Letter to the Editor: Debate has been fair but it’s getting childish

Dear Editor,

I first want to express my appreciation that the Statesman Editorial section always is willing to post both sides of “hot topic issues” such as the current advertisement debate. I also want to express my appreciation for people who express their ideas in regard to these issues through respectful and insightful statements.

However, I do find the seemingly endless string of comments about Molly Mormon opening her mind and George Gentile leading a good life rather irksome, repetitive and frankly childish. I knowingly acknowledge that not all “battles for the editor” are between these two sides, I simply use it because in my perspective it is the most heated and the most prevalent. I hate to have to fall back on a cheesy cliché, so I won’t but I’m sure you are capable of thinking of one yourselves.

I mean no disrespect when I say that everyone must acknowledge the presence of elements in society that disagree with them and the need to choose their battles. I find it rather intriguing that people will go to great lengths and breach moral values, religious teachings and even what some consider common sense about certain issues.

For those of you that feel so strongly, I commend you. Such feelings are required in society, regardless of the opinion behind them. I simply wish to request that such debates be carried on in a more civilized and respected form. Endless letters to the Editor are one way to make your voice heard, but for anybody in the middle, it gets tiresome after a while and a longing for new issues and ideas arises.

To quote a favored author of mine, David Eddings, “This tireless string of spiteful words bores me. If you two really want to fight, use axes.”

No, I do not promote violence in resolving differences. I’m simply making a point. Thank you all for the insightful and thought provoking letters that you write,

and thank you to The Statesman for publishing people’s honest opinions.

Daniel Allred