On Christmas Day, it seems appropriate to honor the gift that our writers of letters to the editor give to our region 365 days a year. These are the people in the South and East Bay who take the time to engage in civic debate. It’s laudable that they care enough about their community and the world to share their thoughts and concerns.
This week marks the 10-year anniversary of my taking on the job of letters editor of The Mercury News. It’s been quite the adventure, and it’s one of the things I love most about my job. I make it a point to read every submission. Since we receive an average of about 100 a day, it means I’ve read about 35,000 letters this year — and some 350,000 over the past 10 years.
They write zingers that can really sting. They make me laugh, and they make me mad. And, yes, for every smart letter that makes me re-examine my own opinions, there are those that make me wonder what planet some of our writers came from.
But on the whole, I still open every letter we receive with a sense of anticipation. Even when they call me an idiotic moron. Or a moronic idiot. Both happened in just the last month, to my amusement.
It may surprise readers — and especially some of our letter-writers — to learn that some of the letters we like best are those that offer intelligent, opposing views to our editorials.
Growing up as a Democrat in the Republican-dominated region that is Eastern Washington, I know how hard it is to walk around every day carrying a minority view on political issues. I admire those with enough courage of their convictions to offer their opinions.
Dan Hatfield, who recently retired as Editorial Page Editor at the East Bay Times, spent the better part of the last 20 years fielding calls and receiving letters from some of those readers.
“I think one of my favorite parts of the job was the interactions with folks. I would say about 10-15 times a year I would get back-to-back calls from irate readers. The first one would call me a liberal, commie pinko. And the very next caller would say I’m a conservative blockhead — and mind you, this was about the same editorial,” Hatfield said.
“When it came to letters, the biggest challenge we had was the selection process. Deciding which letters to use is never easy.”
No kidding.
Letters editors owe it to readers to present both sides of a debate. But it’s also our responsibility to roughly reflect the proportions of letters we receive from each side.
“Sometimes we would get 10-15 letters from people up in arms about a topic, all with the same viewpoint,” said Hatfield. “But none that day from the opposing side. We’d print 2-3 from those we got, and then the next day get another 10-15, all with the opposite view, especially on hot-button topics like gun control or abortion.”
The ultimate goal is to present, over time, enough letters on both sides of an issue to make sure the best arguments and positions are published.
Some of my very favorite submissions come from young people who are just beginning to formulate their political views and also experimenting in finding their voice. We’re especially protective of those young letter-writers. It’s heartening to read how deeply they care about an issue. And few comments sting more than those coming from a teenager experiencing the depth of an injustice for the first time.
Here’s one submitted two weeks ago by Emma Ryan, of San Jose, that resonates:
“As a high school senior and aspiring engineer, it is incredibly disappointing to read that it has become popular for tech companies to hire beautiful models in order to spice up company parties of mostly men amid a culture that is already problematic in how it treats and perceives women.
“Hiring models to chitchat at parties demonstrates that the tech industry is not sincere about change. The models’ presence … promotes both the misconception that women exist for the entertainment and pleasure of men, and that women are best suited to jobs that rely upon beauty and youth rather than intellect. … If tech is truly devoted to ending harassment and working toward gender equality, then tech companies need to do far better than a few token promises and begin to look critically at all of their practices.”
Go get ’em, Emma. You’re an inspiration to all those contemplating the value of sharing their views. I can’t wait to see what 2018 brings.
