Friday, August 11, 2006

My local paper will print pretty much any letter sent to its editor.
Here are two examples from today's paper:
When the weather is hot outside, the best thing to do is find shade or eat ice cream. Swimming is also a good idea. Make sure sunscreen is always put on to help with skin protection from the sun. Summer is always a good thing and a bad thing. So, be careful what you do in the summer and don't do too much.

SHAUNA LIPPMAN
Kingsville
Letter, Windsor Star, Friday, August 11, 2006
Why is The Windsor Star reprinting this mis-information? If there is a heat advisory if effect, the public health board doesn't advise us to eat ice cream. Is this supposed to be cute?

In response to the letter by S.Wilder, Why No Support For Our Olympic Medallists? (July 25): I would just like to clear something up. I did not write that letter, for if I had, I would have signed my full name. Just for the record, my opinions are not the same as the author's.
SARAH WILDER
Windsor
Letter, Windsor Star, Friday, August 11, 2006
You know the city of Windsor has a population over 200,000. But from reading the Letters to the Editor, you'd think we are living in a village.

I think I'm going to have to start best of collection of Windsor Star Letters. I wish I had done this sooner as there are so many coffee-spitting letters that could be candidates for such a collection. I even remember my very first Windsor Letter to the Editor that made my jaw drop into my morning cereal. From the archives:
I am writing to let this community know that I am ashamed to be a citizen of Windsor.

In this city it is perfectly legal to be a stripper, an escort, or a person on social assistance. It is not legal, however, to be a hard-working university graduate who works six days a week and has a hobby of collecting American coins for her children.

On Sunday, July 29, I was in Jackson Park collecting U.S. coins, mostly pennies, from the fountain that my tax dollars helped to create. I was suddenly startled by a police officer who hollered at me to throw the coins back into the fountain because they belong to the City of Windsor.

He even threatened to take me to the police station and book me for theft if I did not throw the approximately 60 cents back into the water.

He belittled me in front of a crowd of people, called me a child, said I was rude and should know better. He also told me to not come back to the park.

Excuse me, but the tax dollars taken from my hard-earned paycheques should more than cover the 60 cents I had in my hand. And to the lady who ran to get the police officer, shame on you!

There is little pleasure to be derived from this city if one does not drink, smoke, gamble or engage in promiscuous activity. Perhaps I should pay for a prostitution licence. Then I'd be able to make a lot more than 60 cents.

DIANA PEARCE
Windsor
Letter, Windsor Star, Friday, August 1, 2001

I'm still at a loss of words over this letter.

2 comments:

WE Speak said...

That one was a classic. I remember the flood of answers received in the following weeks.

jodi said...

When we first came to Windsor I used to read the letters aloud to Peter every morning (but had to stop because after a while it just made him angry). I especially love the ones, like your prostitution letter above, that bring together two completely separate issues in order to illustrate the unfair position the letter writer is in: "why is the city planning to spend so much money on a new arena when I can't even watch satellite t.v. in my own home?" was a common argument back when Windsor residents were getting busted for stealing satellite signals. Pete and I are pretty sure that they won't publish anything unless it's written in crayon; I'd love to send in some letters written in crayon to test this theory.