The Absence of Letters to the Editor

By Evan Benton, Staff Writer

While editing the Opinion section two weeks ago, I noticed a glaring omission, something even a casual reader of the Broadside Opinion section would notice the lack of: no letter to the editor.
There’s a reason why I, in particular, noticed its absence.

The Letter to the Editor section is a magical section. It allows anyone, even those that wish to remain anonymous, to say anything their little hearts desire.

Someone writes a piece on a controversial topic that is so against everything you believe in and you want to go into Broadside offices with a shotgun? Write a scathing letter instead.

Have an issue with anything that involves George Mason University but can’t seem to find a section for it? Get out your laptop and send in some beautiful opinions.

The Letter to the Editor section is especially wonderful because the writer of the letter can call out another writer in particular, almost like slapping them with the proverbial black glove and shouting “At dawn, sir!”

And if that writer is so disgusted by this unmitigated, passionate bashing that he or she needs to defend himself and reply—then there’s another letter to the editor. It has the potential to be a never-ending, glorious, back-and-forth war of words.

Yes, I do work for Broadside. And yes, I’m stressing the importance of calling out us writers, us cushy staff writers and sycophantic correspondents. We write a lot of stuff, and we feel that what we write is not only completely relevant, but bulletproof.

We’re wrong.

And this isn’t even limited to the bloviating seen in the Opinion section every week. Look at the bloated cow that is the Style section, with its questionable music reviews and worthless social commentaries. Half of the articles I’ve written this semester have been about food of all things. Isn’t that irritating?

Before Columbus Day, brave conservative writer Alan Moore wrote “Global Warming: The Falsehood Coming To A Campus Near You,” and was subsequently mangled a week later by four different letters to the editor where his facts, his journalistic integrity and even his ignorance of the world’s problems due to a “privileged life” were called out. With respect to Mr. Moore, this is exactly the kind of thing that should happen.

Because this is America, and this is college, and you’re angry. Why should people that have no idea what they’re talking about be paid to publish articles every week while you sit in your room ripping out your hair?

Do something about it.

Write a Letter.