LETTER: Letters should stick to issues

To the Editor:

So often we watch the talking heads on television rip apart the credibility of some personality or another and it seems like sport after a while. We see it often enough; character assassination in place of news reporting and journalism.

It used to be rare, but now we see it on all of the cable networks. It has become sort of an entertainment for some folks. For others, they don’t know where the imaginary line between TV land and polite society is drawn.

The point is that when a letter to the editor is written, it would best serve the greater public good if it were to focus on an issue. To bring attention to a civic point of interest, or question a policy is the traditional use of the Letter to the Editor.

Recently, letters which have been deeply and personally critical of individuals who have written about issues have been seen on this page. This is unseemly. No matter what your political views, there is no call to ostracize your neighbor in the public forum.

Writers of letters which attack a member of our community would be harmless if our newspaper was responsible to omit them from print. It is poor form for the New Richmond News to participate in this bullying by printing such letters.

This is my specific case in point: Ed Knops’ letters to the editor reflect his opinions and do not attack any member of our community. If anyone holds a contrary position they are welcome to offer that opinion. This should and must not require that Ed be berated for his own opinion or for his judgment of source material.

Ed Knops is a very conservative Republican. I respect that. He is a stand-up member of our community. I appreciate that. Moreover Ed Knops is my friend, and my life is better for that.

Dan Hansen

vice chair, St. Croix County Democrats

New Richmond

Tags: letters to the editor, opinion