Another LTE attempt

[petardier]

In case you hadn't noticed, Jeff Jacoby's columns irk me. I sent in this letter to the editor. It hasn't been published yet, though I suppose there's still a chance.

Feel free to make comments about how I might improve it or future efforts.


Jeff Jacoby wrings his hands over what he claims are dishonest arguments by the political left while minions of the Bush administration are busy trying to brand anyone who disagrees with them as traitors. Since he's so sensitive to dishonest arguments, perhaps he'll take on that situation next? The use of dishonest arguments by the party in power should certainly be of concern to all who support democracy in America, but the blinkered Mr. Jacoby can only see the supposed misdeeds of those he opposes.

Since Jacoby has, as usual, missed the point of the argument, I want to point out that nobody is suggesting that war be left only to the generals, and nobody is suggesting that only those with a military background can have a valid opinion about war. What we are suggesting is that those who have served their country in time of war have insights that we would be wise to heed.

The opinion of an experienced mechanic is more valuable than that of a columnist if you're having engine problems. Readers less obtuse than Mr. Jacoby will no doubt see how this idea might apply to our current circumstances.

Comments

Not to Brag, But...

[(Anonymous)]

I've written two LTEs to the Philadelphia Inquirer, my local newspaper, and gotten them both published--both concerning the Iraq then-war. Both were responses to front page stories, not columnists. My advice is to make your arguments a little more coherent and more understandable by someone who has not read his column--it took me a couple of reads to know what you were talking about, and even then I only knew vaguely what his and your arguments were. Give me a quick summary of what he said and its context, then tell me how stupid it is and why. Still, good work and good hunting. Mike in Philly

Re: Not to Brag, But...

[petardier.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the LTEs. I was reluctant to summarize his argument because that eats into my precious 200 words, but you're right, it would help those who didn't read the column.