Letter to the Editor

Your view: Speakout

Friday, January 2, 2004

I never read SpeakOut columns, whether in your paper or your relative paper, the Southeast Missourian in Cape Girardeau.

The reason is they are so often cowardly attacks and criticisms by writers who don't have the nerve, character or intelligence to sign their names.

They are willing to give their often crazy opinions but do not want their names printed with the opinions.

I also have little respect for newspapers that print the craziness that appears in their SpeakOut columns.

I have worked for two daily newspapers, both larger than yours and the Missourians, and am a daily reader of the New York Times, Washington Post and from day to day different large, good dailies across the country. They do not print SpeakOuts.

They print Letters to the Editors that are signed by the authors.

Your SpeakOut article in your December 29 edition attacks the three papers in Mississippi County for having no guts. The anonymous writer says, "I would rather step on some people's toes than to live like a puppet all my life." Then they refuse to sign their name. It was brought into my office because my wife and I own and edit two of the three newspapers mentioned. As I said before, I don't read or respect that crap.

Shame on them. Shame on you.

Jim Anderson