Our LTE on Booing the President

Posted on October 29, 2019 by davidbdale

Two Letters Have Already Been Published

By the time I returned home from class on TUE OCT 29, two Letters to the Editor had already been published beneath the “Trump Got Booed” Op-Ed. I went ahead and completed one for us based on the best ideas I got from your Thesis Statements and submitted it to the paper for consideration.

Let me know in a Reply how you think our letter stacks up against the two selected for publication. Any second thoughts on how to get into the paper?

  1. FIRST PUBLISHED LETTER.

To the Editor:

Re “Trump Got Booed. Can I Smile?,” by Jennifer Weiner (Op-Ed, Oct. 29):

Donald Trump has upset me almost every day for the last three years. It continues even though I mute the television every time he begins to speak. And now he is scaring me, too. So did I revel in seeing the look on his face when he was booed at Sunday’s World Series game? You betcha! The “lock him up” chant may have been a bridge too far, but did he deserve it? Absolutely.

What about the millions of people in this country and others who have been injured directly or indirectly by his words and actions? He has no concern for anyone but himself. Ever. Revenge is a dish best served cold. For me, seeing Donald Trump impeached, convicted and ending up in federal prison for his many crimes would definitely do it.

Karla Holomon
Durham, N.C.

         2. SECOND PUBLISHED LETTER

To the Editor:

As much as Jennifer Weiner may relish the schadenfreude of seeing President Trump treated as nastily as he treats others, such rancorous attitudes will only hurt American democracy.

For one thing, Mr. Trump and his supporters will just hit back harder. “Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness,” as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said. Incivility is not a sound election strategy, but a recipe for partisan animosity.

For another, as the author rightly points out, the president’s critics debase themselves when they stoop to his level. By appropriating his taunts of “lock her up,” they become the person whom they despise.

President Barack Obama had the right idea in 2016 when he told the Democratic National Convention how to deal with Mr. Trump: “Don’t boo. Vote.”

Daniel Fernandez
Swarthmore, Pa.

Our Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

Re “Trump Got Booed. Can I Smile?,” by Jennifer Weiner (Op-Ed, Oct. 29):

If Donald Trump listened, he wouldn’t have to be booed. If he took advice from anyone other than his Fox & Friends defenders, if he hadn’t fired every adviser with a mind of his own, if he didn’t think he was smarter than all his generals, if he had some respect for the Founding Fathers, put some faith in the FBI, the CIA, the State department, the diplomatic corps, he wouldn’t need to be shamed in public.

Instead, he has ridiculed and slandered his betters while taking as allies the world’s most brutal thugs. His “acting” cabinet of yes-men don’t require Senate approval and are dismissed when they forget to echo back his “genius.” He’s tone-deaf, all mouth, no ears.

The fans at Sunday’s game had no choice. They seized their one opportunity to pierce the Trump bubble and shout him down in the only language he understands. Lock! Him! Up!

David Hodges
Collingswood, NJ

This post has also been saved as a page beneath the Models menu
titled Model LTE on Booing.

About davidbdale

What should I call you? I prefer David or Dave, but students uncomfortable with first names can call me Professor or Mister Hodges. My ESL students' charming solution, "Mister David" is my favorite by far.
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51 Responses to Our LTE on Booing the President

  1. lelebxby says:
    November 4, 2019 at 2:55 pm

    The third LTE meets the same standards as the first two quite perfectly. The author’s opinions are stated in an elegant way while informing the reader of other injustices performed by the president. Though the first LTE was on the same side as the third, I would say the third is better solely because of how professionally written it was. The letter is definitely worth publication in the New York Times.

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  2. tenere84 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 12:18 pm

    The first and third LTEs are similar in that they agree with the author… which is not really what an LTE should be. The third shines much brighter than the first because it offers more support and specifics, but the second offers a well-supported opposing point of view. Thus, the second LTE should be published.

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  3. cynicalwordsmith22 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:25 am

    I believe the third post was the best because the other two posts were all opinions and no real support.

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  4. voxpopuli75 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:22 am

    Our letter to the editor is comparable to the other two that got published, all of the letters follow the same form and take an definite stance on the issue. In order to get into the paper we could perhaps we could have explained our stance on the issue more in depth.

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  5. whosyourcookie22 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:21 am

    Personally I believe the third writing should be published as it goes deep into why president trump is getting booed and what he could’ve done to avoid that issue. The writing is perfect for the topic and is portrayed to the reader perfectly.

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  6. drippydoughnut says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:20 am

    The third LTE should be posted as it gives reason as to why he was booed at and why it felt good to see him get booed. The first letter I don’t think is even good but the second one is good.

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  7. ahntkd99 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:20 am

    The third LTE should be published because opinion is reasonable and is supported with facts clearly.

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  8. ajuuy7 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:20 am

    The second article makes good points that Trump will just come back even harder now. The first establishes their point of view and shows they want the president to be impeached. The third article did the best at grabbing the readers attention by making bold claims and emphasizing their opinions and it deserves to be published in The Times.

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  9. lucbe219 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:20 am

    I believe that our Letter to the Editor should be published due to its quick convincing claims on how President Trump is not listening to his people, and how the booing was done to open his eyes.

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  10. mpsj13 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:20 am

    Letter one was most likely posted because it would create a conversation. The authors view of Donald Trump will ultimately lead to disagreement from his supporters, making it a good letter to the editor.
    Letter two was likely posted because it gave a different view than the original article. The author strongly believes that it was wrong to stoop to the level of President Trump. This has potential to upset supporters and non supporters alike because while disagreeing with the booing, the author still shows disdain for Trump.
    Letter three should be posted because it adds to the original article. It shows reason for the necessity of the booing and chanting.

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  11. lg102015 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:19 am

    I believe the 3rd letter has a good chance of being published because it is the only letter out of the three that truly explains why Trump got booed in the first place. It is not like the other ones that only talks about their hate for trump. Our letter makes good claims and is supported by a lot of evidence on the way Trumps acts.

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  12. yankeefan25 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:19 am

    Our Letter to the Editor is extremely strong within the first paragraph and takes an extremely hard stance which is what it should do. It is also backed up very well and is written in a manner that provokes thought.

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  13. bmdpiano says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:19 am

    From reading the two LTE’s that were published and then the third one, it shares similar qualities in its structure. The first paragraph of the third LTE demonstrates background that would later be supported by an opinion of why the booing may have been justified. It is strong and to the point.

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    • davidbdale says:
      October 31, 2019 at 2:18 pm

      That’s a strong observation, Piano. Does it seem also that in all three the author makes the Thesis clear by the end of the first paragraph? That would be ideal in a short piece.

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  14. thefrontbottom says:
    October 31, 2019 at 10:17 am

    I believe the third LTE should be published. It states the author’s opinion blatantly and displays the reasons Donald Trump got booed, while the other two are all opinion.

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  15. kraemercali says:
    October 31, 2019 at 9:58 am

    letter should be posted because the writing style is entertaining, not just a boring paragraph. Also is supported w many facts which helps me to agree with it even more.

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    • davidbdale says:
      October 31, 2019 at 2:15 pm

      You’ve touched on a VERY important consideration here, Cali. Letters to the Editor are on the “fun” pages of the paper (if you consider political opinion capable of entertaining). The best letters are those that make their point without putting readers to sleep.

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  16. Sub2MigzFilms says:
    October 31, 2019 at 8:57 am

    The third Letter to the Editor should be published because it gave strong opinionated reasons as to why the booing chant towards Donald Trump was reasonable. The other two Letters to the Editor did not mention the actions Trump has taken that lead to the chant at the Sunday’s World Series game.

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  17. lovericeandnoodles says:
    October 31, 2019 at 8:54 am

    It should be accepted by the paper because the first paragraph is good

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  18. hershey515 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 8:53 am

    This third letter to the editor should be given a spot to be published because it shows precisely what is felt towards Donald’s trump actions is what caused the breakout in the crowd. Also clearly states what side we are on in this situation and has facts to back up our claim.

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  19. bane1900 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 8:53 am

    There is a very strong claim in the first paragraph which is then supported by a lot of factual evidence. It is very strongly worded with catching phrases.

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  20. doglover441 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 8:52 am

    I think that it would be a good piece in the paper because they clearly state their opinions on the matter and they do support their claims with facts.

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  21. bestbaker123 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 8:51 am

    – I think our letter has a good chance of getting published. The letter has a clear stance about how the booing did feel good. They show that they know what they are talking about by mentioning Trump’s interactions with other parts of the government that make him look bad. It isn’t that similar to the other letter that’s already been published. This letter brings up other points that make a strong argument.

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  22. lazybear8 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 8:51 am

    The third LTE while well written would tip the side toward the author, making the newspaper seem biased to people who dislike Trump. If the third LTE was to be posted, a fourth LTE would also have to be posted, including an opposing opinion to the first and third.

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  23. imagination4421 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 8:51 am

    The third LTE deserves to be published because it states and explains the writer’s opinion and point of view and is supported with facts.

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    • davidbdale says:
      October 31, 2019 at 2:02 pm

      That’s a reasonable point of view, imagination, but clarity and facts are not nearly enough to get a letter published out of hundreds of clear and substantial submissions.

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  24. iamsleepy01 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 8:51 am

    The 3rd LTE would make it to print because of how the tone is not too extreme but also not boring. The statement is clear and obvious which side they are on.

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  25. athenapup4 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 8:50 am

    I believe it would make a good third post because there’s statements made in it that weren’t made in the other two post defending the opinion on the Booing of Donald Trump.

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  26. smellycat23 says:
    October 31, 2019 at 8:50 am

    I think it deserves a spot in the paper because the first paragraph is very strong. It supports Mr. Hodges’s side with real facts and plenty of them.

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