Your Views - The Oklahoman | Newsok.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR


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WHAT WE LOOK FOR

  1. Brevity and focus. Cover your topic in the fewest possible words. Get to your main point quickly. Stay focused on your key points.
  2. Readability. Readers are attracted to short sentences. Avoid using too many numbers and prepositional phrases. Avoid cliches. Follow common rules of punctuation, grammar and spelling.
  3. Timeliness. Send your letter while the topic is timely, but not so quickly that you don't review what you have written before sending the letter.
  4. Fairness. Make your points on the merits rather than emotion. Avoid disparaging a group of people based solely on the actions of one member of that group.

WHAT WE DON'T PUBLISH

  1. Poetry or rhyme in any form.
  2. Most consumer complaints.
  3. Form letters or generic Web site letters.
  4. Most "thank you" letters.
  5. "Open" letters to government officials.
  6. Letters written for a class assignment or as part of an organized letter-writing campaign.
  7. Most sports-related letters. (Send these to The Oklahoman's sports editor.)
  8. Letters that have been published elsewhere or letters submitted to other publications.
  9. Letters written in an overly informal style.

REQUIREMENTS

  1. Full name, address, and email. (Your address and e-mail are needed for verification. They will not be published.)
  2. Maximum length of 250 words.
  3. Authors limited to one letter every 28-42 days, depending on volume.
  4. When referring to a news story or previous letter published, cite the headline or letter writer's name and the date of publication.


WHY WE EDIT LETTERS

Editing is done for the benefit of our readers. We make every attempt to preserve the writer's essential meaning. Editing for length allows us to accept a greater number of letters. Letters most likely to be edited are those that are twice as long as needed to make a point and those that try to make too many points.
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Your Views

IRS' scrutiny of tea party groups makes sense May 25, 2013 The IRS has been subjecting anti-tax “tea party” groups to extra scrutiny before granting them tax-exempt status. If you're hunting ducks, you go where the ducks are. If you're a federal officer enforcing the tax code, you take a second look at people who say they don't like either federal officers or the tax... Read More
America can do a better job taking care of troops May 25, 2013 I was appalled to read that the U.S. Army is discharging soldiers who've been wounded or have post traumatic stress disorder. It's unconscionable that these soldiers wounded in war return home, only to have their country turn its back instead of taking care of them. Most of the trouble they were in is partly, or... Read More
Restore Lt. Behenna to honorable duty May 25, 2013 “Let Michael go” (Our Views, May 12) is an inaccurate reflection of the true story of Lt. Michael Behenna's sacrifice for his country. The dominant theme in “A mother's promise” (News, May 12) is that the military tribunal responsible for the incarceration of Michael erred in two important aspects: First,... Read More
Once unthinkable becomes acceptable May 25, 2013 Kudos to Jack Cypert (Your Views, May 12) for an excellent letter concerning our country “going backward.” I'm an 86-year-old woman who remembers when things were either black or white, with no gray in the mix. Someone once said, “Things that were once unthinkable become debatable and then acceptable.” Sad... Read More
Oklahoma spirit seen at Festival of the Arts May 25, 2013 I recently participated as an artist in Oklahoma City's Festival of the Arts. This was a well-planned and organized event. My wife and I were especially impressed by the “Oklahoma spirit.” Two encounters offer especially good examples of this spirit. The first day of the festival was cold and misty. Artists... Read More
Memphis fans laud OKC Thunder team and fans May 25, 2013 I commend the Oklahoma City Thunder and its fans for a job well done. My husband and I are Memphis Grizzlies season ticket holders and were privileged to be in your arena for the first game of this series. Just like two years ago, we were welcomed by everyone we met. I hope Thunder fans who attended games in... Read More
Thunder played its heart out May 25, 2013 I want to thank the Oklahoma City Thunder for another outstanding season. Although the season ended a little sooner than we'd hoped, it was a great season. What this team has brought to the Oklahoma City area can't be measured. I appreciate all that the team does. I had the opportunity to be at several of the home... Read More
National Council on Teacher Quality claims uninformed May 25, 2013 “Study shows need to better prepare teachers” (Our Views, May 10) quotes National Council on Teacher Quality Vice President Sandi Jacobs: “The state of teacher preparation is pretty broken across the country.” Considerable evidence suggests that this isn't the case in Oklahoma. One recent study praised the... Read More