Letters: "‘Happy Holidays’ is an appropriate sentiment"
My letter as submitted:
Editor:And as it appears in today's online edition:
I noted Councilman Lamerson's objection to the 'Happy Holidays' sign on City Hall in your story of Dec. 17, and I happened to take a look at it as I went about my business today. I feel compelled to offer my support for the decision-maker behind that sign and deplore the media-manufactured controversy that Mr Lamerson is abetting.
There is, of course, no 'war on Christmas.' I don't know about Mr Lamerson, but I've been seeing and hearing the 'Happy Holidays' greeting since the 1960s, and I'm sure it's older than that. What some people are worrying about now is the conscious choice to make the holiday period more inclusive, in the very spirit of community that is supposed to suffuse this part of the year. To contend against that and in effect declare Arizona's Christmas City as being exclusively for Christians is simply un-American and an affront to all of us who value religious liberty.
'Happy Holidays' is a perfectly appropriate sentiment to trumpet from the top of a public building in which decisions are made that should represent us all. A declaration of religious affiliation, however benign the intent, is clearly not. City Hall made a good decision.
EDITOR:
I noted Councilman Jim Lamerson’s objection to the “Happy Holidays” sign on City Hall in your Dec. 17 story, and I took a look at it as I went about my business. I feel compelled to offer my support for the decision-maker behind that sign and deplore the media-manufactured controversy that Councilman Lamerson is abetting.
There is, of course, no “war on Christmas.” I don’t know about Councilman Lamerson, but I’ve been seeing and hearing the “Happy Holidays” greeting since the 1960s, and I’m sure it’s older than that.
What some people are worrying about now is the conscious choice to make the holiday period more inclusive, in the very spirit of community that is supposed to suffuse this part of the year.
To contend against that and in effect declare Arizona’s “Christmas City” as being exclusively for Christians is simply un-American and an affront to all of us who value religious liberty.
“Happy Holidays” is a perfectly appropriate sentiment to trumpet from the top of a public building in which decisions are made that should represent us all.
A declaration of religious affiliation, however benign the intent, is clearly not.
City Hall made a good decision.
Fellow editors and others who believe details are important will note the arbitrary (and wrong) changes in quotemarks and graf breaks. I see the proper use of single quotes in the headline, so I can't infer that it's just a stylebook thing. More important are the changes from "Mr" to "Councilman." The changes in the first sentence are clunky, but clearly done for space -- after the arbitrary graf breaks blew air into it. It could be worse, but I have to ask myself: what is the purpose of the extra work someone is putting into the letters? For my answer, I look at the results.
Here's what you're supposed to be doing with letters, folks: Print them as submitted to the best of your ability -- meaning that your only reason to change anything is for space. Readers don't care about your stylebook and their choices do not reflect on you editorially, so there's no point in messing with them unless you intend to control what they're saying.
2 comments:
Steve,
Many times have I wanted to leave you a message while I was working on "The Daily Courier," but I could not, for the simple fact I was a reporter there. Now, I am no longer working for that publication, so I CAN say something.
I read your original letter, and the posted version. First of all, the slight changes did NOT change the meaning of your message, at all. So, lay off a little. Second, the use of single quotation marks in the headline is an AP style thing. EVERY newspaper across the country does that. However, that does not mean double quotes cannot be used in the actual article. In reality, that is the proper format most of the time.
The line breaks, as the Courier edited, make it quicker and easier for the reader to absorb the information. While you may disagree, you're not in the field these editors have worked in for 10+ years (broadcast is very different than newspaper and magazine writing).
And third, be happy the Courier even printed your letter. Not everything can always make it into the paper, for the sake of space. Everyone there knows who you are, and they still printed your stuff.
Also, the Courier does edit "Letters to the Editor" for grammar and stylistic context. If you went to journalism school, you'd understand the importance of consistancy in a publication. That's why Joseph Pulitzer created the AP stylebook, which every paper, from the L.A. Times to the Washington Post, uses. So please, stop picking at everything.
On a positive note, I do agree "Happy Holidays" includes everyone, as opposed to excluding some. See my column, "Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?"
Shari
Thanks for your input, Shari.
FYI my primary field for over two decades is editorial work for print publications and corporate communications, including supervisory experience. I'm conversant in several style guides, including AP (the sloppiest by far, and no, very few papers cleave entirely to AP). I know how to use a quote mark, believe me, and I'm well paid daily for that knowledge by professionals in your field.
=> the slight changes did NOT change the meaning of your message, at all.
The repetitive substitution of "Councilman" for "Mr," I would argue, adds an impression of deference that materially changes the tone of my letter. Mr Lamerson and I know each other, and I expect he heard that false note as well.
=> The line breaks, as the Courier edited, make it quicker and easier for the reader to absorb the information.
This is simply not true. This practice breaks up the chains of thought that paragraphs are designed to support.
My point is that all this fiddling is utterly unnecessary and wasteful at best, and can only serve the worst reflexes of those who would abuse editorial power.
As for laying off, I'm sure everyone's aware that this blog's been in cold storage for months. I've actually felt that the practices I was most concerned about in the beginning have been largely addressed by the editors, and there's been some positive change. There's much to be done -- I noticed a few days ago that the entire slot somehow forgot how to spell Fain Road in one story -- but the most egregious insults are toned down these days.
I'm Steven, by the way.
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