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Praise the letter writers

Writing isn’t easy.It takes time and effort to sit down with a pen and paper, typewriter (apparently there are a few left) or your computer…

Writing isn’t easy.

It takes time and effort to sit down with a pen and paper, typewriter (apparently there are a few left) or your computer and put your thoughts in print.

It also takes courage, especially in a small town.

Nobody knows this better than us.

But the act of writing a letter to the editor is tougher still.

You’re probably not a professional writer and you’re nervous sending us your stuff.

Don’t be.

We have nothing but respect for people who take the time and effort to write us. And, good or bad, critical or not, we love to read what you have to say.

And so does the community.

Letters to the editor are always the best-read pages of the paper.

Your friends, neighbours and, yes, even the people who dislike you (heh, heh — especially those folks) love to read what you have to say.

So do it.

Sure, it takes guts tackling issues in so public a manner.

But the act of standing up and laying your ideas and opinions out for the community to consider is incredibly important.

You’ll be surprised how many people will respect you for it.

It is ground-floor democracy.

Through the singsong, smash, clatter and thunder on the letters pages, a community’s rhythm and melody is established.

And that can lead a town to unexpected places — better laws, safer roads and workplaces, flower boxes and community gardens, better business practices, business opportunities and improved government services, among hundreds of other things.

On those pages, heroes can be praised, events can be lauded, or tweaked for improvement, and wrongs can be fixed in the aggrieved party’s own words.

It is, truly, a fantastic thing to behold.

Every month, many citizens take the time to write the News.

And it’s time they got some recognition.

So we’ve decided to thank the contributors to our letters pages every month.

In July, we received letters from: Roger Rondeau, Rainer Rembe, Dale Worsfold, Vicki McCollum, Sherrie Walker, Gerard T., Wayne Hare, Mike Grieco, Brenda Weaver, John Streicker, Carl Schulze, Dennis W. Murray, Mel Arnold,

Patti MacAhonic, Deanna McLeod, Andrew Finton, Michael Stack, Tan Van Nguyen and Robert Huesler.

Thank you for your thoughtful submissions and significant contribution to building a better community. (Richard Mostyn)

Postscript:

While drafting a letter can be tough, getting it to us is easy.

And it’s getting easier.

Write it, or type it — we don’t care how you do it, we just want to see what you have to say.

Put your name and phone number on the letter, in case we have to contact you.

We want the writer to publish their name with their letter — it gives it credibility.

However, in rare circumstances we will print anonymous letters. 

Once you’ve signed it, send it along. You have several options.

E-mail it directly to one of these two new addresses:

uidiot@yukon-news.com, or ugenius@yukon-news.com (yeah, they’ll work. We’re going to track the responses — we’re curious how it will turn out.)

Use our website, www.yukon-news.com.

Fax it to (867) 668-3755, attention editor.

Or use snail mail and send it to 211 Wood Street, Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 2E4.

We won’t monkey with your effort, aside from fixing spelling, grammar and vetting it for potential legal problems (nobody wants to get sued here.)

However, we reserve the right to edit for clarity or to trim especially long letters.