Published 1/31/09 in
the Longmont Times-Call

T-C LINE CALLERS SHOULD NOT BE
ALLOWED TO BREAK THE RULES

The Times-Call’s rules for the T-C Line say that calls that are highly critical of local individuals or organizations or that disagree with opinions stated in signed letters to the editor will not be used. But what about using calls that AGREE with the derogatory opinions expressed in a signed letter that were personally directed at another letter writer?

Such seems to be the fate of Ida Mae Ray, whose letter stating some of her religious beliefs was published on 1/23/09. On 1/25/09, a rebuttal letter extremely critical of Ray from Vicki Mead appeared.

What adds salt to the wound in this episode is the cleverly devised attack on Ray, without even mentioning her name, that followed in Monday’s (1/26/09) T-C Line, “Hear, Hear, to Letter Writer” -- four responses which seem to have turned the signed-letters limitation on its head. Either that, or maybe the T-C rules need tightening to assure fairness to all open-forum contributors. Any discussion on this?

Disclosure: I do not know either person named here.

P.