Monday, July 25, 2016

Mail Call #5: Pro-plagiarism!

Another week, another logically incoherent email response to a column. Today's installment comes in reply to my recent piece on the Republican National Convention garbage fire.
Emil (you were Emil before you became Emily, right) You seem to have a problem with the passage that Melanie Trump used from michelle obama’s speech which was written by others by the way. Would you have preferred her to use the words that she (obama) uttered in another a speech, “ this is the first time in my life I am proud to be an American”. Ya she said that. Quite sure she wrote that herself. Possible help from barry . You could have written, thank god she (Melanie) didn’t use the words “this is the first time in my life I am proud to be an American’ The fact is Melanie Trump is very proud to be an American all of the time. I guess michelle obama is occasionally when it suits her purpose . Hey, keep up the quality freelance writing in Madison. “The peoples republic of Madison”

Enjoy your rigged convention That would be a great topic for next Sunday’s freelance writing

does “freelance writing” mean they won’t pay you for your efforts???
I'd like to note that I find no insult in being "accused" of being transgender (I am not), and if you open your letter with such a random and transphobic remark, you've effectively ceded your ability to actually win the argument. Of course, folks like this don't really care about changing anyone's mind. They just want to continue feeling superior in their own minds, without having to actually reflect on and analyze what they're spouting. Because the rest of this letter is a totally weird mishmash that, I think, is trying to excuse Melania Trump's (or her speech writer's) plagiarism because at least she used the positive parts of Michelle Obama's speech and not a taken-out-of-context and frequently misunderstood bit from another of her speeches from years ago.
Or something. Who knows anymore. 

I also enjoy the bit where this person seems to utterly misunderstand what the term "freelance" means.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Mail Call #4: GOBMENT

In response to my article about Sen. Ron Johnson's attempt to let private charter schools take public money without any oversight or accountability - all errors are the email author's:

In your opinion and that of the journal, let’s keep all those failing kids in failing schools to keep the low life education machine well greased with (MY) taxpayer money.  Don’t give , the only real Senator this state has had since well before you liberal communist/socialists where BORN a chance.  Senator Johnson has been trying to help the kids ( YOU) the liberals, have placed into a second class role in the lib society!  Keep them poor and dependent on “GOBMENT” programs for existance. The liberal way to keep them voting for the loosers in the world of politics!  Don’t believe that...look at your dismal record of failure after failure and open your socialist eyes!
Aside from the part where this person completely misses the point I was making, their email is certainly an argument in itself for higher standards and proper funding for education. Clearly, they suffer from its lack.
The Lost Albatross