Letters policy cuts into freedoms

"The editor reserves the right to edit all submissions [of letters to the Editor] for length, content and style."

This sentence jumped off the page when I read it in the Dec. 16 Local.

For the editor to take such liberties with letters which we write to the Local completely destroys the purpose of letters to the editor.

If my name is signed to a published letter, it must not be changed in any way by anyone or it is no longer my letter. It becomes, then, merely an interpretation of my thoughts, and this completely defeats the whole concept.

Letters to the editor are our opportunity to express our opinions to one another, to "converse" on important issues, to exchange ideas, and, most importantly, to participate in the unfolding of programs, ideas, and all activities which abound in our community.

If the editor is able to change the "content and style" of our thoughts and opinions this is censorship beyond anything I can recall in my 40 years or so of involvement with our community.

As to the length of these letters, this, of course, must be controlled, but not so stringently that the person's ideas and thoughts are watered down, or become unrecognizable. The editor, however, must do this with the full consent of the writer, not unilaterally.

I recall one time when an excellent article was written about me concerning the civil rights movement. Someone of the Local editorial staff added a sentence at the beginning of the article which changed the essence of my thoughts and feelings.

Such things can happen and this is only one example from my personal experience.

The writer must approve any changes to his or her letters to the editor. This tradition is an extremely important one and is an essential element in the concept of freedom of the press. To edit our letters without our consent cuts deeply into this freedom and it is something I feel we cannot permit in our community.

Our new editor has come with the finest credentials and recommendations. There is no question about that, and we are very grateful for his skills. But to alter the content and style of our letters not only denies us the full expression of our ideas but also deprives the community of the chance to hear them and understand them and to respond to them. This exchange is an essential function of the Local and we should never lose it. This is how we "talk" to each other. And this is the only way we are able to do in such a public and open way.

So this change in policy is one that I feel I cannot accept and I hope and believe that others will feel the same.

Mary Anna Ross Cowper
Member, Board of Directors CHCA

Arrogance on display

Mr. Ralph West has distinguished himself, in his Dec. 16, 2004 opinion piece in the Local, as the poster child for pseudo-intellectual arrogance.

It may not be clear to Mr. West, but it certainly was to the overwhelming majority of American people, that George Bush won a decisive victory on Nov. 2, as evidenced by his nearly 4 million vote margin over John Kerry.

The entire thesis of Mr. West's article is the condescending presumption that anyone living in a "red state" who voted for President Bush is obviously stupid and uninformed. He is disheartened that he and his fellow educators have failed dismally to "inculcate our standards into the population," as if he and like-minded snobs have the unalienable right to teach the rest of us what we should believe and how we should think because they clearly know better than we do. It is that very attitude that has resulted in the disintegration of the national Democratic Party, and which no longer tolerates the moderate views of people like Senators Joe Lieberman, Zell Miller, and Evan Bayh.

Mr. West accuses Bush supporters of "contempt for fact," but I submit that it is Mr. West and like-minded intellectual elitists who are the contemptuous ones, as they look down upon anyone who dares to challenge their view of the world. He brands anyone who does not share his views as suffering from an "anti-intellectual mentality," equating it with the mentality of a "C" student.

As a proud and loyal supporter of our "dumbed-down" president, and the values of today's Republican party, I can only hope (and yes, pray), that Mr. West and all those very smart people in the blue states continue to espouse their "intellectual firepower" in the years to come, thereby insuring the continued disintegration and self-destruction of the extreme left-wing of the Democratic party.

Sharon M. Reiss
Mt. Airy

Bush-bashing must end

I have to admit it; I cannot take it anymore. I can not take these liberal, Bush-bashing, sore losers who will not take down their Kerry signs, and I can not take these same people writing in to the Local each week complaining about what a bad job the President -- our President -- is doing.

I was not going to write in and vent my disgust with these people; however, Mr. West's article in last week's issue clearly displayed what is truly wrong with this nation. It is not the President; it is those people that bash him. First of all, Mr. West stated that it was not clear who won the presidency this November; however, how can he say that when President Bush's opponent (who probably had Mr. West's vote) actually conceded defeat, saying that even if all of the votes were counted, it would still not be enough for victory. You are a sore loser, Mr. West, as are many around Chestnut Hill, and you need to get over yourselves because, let's face it, this nation will never improve with the divide that is rapidly forming throughout it. We need to support whoever is the President whether we agree with him or not, because we have turned into a nation that takes one issue, and beats it like a dead horse.

It has been made clear that many people do not believe Mr. Bush as being an intelligent man, but they are so hung up on that idea that their eyes are blind to the fact that this bashing is doing nothing but hurting our nation. Mr. West said the President is responsible for the "dumbing down" of America, where as in fact, it is people like him who are impeding the progress of this country with their parochial views and complete disregard for the respect that the President deserves.

Now I understand that many have died in this war, some have been innocent and some have been not, but I am not one to turn my back on my President and on my nation. No matter what grades he pulled throughout his schooling, I support the President because of his values and because he is a good American, something that I could not say about Senator Kerry and something that I cannot say about you, Mr. West; but don't be upset, if we are returning to the ways of the Middle Ages, before the time of computers and absentee ballots, feel free to go house by house and count everyone's votes by yourself; because maybe then you will finally see who truly won the election and you will not have to cry about it any more.

It is revolting to read such liberal propaganda in the Local every week, and so I hope through this letter, those true Americans can see that they are not alone, because I know it sure feels like it.

Joe Baker Jr.
Chestnut Hill

Deserving of tribute

Your recent article on Fred Voigt was well deserved. For a generation he has been the moving spirit of the Committee of Seventy and has contributed to many efforts, large and small, from the school district to many aspects of city government. He has not always been popular, but the thrust of his efforts has contributed to the integrity of many functions of Philadelphia. Fred still has a lot to contribute.

The Local would be well advised to take advantage of some of the Committee of Seventy publications, as do many other community newspapers.

W.W. Keen Butcher
Chestnut Hill

Urbanization not wanted

Editor's note: The following letter was also sent to Clarena Tolson, Commissioner of Streets, city engineer Joseph Syrnick and the Philadelphia Historical Commission.

On behalf of the Chestnut Hill Historical Society, I am writing to express our deep concern regarding the proposed plan for the renovation of East Bell's Mill road in Chestnut Hill. The Chestnut Hill Historical Society works tirelessly to maintain our National Historic District. A major contributing factor within our historic district is the preservation of important elements within the environment. Safe, tree-lined, stone bordered roads make up a critical element. It is a characteristic that is inherent to Chestnut Hill, and one that contributes greatly to why people want to live here.

We commend the city of Philadelphia and the Department of Streets for its action in making East Bell's Mill Road one way in 1992. This action has helped to make the road safe. We would also welcome the removal of the barriers at the curve in the road that are currently inhibiting drainage, creating a slippery, wet road surface, and which in and of themselves could be a hazard, and request that the curve itself be adjusted to create a safer road.

People move to Chestnut Hill because of its historic atmosphere. The urbanization that the proposed renovation will create is exactly what residents move here to avoid. We would ask that beyond the repairs to Bell's Mill Road previously mentioned, the city put its remaining available dollars into the repair and rehabilitation of Cresheim Valley Drive as soon as possible. The closing of that street has created a hardship on the many streets and residences surrounding Cresheim Valley, and has caused very serious traffic issues on those surrounding streets, increasing traffic so much that it is becoming dangerous for the pedestrians using the sidewalks that are available in that section of our community.

We thank you for your immediate attention to these issues, and look forward to assisting you in expediting these important projects.

Concerned residents may contact Ms. Tolson or Joseph Syrnick by e-mail at csstreets@phila.gov , or at:

Department of Streets

Seventh Floor, Municipal Services Building

Philadelphia, PA 19102-1676

Patricia Marian Cove
President, Chestnut Hill Historical Society