Dear commenters, write your own letters, insults are worthless

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Letters to the Editor
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Dear Citizen Readers,

I hear that some of you do not care much for my letters to the editor and even resort to ad hominem attacks against yours truly. Needless to say, I am not shocked.

But I want all of my critics to know something: I never read the comments [beneath the posted letter].

If you want to challenge my arguments or claims, please write your own letter to the editor and we’ll see what happens.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to exercise my first amendment right while it still lasts, and welcome you to do the same.

Only by rigorous argumentation and a concomitant quest for the truth can we arrive at the best set of ideas and policies for our nation.

Those things are almost never arrived at through personal insult, so if that is your go-to mode of expression, I think you’re more part of the problem than the solution.

Thank you,

Trey Hoffman

Peachtree City, Ga.

15 COMMENTS

  1. What an incredulous and illogical missive that only Trey Hoffman could pen!

    First, he criticizes his critics and laments being the recipient of ad hominem attacks (while acknowledging that he is completely ignorant of any criticisms or attacks whatsoever). Then he asserts a First Amendment defense when no government agency seems to have the foggiest notion of his ramblings, much less designs to abridge his free-speech rights. The only person seeking to abridge speech is Trey himself as he circumscribes a singular strategy for how others should express themselves. Lastly, Hoffman’s twisted logic is regularly countered in this blog with logical arguments that demolish his hyper partisan and simplistic thinking.

    I will acknowledge that his rants and biblical eisegesis provide irresistible occasions for ridicule. Luckily, none of us must experience any guilt for this indulgence, since Trey never sees it.

    You could never make up a letter like this. Truth is so much stranger than fiction.

  4. You, sir, are out of line.

    For starters, you cannot expect anyone to respect your right to exercise free speech and expression at the same time that you try to proscribe the manner in which others may exercise theirs.

    Secondly, the act of writing letter requires a certain level of intelligence and discipline. I’m doubtful that some of your most ardent critics could even get through a first draft without exhausting themselves. Frankly, most of their comments are little more than word salad to begin with. Yours is an impossible burden for them to bear.

    The comments section is all they have. Why would you take that from them?

    • Ha ha ha! Trey is offended that his critics may be launching ad hominem attacks (although he, himself, has not read any as he steadfastly ignored the comments), but no worries, PTCitizen to the rescue with this …

      “Secondly, the act of writing letter requires a certain level of intelligence and discipline. I’m doubtful that some of your most ardent critics could even get through a first draft without exhausting themselves. Frankly, most of their comments are little more than word salad to begin with. Yours is an impossible burden for them to bear.”

      1) Ad hominem attacks are the purview of the hard-right conservatives, clearly; how dare any liberals question their proclamations?!
      2) Speaking of word salads … “the act of writing letter” … tee-hee

    • Trey’s “intelligence and discipline” consists of regurgitating what he heard Tucker Carlson say last night and cherry picking a few Bible verses to support the spin. Please don’t confuse verbosity with erudition.

  5. Trey–
    This is priceless.

    I somehow have a mental picture of a middle-aged man. eyes
    squeezed shut tight, hands clamped over his ears, chanting
    loudly, “I can’t hear you! LA!LA!LA!LA!”. You might consider
    throwing yourself down, pounding the ground, asserting “You
    can’t make me read it! You can’t! You can’t!”. Or perhaps
    holding your breath until you turn blue?

    Seriously, I have never seen such a juvenile letter printed in a
    professional publication.

    As to your regular ones, they are fine, if predictable. But the comments are often just as interesting and thought-provoking.
    I make a conscious effort to keep my replies civil; and I don’t
    think most are much more harsh than some of your own.

  7. Gosh Trey, I wish you read the comments! I am curious why you think people are insulting you, if you in fact did not read the comments? As it happens, most people are not insulting at all, just asking for clarification on your assertions.

    And as for your stance of not reading the comments: on the social medias we call that “hit and run.” You toss your bomb and run before the explosion, never looking back. It’s one way to do things, but maybe not the bravest.