It's really sad, but have you noticed the front page of the Union Democrat these past few weeks. Well, think about it. Really large color pictures or a compilation of pictures taking up the majority of the page.
Now to me, that say's they can't think about things to write about --- or the mentality of their readership only looks at the pictures...and the "News of Record".
About 20 years ago, the paper experimented with different fonts throughout the journal. I wrote a letter expressing my view that it was difficult to read and didn't seem to follow a flow. Well, let me tell you, I was skewered! Whew! Must have been 2 or 3 letters in response. Regardless, the newspaper today is right back where it was. One font.
Maybe it's the lack of journalists these days. Just plain people reporting the news and not inserting their opinion in the piece...letting the reader come to his own conclusions. That's what our paper does. Maybe it scares the readers away, when they can turn on TV, tune in F*xs news and being told the news and what to think about it too.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
I couldn't help myself
Letters to the Editor for July 23, 2010
Fox News
To the editor:
With regard to the letter from Dennis Gomes’ July 14 letter.
Isn’t Fox News considered an entertainment show rather than a news show? I’m not positive, but this could possibly be the reason its anchors were not included in the paper’s online poll.
Fox News typically presents an "opinion" of the news, which is why many of the stories are not factual and highly edited. I could be incorrect.
William E. Freeze
Jamestown
Fox News
To the editor:
With regard to the letter from Dennis Gomes’ July 14 letter.
Isn’t Fox News considered an entertainment show rather than a news show? I’m not positive, but this could possibly be the reason its anchors were not included in the paper’s online poll.
Fox News typically presents an "opinion" of the news, which is why many of the stories are not factual and highly edited. I could be incorrect.
William E. Freeze
Jamestown
Monday, April 5, 2010
A Response
Letter to the Editor
Because of the numerous responses to my March 19th letter, I feel I must respond
First of all, I’d like to apologize to those of you who were offended, however, a business that sells products produced in another country is hurting all of us, denying us the jobs that produce these products. This bothers me and if you stop and think about it, this should also bother you. It’s getting later than you think in America because without jobs there is little hope for the future.
“Walmart stores are designed to reflect the local community.” Those are their words, not mine. Do not confuse income levels with style or fashion. Retail stores rate themselves by sales per square foot. I would be curious to know where our local store fits it that scale because that’s what determines the amount, type and quality of merchandise the store stocks.
As I said, I shop at Walmart frequently because Wenzel’s, Mundorf’s, Toy World, Oliver Hardware, and Tots ‘n Teens along with a long list of others no longer exist in this community.
Because of the numerous responses to my March 19th letter, I feel I must respond
First of all, I’d like to apologize to those of you who were offended, however, a business that sells products produced in another country is hurting all of us, denying us the jobs that produce these products. This bothers me and if you stop and think about it, this should also bother you. It’s getting later than you think in America because without jobs there is little hope for the future.
“Walmart stores are designed to reflect the local community.” Those are their words, not mine. Do not confuse income levels with style or fashion. Retail stores rate themselves by sales per square foot. I would be curious to know where our local store fits it that scale because that’s what determines the amount, type and quality of merchandise the store stocks.
As I said, I shop at Walmart frequently because Wenzel’s, Mundorf’s, Toy World, Oliver Hardware, and Tots ‘n Teens along with a long list of others no longer exist in this community.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
What an insult!
I’m sure your seen the commercial on TV. It goes something like, ”… live better…Walmart”. As far as I’m concerned, I’m insulted.
Let’s face it; Walmart’s expressed appeal is to low-income families. It’s unfortunate that Walmart has driven out most of the stores that catered to medium to high-income families and forced some of us to shop like low-income families.
While they may be on the cutting edge, they are not on my cutting edge and they never will be. I shop there because I have to because there are few other local choices.
Walmart may be the county’s gift to those looking for part time, uninsured, employment, but let’s be honest and look at their real appeal. As for the sales tax revenue, great! What is it? $4.97.
Let’s face it; Walmart’s expressed appeal is to low-income families. It’s unfortunate that Walmart has driven out most of the stores that catered to medium to high-income families and forced some of us to shop like low-income families.
While they may be on the cutting edge, they are not on my cutting edge and they never will be. I shop there because I have to because there are few other local choices.
Walmart may be the county’s gift to those looking for part time, uninsured, employment, but let’s be honest and look at their real appeal. As for the sales tax revenue, great! What is it? $4.97.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Edited in a Letter to the Editor!
I thought for sure by now I would have been stopped, searched and jailed. Or left by the road to die.
I went for a haircut on Saturday, the day after the "Letter to the Editor" and my barber said to me, "Not all cops are bad, you know"! I thought it was odd because my letter didn't say I thought they were.
I guess had the editor left in the sentence about the "CHP assuming this willl happen" which gave the CHP credit for their training, been put in, it would have read entirely different. Oh well!
Life in the Wild West! What can I say!
I went for a haircut on Saturday, the day after the "Letter to the Editor" and my barber said to me, "Not all cops are bad, you know"! I thought it was odd because my letter didn't say I thought they were.
I guess had the editor left in the sentence about the "CHP assuming this willl happen" which gave the CHP credit for their training, been put in, it would have read entirely different. Oh well!
Life in the Wild West! What can I say!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wow, I've been published...and edited!
Today, the Union Democrat printed my letter to them regarding the story regarding the attack on the CHP officer with the heading, "More to story?". At the time of this writing, there was no online link but you can read what I wrote in the previous blog.
They left a sentence out which I felt gave credit to the CHP for being trained to "assume this will happen" at every stop. Fair or not fair? You be the judge.
The newspaper does reserve the right to edit for brevity, taste and style and I don't intend to make an issue of it. Just know that what you might want to convey might not get completely conveyed.
Thank you to the Staff for publishing me and I hope you will continue to do so.
They left a sentence out which I felt gave credit to the CHP for being trained to "assume this will happen" at every stop. Fair or not fair? You be the judge.
The newspaper does reserve the right to edit for brevity, taste and style and I don't intend to make an issue of it. Just know that what you might want to convey might not get completely conveyed.
Thank you to the Staff for publishing me and I hope you will continue to do so.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Safety, Service and Security
That’s the motto of the CHP. This letter is written concerning the recent article in the Union Democrat about an attack on a CHP officer (2/5/2010).
An 18-year-old boy driving with his mother doesn’t seem to be the setting for belligerence unless an element of fear was present. I believe a thoughtful question would be – what would cause an element of fear in an 18 year old, driving with his mother?
This boy would hardly have had many previous encounters with the CHP so I believe it is reasonable to assume the element of fear comes from the perception of the public at large. We aren’t told how the encounter began. There seems to have been more to this than was furnished such as, “Was Mom wearing a seatbelt?”
While it’s another stop to the CHP “assuming this will happen” when I think about what this incident does to this young boy, it leaves a horrible mark on his record at this young age. The CHP says they provide, “Safety, Service and Security” on our highways as there is an overwhelming vast majority are law abiding citizens who need to drive on our roads and this incident seems to have turned into anything but.
On a side note, many people think my father, the long-time CPA, is the author of these letters but they are written by his son, to clarify.
An 18-year-old boy driving with his mother doesn’t seem to be the setting for belligerence unless an element of fear was present. I believe a thoughtful question would be – what would cause an element of fear in an 18 year old, driving with his mother?
This boy would hardly have had many previous encounters with the CHP so I believe it is reasonable to assume the element of fear comes from the perception of the public at large. We aren’t told how the encounter began. There seems to have been more to this than was furnished such as, “Was Mom wearing a seatbelt?”
While it’s another stop to the CHP “assuming this will happen” when I think about what this incident does to this young boy, it leaves a horrible mark on his record at this young age. The CHP says they provide, “Safety, Service and Security” on our highways as there is an overwhelming vast majority are law abiding citizens who need to drive on our roads and this incident seems to have turned into anything but.
On a side note, many people think my father, the long-time CPA, is the author of these letters but they are written by his son, to clarify.
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