Stay strong, editors

Herbert Will believes that the editors of The Spokesman-Review should be ashamed. Not yet, Herb, not yet. Will’s joined the ranks of disgruntled Spokesman readers who complain endlessly about Michael Ramirez. According to these detractors, he’s crude and insensitive; his jokes are in poor taste.

Well, dear editors, that means Ramirez is doing something right. What is the point of an editorial cartoon if nobody notices it? It’s as futile as the city’s pothole plugging regimen.

What has happened to our newsmen? Have you been so cowed by the self-righteous that you fear printing what you choose?

I smile every day seeing Doonesbury and Mallard Fillmore peacefully. What’s the phrase liberals use? Oh yes. Co-existing. If you don’t approve of Mr. Ramirez, don’t read him. If you don’t enjoy Doug Clark, don’t read him.

But don’t you dare bully the editors into submitting to your views. Will we ban Garfield to appease the ailurophobes among us?

Spokesman editors, stick to your guns. Your job as newsmen is not to print what readers want to see, but to print what they need to know.

There is no shame in printing Michael Ramirez’s work. There is only shame in ignoring it.

Chris Reichert

Athol, Idaho