Letter to Leonard Pitts of The Miami Herald

Easter Sunday April 8, 2007

Dear Mr. Leonard Pitts of the MIAMI HERALD,

Thank you for your column "Lord, Give Us Strength to Go On" in the Sunday, April 8 issue of the TRI-CITY HERALD in Eastern Washington state. You wrote the response I wish I had written after receiving a mean-spirited e-mail about the blizzard of Biblical proportions and the noble survivors who did not ask for or receive any government aid, unlike the welfare-grabbing survivors of Katrina. The third time it came to me, I finally replied, "This is one of the most mean-spirited e-mails I have ever received, and I hope never to receive it again."There must be a cult of writers who all sound alike as they crank out attacks against John Kerry, who was a decorated wounded combat veteran; or the woman whose son was killed, but we don't need to respect her grief or her demonstrations against George W. because she didn't have custody of the son and wasn't a good enough mother' or the soldier's wife in a restaurant who tells off some anti-war people who have the gall to criticize "my President"; or the soldier in Iraq who somehow has the time and resources to investigate and document all the wonderful things the army is doing while fighting and bringing democracy to the Middle East. I can understand the motivation of the Bush propaganda cadre, but I'll be darned if I can figure out who pays for the teat-jerking sentimental stories we all receive and MUST FORWARD or our hearts will stop beating and everyone will know we're jerks, or worse yet they blather on about our government being based on the 10 Commandments and how and where and when we must all agree to pray. You're a professional writer. Maybe you know who writes this claptrap and why.Thanks again for your editorial. I admire your patience.

Sincerely,

LAUREL PIIPPO,

Retired Teacher of English

Cranky Old Woman Activist