LTTE published, but edited to sound like a lobotomy victim wrote it

[ProfessorPlum]

So, here was my original letter:

America has been called the home of the brave. Recent letters to the News Journal suggest, however, that cowardice has gripped the country. Patrick Henry’s famous quote, “Give me liberty or give me death!” has been replaced by “Please take away my liberties, because I’m scared to death!” If our enemies “hate us for our freedoms”, then they must be smiling as they read out citizens’ offers to allow the federal executive to spy on them, even illegally, if it will make us “safer”. It’s not at all clear that even with good intelligence, this administration is competent to protect its citizens from harm, as both 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina made tragically clear.

I urge all citizens of this country to be brave and defend your liberties, even if you weren’t using them anyway. Loyalty to your President can be a good thing, but you dishonor all of the brave people who have struggled and died for our freedoms when you throw them away. If we offer up our liberty in return for safety, we will be neither the home of the brave nor the land of free. We will become instead a country of cowards, rushing into the arms of Big Brother.

And here is what was published:

Cowards are eager to have government spy on them

America has been called the home of the brave. Recent letters to The News Journal suggest that cowardice has gripped the country. If our enemies hate us for our freedoms, then they must be smiling as they read how citizens offer to allow the president to spy on them, even illegally, if it will make us safer.

It's not at all clear that even with good intelligence this administration is competent to protect its citizens from harm, as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina made tragically clear.

Be brave and defend your liberties, even if you weren't using them anyway. If we offer up our liberty in return for safety, we will be neither the home of the brave nor the land of free. We will become a country of cowards, rushing into the arms of Big Brother.

Note the title they gave it.

What weird editing. They removed the Patrick Henry quote (which I thought was the best part), removed all the words I used to link the thoughts smoothly together, and changed some things to make it just dumber - "President" spying instead of parts of the federal executive, like the NSA.

I've had other LTTE's hacked up this way - it discourages me from writing more, when the ones they do publish make it sound like I'm pounding my keyboard with a rock. Anybody else experience this? Is there some recourse?

[RebelOne]

1. I have worked in publishing for many years now

and I know LTTEs are often edited down because of space limitations.

[ProfessorPlum]

4. Not this one

They routinely publish LTTEs that are many times the size of my original.

Almost every other letter they published today was larger than my original. I get your point, which is why I kept my first submission compact.

[patdem]

2. This post should be a LTTE in itself...see if they publish that..word for

word. I like the "pounding my keyboard with a rock." comment. DARE them to publish this!

[babylonsister]

3. Prof, that would really enrage me. Someone is

trying to justify their salary by butchering what you wrote, watering down your point in the process.
I guess it wouldn't do any good to write a letter pointing out how the editors botched it; I imagine you are frustrated!

[SmokingJacket]

5. My husband made a huge stink about this very thing.

Told the editor that the letters had to be published AS IS or not at all. Because, seriously, a hack job letter is often worse than no letter.

Recently we got a new editor who edits very lightly or not at all. And the LTTE page is much more interesting to read.

[ProfessorPlum]

8. That's probably a good idea

I wonder if they would agree to do that - publish as is or not at all. I'll definitely bring it up with them.

[slor]

6. They did not appear to save much space...

by "editing" your clear, concise, and most importantly, effective, LTTE. Well done, and for what it is worth, please know that I appreciate your original very much.

[abluelady]

7. It's Been Done to Me, too.

And it seems to me that the sentence that I consider the most important is always the one they cut out. That, in itself, is so telling.

[sandnsea]

9. Once it was

In much the same way as yours, chopped down with commas and connectors removed. Dumbed down. But it was in People, so hey, I wasn't about to complain.

My local LTTE's are always printed as written. I don't know why the difference in policy. Your first one would have met space requirements in my local paper. So I don't know. But I'm wondering if you've just got an editor who believes everybody reads like a 6th grader. It's a shame, I liked "take away my liberties because I'm scared to death" too.

[CrispyQ]

10. Your original is excellent!

I agree with others who said you should contact the editorial director & let him/her know your upset. I would also include something about that terrible title. :wtf: I would expect a title like that from the Enquirer, not a real newspaper.



on edit: Do they mention a limitation of words for LTTE? If so & yours is within the limit, I would mention that fact, as well.

[ProfessorPlum]

11. Thanks

no, it wasn't because of length. Most of the letters on the same page are longer than my original.

I just got off the phone with the editor in charge of that dept., and he said I could include a request to have letters published as is or not at all, but he kind of laughed and added that "everything was subject to editing". I expect him to respect that kind of request, but what the hell?

[woodsprite]

12. Read your letter this morning and told

hubby that it wasn't exactly what you wrote. Thanks for reposting. Someone mentioned the other day that the paper is know as the News Urinal. I think anybody that's ever had to deal with them knows why others feel that way.

Could you put it in the Newark Post also? They posted a HUGE LTTE the other day supporting views again Christina School District referendum vote. It was split between pages.

[ProfessorPlum]

13. That's a good idea

Thanks for sticking up for my original! I'll contact the Post with it as well.

[ProfessorPlum]

14. Newark Post editorial submissions reads like they won't take

letters about national topics. We'll see what happens.

[tenshi816]

15. Seems like they should've at least let you know

what they were changing. I had a letter published in one of the British papers some years back and someone from the paper phoned me to get my permission to edit the letter, and then went through it with me sentence by sentence explaining which changes needed to be made.

[ProfessorPlum]

16. Geez, that would have been nice.

No, they phoned me to double check it really was me submitting the letter. That's it.

[woodsprite]

17. They took out your part about loyalty to the Pres. and

not supporting our troops. The most important line in your whole letter!

[ProfessorPlum]

18. Yes, that puzzled me.

I SAID loyalty was sometimes a good thing - what do they want?

[ddeclue]

19. Not to be too harsh but...

I like the edited version better. It has stronger sentences and is more to the point. As far as I can tell they neither made you sound stupid nor did they edit out a "not" or ellipsis out something to make you "for" something you were previously against.

Rule of thumb for LTTE's (and I'm guilty too) keep them under 250 words, preferably under 150 words.

Doug D.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

20. I agree

It's a hideous butchering of concise writing but please keep your faith and keep up the good work. Even a butchered letter is better than no letter at all. The editor may be attempting to discourage you. Thank you for writing it.