Letters to the Editor
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An observation (slightly OT)
I'm a conservative who reads blogs and letters columns on both sides of the fence, and very occasionally contributes to them. I've been following this particular thread closely, as I put my .03 in a bunch of pages back, then stood back to view the parade.
Comparing this letters page to, say, the one for American Spectator, I am struck by two things: One, the denizens of this liberal space are far more likely to hide their identities behind aliases or simply not give their names than my rightist counterparts. Compare the number of anonymous postings here with those on AmSpec. Second, the language on this site is far fouler than what I expect in discussion of topics as full of import as this. The nearly two-dozen pages of this thread alone are filled with vile, puerile, and childish vituperation that adds nothing but a stench to the debate.
I've always held it as a point of courage and honor in a free and open society to take responsibility and accountability for my beliefs in the public square. I was raised to understand this to be a mark of integrity and maturity. If one has something to say in our national debate, or wishes to take issue with the sincerely held and reasoned beliefs of another, one holds one's head high and speaks out, and does not hide behind a veil of anonymity.
I also believe, as an educated man and a writer who enjoys the poetry and peculiarity of the English language, that the use of sexual and scatological epithets indicates a failure of the speaker's vocabulary and, perhaps, intelligence. Our language has nearly infinite ways to express fact and opinion; to resort to the coarsest form of discourse - especially when addressing weighty matters - betrays only the user's laziness, lack of imagination, and immaturity.