Everyone really is entitled to their opinion

Rarely do more than a few days go by without someone inquiring how to submit a

letter to the editor, or why a letter they sent hasn’t been published. People

in the second category often want to know if their views were unacceptable to

the newspaper. They wonder — sometimes even allege — that the paper is only

interested in certain opinions.

It’s true that some awfully interesting

letters to the editor never make it into print in The Garden Island, but not

for any sinister reason cooked up by certain media conspiracy

theorists.

There is no letter litmus test at The GI. Simply, some

letterwriters, whether intentionally (when they want to vent anonymously) or by

accident, don’t include their name, address, telephone number or all three. And

that relegates their opinions to the cutting-room floor.

Otherwise, the

Forum — the section you’re in right now—is what its name implies. All

thoughts are welcome, whether they’re critical or in praise of government and

its officials, no matter what sacred cow—real or perceived—gets gored, and

regardless of whether or not the opinions are contrary to editorial positions

of The GI.

Also welcomed with open page is criticism of the newspaper.

You’ll l find these letters under the heading of Reader Feedback. Whether we

get a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down, we’ll pass it along any time readers take the

time to critique our news coverage and policies.

Newspapers are in a

position to criticize and probe, and they should also be willing to take as

good as they give. Readers deserve to know when we trip over our journalistic

feet. They also deserve a newspaper that isn’t thin-skinned.

Back to the

original point of getting a letter into print. The process is quite

simple:

* You put your thoughts in writing—preferably in 800 words or

less, and definitely without slandering anyone or using the kind of

objectionable language that isn’t heard in church.

* You provide your

name, address and telephone number—the name and community for publication, the

rest for verification of the writer in case there’s any doubt, which there

rarely is.

* You mail it to The Garden Island, care of letters to the

editor or the Forum, P.O. Box 231, Lihue, HI 96766. You bring it to our office

in Lihue at 3137 Kuhio Hwy. Or you e-mail it to ginews@aloha.net or fax it to

245-5286. And if you use e-mail but don’t trust its reliability, send the

letter more than one way, just to be sure we get it and you don’t wonder for

days or weeks about its fate.

On that note, we’ll try to acknowledge right

away receiving your letter. Then we’ll publish it within a few days or a little

later, depending on the subject’s timeliness. If a letter deals with a topic

that’s fresh in people’s minds, we’ll print it sooner than a letter that covers

something less immediate but every bit as important.

And every letter

really is important, because everybody is entitled to their

opinion.

Editor Pat Jenkins can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or

pjenkins@pulitzer.net