Your Opinion: Letters reflect diversity of opinions

Dear Editor:

Recently Danny Landers had an amusing letter (Jan. 13) about "weather wimps." Now he is on a tear about other Tribune writers here "ranting" (Feb. 6).

Sorry Mr. Landers but "rant" is not what the Tribune is publishing for the most part. A rant is a hate-filled and violent diatribe. Just because I do not agree with someone I do not call their point of view a rant. That word rant is over-used and misused. On Feb. 3 Mr. Horstmann stated that Joseph Salcedo published a Jan. 26 rant against the GOP and Christian churches. I missed Salcedo's letter but went back and looked. Salcedo's letter in no way meets the definition of a rant.

I would say many letters in this forum could be called polemical essays. The definition of polemical writing is that it involves strongly critical, controversial, or disputatious writing. Letters to the editor are one of the most read sections of a newspaper. Others include obituaries and the sports section. (Sorry Mr. Dyke, I don't think political cartoons rank high. But you could correct me.)

Benjamin Franklin loved letters to the editor and wrote a series under the name of "Silence Dogood." He poked fun at colonial life in his letters.

Readers should know the Tribune checks by phone to see if you authored every letter submitted. Otherwise, I could be writing letters for Misters Dirschell and Sampson to make them seem more reasonable.

The Tribune has a diversity of opinions not found anywhere else in our community. I wish there were public forums at Lincoln where different opinions could be aired. But in what other setting are differing ideas presented? Not at the Farm Bureau or the Chamber of Commerce. Certainly diversity is not presented in the churches.

Our local newspaper is just about the only public forum for presenting differing points of view. Listen in on a session with your state representative and you hear only one viewpoint expressed. Representative Leutkemeyer will be hammered for not stopping the Kenyan Socialist.

Okay, there are City Council meetings. Anyone can speak five minutes on any topic.

Mr. Landers I think you are not appreciating the rare opportunity our local newspaper provides to the community. The beauty is you do not have to read any letters. You could just fill up the space with your own prose.