I spend quite a bit of time reading letters to the editors, both the New York Times and Daily News.
The News letters are more fun than the Times‘s. The News column is called Voice of the People, which tells you instantly that the editors don’t screen for abject ignorance, logic, grammar or racism. Two examples from yesterday (although the News publishes the names of the letter-writers, I won’t further embarrass them by doing so here):
Brooklyn: It absolutely amazes me how the police show so much restraint when dealing with the mostly white OWS protesters. This mob of people threw bottles, batteries and doused the police with vinegar. If this same mob had been mostly black, I’m pretty sure the police would’ve fired their guns at them at the slightest hint of aggression.
Rockaway Point: Just in time for the holidays, the Brooklyn Museum has on display a video of a cross with Jesus’ bloody body on it crawling with insects. This is art? This is just another instance of Catholic-bashing that happens to be very popular these days, especially around Christmastime. There, I said it—Christmas.
See how much fun that is? How many times did you think “Huh??” And these two letters are not the best—or worst, depending how you look at them—in the Daily News.
Which has nothing to do with yesterday’s Times‘ letters on the subject of the previous day’s article re training lawyers.
I pointed out that article had nothing to do with teaching young lawyers how to talk to and work with clients. Surprise! Of the six letters, five of which were from lawyers, none mentioned clients.
The last letter, though, had some charm and relevance to Sidebar:
Many years ago, as a third-year law student, I was almost hit by a bus in New York City. Once safely on the curb, I realized that if I’d been hit and survived such an accident, I had no idea whom, or how, to sue.
Irritating. — JULIE GAUGHRAN
Much to note here but I’ll let you note it. (I’m pretty sure Julie had no intention of going into personal injury law.)