “letters filed today include claims that cannot be substantiated or are outand- outnasty.”! Wherewere you when the “tea party” types inveighed against the Obama administration, or conspiracy theorists advanced the same type of unfounded claims against the Bidens. This went on for decades.
The new policy about “local only” commentary would be unworkable, even if it wasn’t a reflection of the political biases of the editorial staff. First, in a time when federal policies are having a direct and immediate impact on local people (hello SBDNL employees), and law enforcement (supporting ICE), how will the editors decide which letter is primarily local and which is about the “national political landscape.” Second, writers will begin to escape the letter censors by playing up the local angle and appearing to be as “evenhanded” as possible. This subtle form of letter curation will inevitably misrepresent the actual views of the paper’s community of readers.
The Enterprise should express itself by stating its own views in its weekly editorials rather than pretending that the larger community actually shares the same viewpoint.
Brian Price Leland Township
