My Response to my First Hate Mail Letter to the Editor.
I think it would be best to take Alex's letter point by point, that's only fair.
What happened to the greats? What happened to the writers who peeved us but also made us chuckle?
Okay, fair assumption. The Orion has had some darn good opinion columnists.
It used to be a weekly pleasure opening up the opinion section and getting a wide variety of views transmitted with keen wit and by such names as Ryan Sabalow, Jory John, and Sarah Knowlton.
I'll agree with you on the keen wit, but "wide variety" I'm not sure on, because at least two of the people you named are admittedly quite liberal. Odd you mention those names, Alex. Ryan is the guy that got me interested in writing opinion, although I'm not sure he really knows that, and Sarah--who is still on the staff as Entertainment editor-- is someone I've taken several classes with (including, ironically, the class you and I are together in) and is just a darn good journalist, period (well, so's Ryan, who is now working for the paper in Auburn, he did place in the Hearst competition).
This year all I read is pretentious whining, especially from a Mr. Robert LaHue.
Well, glad to hear you just don't hate my guts, buddy. Or maybe I don't, because Kyle, Greg and Sarah are all strong writers.
Robert, I realize this is going to be awkward since I sit right across from you in class
No, it's not. If you think you're the first person I've had in a class to question my writing and my politics, think again, but I of course do question you mentioning that in 10,000 copies of print when it doesn't really add much to your argument.
where, curiously, you've barely uttered a word all semester--but I'm sick of this, man.
Two things here--I participate in class as much as you do, by my recollection, and once again, what does that even have to do with anything? I write my opinions once a week in print, that means I've got to be a chatterbox in an intermediate-level poetry class? I'm not going to talk if I don't feel as though I have anything constructive and worthwhile to say about the work. Period. If I wasn't talking enough in class, Jeanne would call me on it. Trust me, I know, this is the third class I've had with her. Don't stress.
All you do in your column is bitch and complain about everyone and everything you don't like
Okay, your opinion. Fair enough. But, I must point out, your three Dream Teamers up there used their columns to complain about stuff a lot, too. Run a background search of their names on the Orion website and read their stuff. I especially like Ryan's column on telemarketers, and Sarah's on the peeing Calvin car stickers.
(as a lover of cultured milk enzymes, I take particular offense to the comment you made Sept. 1 about cheese being a stupid topic to talk about)
I eat about a half-pound to pound of cheese a week myself. :D Also, it was September 8th.
and your Superman/Kryptonite analogies aren't funny, either.
Ouch.
Recently, however, you've moved beyond cliches and inconsequential nitpicking. Now you're distorting facts.
Okay, that is the most serious accusation you can make about a journalist. Better have something to back that up.
In you criticism of John Kerry during the first debate, you claim, "I'm also wondering how Kerry knows Osama bin Laden is in Afghanistan, when the coalition forces commander in Afghanistan says he's not." If you had been watching without bias, you would have noticed what Kerry acutally said was that bin laden became trapped in Tora Bora during the Afghanistan campaign but, because Bush failed to send in enough American troops to finish the job, he got away and is now missing.
You're right about what Kerry said. He said that line a good three or four times, it was hard to miss it. He also said bin Laden is still in Afghanistan once, and in passing. Also, out of curiosity, since I was watching with so much bias (I didn't know I had to watch impartially, being an OPINION columnist and all), was any of my criticism of Bush off?
Whether bin Laden really was in Tora Bora at that time was debatable, but Kerry never said bin Laden is still in Afghanistan, as you claimed.
Lemme see...I jotted down the note the second he said it. I wasn't recalling it through a drunken haze the morning after or anything. I was also watching it on a large-screen TV with the volume plenty high for me hear what Kerry was saying. I'm sure he said that.
Get your facts straight and don't mislead the public like our commander-and-thief.
Wait...could this be exposing a true intention?
Ironically, you ended your column with "(The debate) was everythhing I expected: name-calling, finger-pointing and trash-talking..." well those are exactly the kinds of things your writing does exceptionally well each week.
Well, we agree it is doing something good at least. Wonder what you're going to say about that poem we're critiquing in class this week...
Cheers, and I'll see ya Thursday in class!
Yep. See you there. If I feel like speaking up, I will. I wouldn't expect anything else for you or the other 20-something people for who you just made a whole lot of unnecessary tension.
What happened to the greats? What happened to the writers who peeved us but also made us chuckle?
Okay, fair assumption. The Orion has had some darn good opinion columnists.
It used to be a weekly pleasure opening up the opinion section and getting a wide variety of views transmitted with keen wit and by such names as Ryan Sabalow, Jory John, and Sarah Knowlton.
I'll agree with you on the keen wit, but "wide variety" I'm not sure on, because at least two of the people you named are admittedly quite liberal. Odd you mention those names, Alex. Ryan is the guy that got me interested in writing opinion, although I'm not sure he really knows that, and Sarah--who is still on the staff as Entertainment editor-- is someone I've taken several classes with (including, ironically, the class you and I are together in) and is just a darn good journalist, period (well, so's Ryan, who is now working for the paper in Auburn, he did place in the Hearst competition).
This year all I read is pretentious whining, especially from a Mr. Robert LaHue.
Well, glad to hear you just don't hate my guts, buddy. Or maybe I don't, because Kyle, Greg and Sarah are all strong writers.
Robert, I realize this is going to be awkward since I sit right across from you in class
No, it's not. If you think you're the first person I've had in a class to question my writing and my politics, think again, but I of course do question you mentioning that in 10,000 copies of print when it doesn't really add much to your argument.
where, curiously, you've barely uttered a word all semester--but I'm sick of this, man.
Two things here--I participate in class as much as you do, by my recollection, and once again, what does that even have to do with anything? I write my opinions once a week in print, that means I've got to be a chatterbox in an intermediate-level poetry class? I'm not going to talk if I don't feel as though I have anything constructive and worthwhile to say about the work. Period. If I wasn't talking enough in class, Jeanne would call me on it. Trust me, I know, this is the third class I've had with her. Don't stress.
All you do in your column is bitch and complain about everyone and everything you don't like
Okay, your opinion. Fair enough. But, I must point out, your three Dream Teamers up there used their columns to complain about stuff a lot, too. Run a background search of their names on the Orion website and read their stuff. I especially like Ryan's column on telemarketers, and Sarah's on the peeing Calvin car stickers.
(as a lover of cultured milk enzymes, I take particular offense to the comment you made Sept. 1 about cheese being a stupid topic to talk about)
I eat about a half-pound to pound of cheese a week myself. :D Also, it was September 8th.
and your Superman/Kryptonite analogies aren't funny, either.
Ouch.
Recently, however, you've moved beyond cliches and inconsequential nitpicking. Now you're distorting facts.
Okay, that is the most serious accusation you can make about a journalist. Better have something to back that up.
In you criticism of John Kerry during the first debate, you claim, "I'm also wondering how Kerry knows Osama bin Laden is in Afghanistan, when the coalition forces commander in Afghanistan says he's not." If you had been watching without bias, you would have noticed what Kerry acutally said was that bin laden became trapped in Tora Bora during the Afghanistan campaign but, because Bush failed to send in enough American troops to finish the job, he got away and is now missing.
You're right about what Kerry said. He said that line a good three or four times, it was hard to miss it. He also said bin Laden is still in Afghanistan once, and in passing. Also, out of curiosity, since I was watching with so much bias (I didn't know I had to watch impartially, being an OPINION columnist and all), was any of my criticism of Bush off?
Whether bin Laden really was in Tora Bora at that time was debatable, but Kerry never said bin Laden is still in Afghanistan, as you claimed.
Lemme see...I jotted down the note the second he said it. I wasn't recalling it through a drunken haze the morning after or anything. I was also watching it on a large-screen TV with the volume plenty high for me hear what Kerry was saying. I'm sure he said that.
Get your facts straight and don't mislead the public like our commander-and-thief.
Wait...could this be exposing a true intention?
Ironically, you ended your column with "(The debate) was everythhing I expected: name-calling, finger-pointing and trash-talking..." well those are exactly the kinds of things your writing does exceptionally well each week.
Well, we agree it is doing something good at least. Wonder what you're going to say about that poem we're critiquing in class this week...
Cheers, and I'll see ya Thursday in class!
Yep. See you there. If I feel like speaking up, I will. I wouldn't expect anything else for you or the other 20-something people for who you just made a whole lot of unnecessary tension.
Robert said this @ 11:38:00 PM
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