The Rabid And The Reactionary

Editor's note: Here's my latest response to some of the obtuse opinions on the editorial page of The Leavenworth Echo. We'll see if Publisher Bill Forhan, who owns a number of weekly publications in North Central Washington, runs it. He didn't print my last letter, even though he has a standing policy of printing all letters.

In response to "Liberal Drivel Must End" in the 7/27/11 edition of The Leavenworth Echo, the irony will be clearly evident to readers that Bill Cowles needs to take a look in the mirror.

The word "drivel" is defined as "saliva flowing from the mouth, or mucus from the nose" or, in a secondary context, "childish, silly or meaningless talk, nonsense or twaddle." Cowles accomplishes both with his letter to the editor.

In the first instance, Cowles illustrates in no uncertain terms that he is foaming at the mouth. His continued attacks on other so-called "liberal" letter writers shows a mean-spirited attempt to dinimish their perspectives while offering few original thoughts of his own. What little substance he offers is unattributed.

In terms of the second definition, his grammar and style are atrocious. Case in point is the line: "I realize the deserved negative tone of this letter because I am sick to death of reading the false and asinine attacks of the liberals on us conservatives." Huh?

Publisher, continuing to print such nonsense is doing nothing to enhance the credibility of The Leavenworth Echo's editorial page. Like the Leavenworth City Council, perhaps The Leavenworth Echo should consider a noise ordinance of its own.

Editor's postscript: Well, it took him about a month, but Publisher Bill Forhan did publish my letter, along with the following comment.

"Thanks for that opinion, John. I would say that free speech doesn't guarantee freedom from exposure to the thoughts of those we feel are less enlightened than we are. I can guarantee I see plenty of noise on both sides of the argument."

My comment to his comment? "Yes, Bill, it's true that even a neanderthal like Bill Cowles can have an opinion, but do we have to hear about it every week in The Echo? You're not that hard up for letters, are you?"