From battling bond viewpoints to poems, heartfelt thanks and farewells to lost loved ones, I see a lot of letters to the editor cross my desk or appear in the inbox.
Some I don’t touch, but others get a subtle preparation for publication: removal of unnecessary capitalization, a quick grammar clean-up. The biggest edit I do is for length. Our stated cutoff is 250 words, but I suspect that many readers know that I’ll bend that rule for the sake of community discussion.
Our letters page is your page, a space for the reader, and on my watch it has encompassed an amazing variety of themes and viewpoints. I like to think that I edit letters with a light hand, keeping an open mind on most issues, seeking a middle ground and allowing free play. When I do pull out my red pen, it’s with an eye on readability. Common clean-ups include goofs on such English 101 possessives such as “its” for “it’s”. Last week, I de-capitalized dozens of words and phrases in letters on the debate over school board boundaries. My view is that your words should be able to stand on their own; if your phrasing is strong, you don’t need those big capital letters. I also remove swears, less for any philosophical reason than the idea that people of all ages and levels of sensitivity should be able to enjoy their newspaper.
Targeting words
This week, we noted how a group of Chief Kanim Middle School students are targeting what they call the ‘R-word’—retarded—to dispell it from the school lexicon. That word, like plenty of others in the English language, gets thrown about as an inadvertent insult, so the ASB students at Chief Kanim are signing a pledge not to use it, adding visual punch with special bracelets and shirts, generating awareness of the disrespect.
It’s a noble effort that these youths are undertaking; Adolescence is a tough time, and it’s understandable for teens to want to disarm verbal barbs. I support every effort to foster civility in people, young and old. But I get a cautionary twinge when people try to ban words. Shocking words will always have power; they serve a basic need in language. Remove one insult, and another one will take its place.
I say we skip censorship to take the next step: fostering an understanding of words’ true meanings while seeking an atmosphere of civility in schools and adult life. Let’s find ways to settle differences, calm the bashing or work it out beforehand. I applaud Chief Kanim students’ efforts to promote a new R-word: respect.
There will always be words that drive us crazy. Words like “massive,” “totally” and “unique” are overused or used incorrectly, but I wouldn’t ever want to see them disappear.
Thinking about language and civility is important in an era when people can comment instantly and anonymously on the Web. Online trolling has become a black art, a counterpoint to true community-minded discussion.
Your words still have power. Use them. Just mind the ‘its’ and go easy on the ‘totally.’
