I appreciated the Journal editorial on citizen participation in democratic processes by way of letters submitted to news media opinion columns (“So, wherein lies the rub?” Feb. 25, pg. 7).
One of your concerns is letters that may border on “fanning the flames.”
Most would agree that fanning the flames is a tricky point to define. One writer’s candor could be interpreted by another person as an attack.
This is especially true with controversies that rise to the boiling point with little preliminary simmering. We have not, for example, really had much time to absorb the reality that marijuana is now a legal recreational drug. The new law has challenging implications.
Writing letters to editors is a time-honored practice for all of us who fulminate in pursuit of truth, justice, and the American way.
When the Charter Review Commission was deliberating and, in my view, showing poor judgment in its recommendations (which the voters followed), I lived in a state of apoplexy. Dozens of us wrote letters, some over the top but most well-supported.
Now that the battle is over and the steam has stopped coming out of my ears, I can look back at that time without embarrassment about anything I wrote.
We get angry and we are polarized by the same conflicts that bedevil the rest of the country but most of us on this little island are good people who have no desire to use the written word carelessly.
I believe the ultimate responsibility lies with the writer. The Journal’s charge is to follow its own policies and exercise common sense.
The Journal might also remind us occasionally of good advice. Write to instruct, not to impress. Use the language as a constructive instrument, not a tool for maiming the opposition.
Ask yourself what you expect to accomplish by writing. Be civil. Support and explain your points. Be clear. Confine your letter to a focus narrow enough to be understood.
Remember that letters from citizens can be influential in advancing the progress of ideas.
Be a participant, not solely a spectator.
Janice Peterson, San Juan Island
