Editor's Column
by Mike Richeson
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Anonymous criticism
is cowardly whining
As I read this letter, a number of wonderful imprecatory Psalms came to mind, but my nature rooted in Christ intervened, and I was quick to forgive. Likewise, the first draft of this column wasn't complimentary toward our dagger-throwing ghost writer, but I remembered Proverbs 26:4, which says, "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself."
Nevertheless, I believe that letters such as this one offer an opportunity to learn. The anonymous writer brought up a number of concerns that should be addressed to the entire student body.
The first half of the indictment is a top-10 list of negative reactions toward my column, and the rest was directed toward The Voice as a whole.
No. 7 in the list asked, "Since when should news writing and creative writing go hand-in-hand so closely?"
The space dedicated solely to the editor of the paper is a column, not a news article. I have free rein to cover any topic I choose and offer my opinion. Occasionally I will cover topics in the news, but again, I am reacting to the news, not merely reporting it.
As for the statement that my column is creative, well, thank you.
No. 10 on the list asked, "Why does the editor have so many articles in his own newspaper?"
I didn't want to make this known, but because people are catching on, I will reveal myself: In my ever-increasing greed for power and Multnomah domination, I am controlling all major articles to shape you into my personal vision.
Oh, wait, the real reason is that The Voice has five writers trying to fill 12 pages. You can do the math, but we all have to write a lot.
Our typist in the night also commented that people were using my column as a type of bathroom supply, if you catch my meaning.
Far be it from me to criticize anyone so devoted to recycling. I prefer a softer two-ply myself, but I'm sure The Voice will do in an emergency. Greenpeace commends you.
As for the rest of the letter, most was utterly offensive. The writer used words such as "abortion-worthy" and "piece of fermented horse apple" to describe our work.
The October cover story about gay marriage drew our friend's ire, and he suggested that future cover stories include facts, relevancy and public interest. The couple the story focused on made both Canadian and American news, and the story included a senior analyst from Focus on the Family and the executive director of Oregon's largest gay-rights organization. Irrelevant? I don't think so. Newsworthy? Most definitely.
Finally, the person encouraged us to "hit your knees and pray that God would show you the error of your ways." The Voice won't win a Pulitzer this year, but all of us work as unto the Lord to produce a student paper for Multnomah. We invest immense amounts of time in the paper, and if the Almighty himself is displeased with our work, I'm sure he will tell us.
With the exception of this letter, The Voice received many compliments. For that we are eternally grateful. I owe a special thanks to The Voice staff. They are gifted writers and work incredibly hard.
The Voice is a unique entity on campus in that we try to cover interesting and informative topics on and off campus with limited resources. All of us look forward to serving you this year, and we welcome story ideas, comments and even constructive criticism from the student body.
And to the person who sent me the anonymous hate mail, if you want to stop by the Journalism House and sign your letter, I will happily print it.
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