The Real Letter to the Editor

The Sun published my letter to the editor yesterday regarding Susan Reimer's hateful, bitter, pathetic, puerile, lame column from September 1st. Of course, certain part of the letter just didn't make it into print. Included the sections that were bolded. I wonder why.....

Susan Reimer's column of September 1^st is one of the more patently offensive pieces printed in the Baltimore Sun in some time. While Reimer is free to support whichever candidate she pleases, her puerile and shallow rant against the selection of Governor Palin should not pass by without rebuke.

In one disturbing swoop, Reimer takes unnecessary cheap shots at Senator John McCain's age and health, Governor Sarah Palin's gender, Governor Palin's education at a public university, and most shockingly, Governor Palin's young child with Down's Syndrome. I find it hard to believe that the Sun thinks that such discrimination on the basis of age, gender, class, and developmental disability should be promoted and encouraged in its pages by its columnists.

It is unacceptable and inappropriate to demean Governor Palin in this manner, particularly when her qualifications, experience, ethics, and judgment far exceed those of Barack Obama.

Unfortunately, I have come to expect such unenlightened drivel from certain Sun columnists, particularly Ms. Reimer. The Sun should no longer tolerate the blatant and unacceptable discrimination Susan Reimer promoted in her column, particularly in light of the Sun's prior dalliances with discrimination against Lt. Governor Michael Steele on the basis of his race during the 2002 gubernatorial campaign.

Brian Griffiths Pasadena

Gee, couldn't imagine why the Sun wouldn't want to revisit that episode. What bothers me is the fact that I spoke with Franz Schneiderman, the editor of the letters page, on Wednesday regarding my letter. He had issues with the fact that I pointed out that Reimer's column was sexist, something that Schneiderman said "he didn't see." At no point did he ever indicate that he planned on removing my factual statement against the Sun'sSun's hateful and bitter tirade against Lt. Governor Steele. It's disappointing that Scheniderman, in his capacity as letters editor, would try to flush the Sun's past hatefulness down the memory hole, yet sadly I am hardly surprised anymore....