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Letters To The Editor
I love writing. For over 30 years I was a featured columnist for several national and regional publications. I also am a prolific writer of letters to the editor. On this page I will be posting some of my letters that were published. Often I have no idea whether or not the letter is published unless it is in our local newspaper. The only way I know is if someone responds to me about one they have seen.
The letters I post on this page are unedited - the manuscript I actually sent the publisher. Often when published, my letters are highly edited. Sometimes the editing is excellent and other times the editor so butchers it that the meaning is lost.
I do not hurriedly write a letter and send it in. I will generally write a letter and then sleep on it for a couple of days. When I come back to it, I go over it to make sure that is what I wanted to say and I check it for grammar and spelling (often I miss something in this area my English professor wife tells me). Finally I carefully go over the letter and check my facts and back them up. I don't like getting egg on my face. Then I mail it.
Over the years I have had hundreds of these letters published. On this page, I will start posting some of the more recent ones. Feel free to contact me at cy@hotlinecy.com if you would like to comment on any of them.
To put the letters in the proper context, I am a conservative and many of my letters reflect that trait. However, I have been known to take a totally different approach when responding to a letter or article where the writer obviously had no idea what they were writing about. Occasionally I will take a side I totally disagree with.
I encourage all to write letters to the editor. This is an excellent way to be heard. However, there are a few "secrets." Try to keep your letter fairly short - find out what length the editor prefers. Make certain you have your facts right. Always include your name and contact information. Where possible, mention the names of local individuals. Local editors like that. Mail your letter to all of your area newspapers. Publishers are always looking for material to fill space and letters are an excellent source of material that does not cost them anything. I always try to be controversial. If you do not like the way something is done, don't just complain about it. Give suggestions as to how you think it could be improved. The most fun things to respond to are letters from other readers that you either do not agree with or ones where they have their facts totally wrong. Don't badmouth them. Simply make words your "sword." Again, the most important thing is that you have your facts right.
This letter was in response to the international publishing of the actions of several students at the University of Washington. They led a group of protestors who did not the university to erect a proposed statue to one of their alumni - the WWII ace and hero, Gregory "Pappy" Boyington. This letter obviously got published because I got an eMail from the President of the University of Washington. Click here to read that letter.
This letter was in response to Lufkin High School students leaving school without permission to demonstrate against our federal legislature's attempt to strengthen our immigration laws. Click here to read that letter.