28-16=12
Dear Editor,
Were there no other letters to publish? Did you have a few column-inches that just HAD to be filled? Maybe you should edit out all references to time in the letters you receive. M. Craig Larson, in his most recent letter, gave a second response to criticisms of his Oct. 16 letter. Well, he has a right to write, but the Statesman supposedly has a policy that says: “Writers must wait 21 days before sumbitting successive letters or second responses-no exceptions.”
Oct. 28 minus Oct. 16 equals just 12 days.
Was this recent lapse of the policy an exception, or is there another word for what happened here? The 21-day wait policy serves at least two very useful purposes. One, it gives many students opportunities to write without a single writer overpowering the letters to the editor. Second, the wait policy gives some of these inane back-and-forth cat fights a chance to cool down.
Larson and his critics can fight about who said what; who has a right to their own opinion; and “thanks for telling me what I think.”, but none of this really discusses the original issue.
Editor, please either follow your policy, or change it and tell us why. A little blank spot might encourage some new writers to air their opinions.
Ricky Fielding519-17-2316752-1079rlfielding@cc.usu.edu