Anonymous

At the risk of offending someone I may know, I see a relationship between anonymity and cowardice, as illustrated by three recent comments to Front Porch.  First, an anonymous letter to Megan Byrnes [Scene & Heard] and me.  We had run a photo of deer antlers in Megan’s column, with her congratulations to Wade Troung on successfully hunting his first deer.  The unsigned letter blasted our insensitivity, and the writer promised to never read FP again.  Apparently s/he had not been reading it for very long. We used to run a popular Outdoors column about hunting because we have a diverse readership with varied interests. The authors were excellent sportsmen who understood the practical and humane reasons for hunting. We’re sure some readers passed on this column but respected or at least tolerated it. Granted, “Anonymous” may have been caught by surprise that Megan’s “social” column included a hunt. Whatever. We wish the reader had stood by his/her belief and signed their name…

“Anonymous II” was more intriguing. S/he put a lot of effort into an artistically designed critique of our back page ad in February. The ad said “Shop Local,” in step with the City’s “Shop Local” campaign.  “A2” chastised us for not using the adverb “Locally.”  Snore…   

Lastly,  “Anonymous III” addressed me at the library as I set a bundle of Feb. FP’s face down.  Glancing at the “Shop Local” ad, she mumbled, “Business... Why does it always have to be about business?  What about volunteers?”  Had she stopped to talk, I’d have pointed out that the back page is an advertisement. Advertisements pay for us to publish.  Any good we do for the community is dependent on advertisements.  It’s a symbiotic relationship that has produced FP for the past 153 months. 

But at least “A3” showed up, so we’re putting out a call for all local social service agencies and non-profits to nominate an outstanding volunteer.  We’ll choose one and profile that person. [“A1” will miss it.]

Ok.  I’ll end this piece, lest some reader write a candid disapproval of covering cowardice –- signed.