Letters to the Editor

Here are some of the latest and most interesting letters to the editors of local newspapers from the community.
Note: while we only post intelligent, informed letters, they do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the county or party.

Greetings -- My name is Jeff Rice and I hope what follows will be of assistance to those who wish to speak out in a public forum, but not sure how to do so. I began submitting letters to area newspapers as far back as the presidency of Ronald Reagan. There wasn’t any guideline to follow except for my desire to speak out so I sat down and started writing.
As the years passed I learned how to comply to the requirements of area newspapers. Basically it’s a 250 word limit and common sense after that...no profanity. Time between letters is 30 days before another can be submitted.
While my interests lie in political topics, people write about numerous items of interest they want others to read.
Letters can be drafted by hand and submitted via mail, or written on computer and sent electronically. Newspapers encourage citizens to write and they provide the ‘how to’ information on their opinion page.
Some papers call the writer for verification and some do not. My experience is the Dispatch/Argus always calls, while the QC Times does not, especially if they know you have written them previously.
The above publications have their own web sites, thus letters are published online as well as in print which mean your words reach far and wide across our nation. Now it’s time for the nuts and bolts so here goes. Shakespeare wrote, “brevity is the soul of wit.”
Once your first draft is completed, it’s time for the final touch. My suggestion is to sit down and get what you want to say off your chest...no matter how many words you write. Don’t worry about word count until you have set in print everything you want to express. Most of the time writers discover they have exceeded the word limit, so now the editing process begins.
With word processors, it’s easy to keep track by clicking onto ‘tools’ and seeing your word count. Here’s where saying the most in the fewest words count, making your letter capture the readers attention. This is where writers will delete sentences or entire paragraphs. Maybe move them around to a different place for maximum impact.
When writing it is helpful to use a dictionary and/or thesaurus in order to avoid using repeated words. If you follow the above guidelines, you are well on your way to making an impact to fellow citizens. Questions let me know. Jeff Rice

Feature Letter to the Editor

This is no time to go wobbly.
Illinois isn’t ready. Neither is Rock Island County. The Great Awakening sweeping across America has yet to alert Illinois citizens to bring about political change that will release our county and state from the grip of Democrat Party control. Sixty years isn’t enough. To dislodge a deeply embedded power structure, more time is needed.
   Our fathers generation talked about Rock Island County being “little Chicago.” They were right.
     What to do? Some people give up and move away. The rest of us soldier on putting up yard signs, showing up at County Board meetings to speak against higher taxes, writing letters to editor (newspaper now tells long-time writers their letters may not get published), while others bravely stand for election knowing voting machines aren’t secure. Speaking of voting, the newest Democrat Party mantra, supported by local newspapers, is mail-in voting using Coronavirus as an excuse for fraud. Illinois isn’t ready.
   Democrats need time to raise more taxes, engage in additional pork barrel spending and continue to support an out-of-control pension system. When, not if, the pension bubble finally bursts, Illinois Democrats will expect and demand a federal bailout so business as usual can continue.
     There is no crystal ball telling when people in the Land of Lincoln will wake up to see what one party domination has and is doing to this great state, county and all people therein. The Great Awakening hasn’t arrived in Illinois, but it’s on the way. This is no time to go wobbly.

Jeffrey H. Rice
Rock Island
July 16, 2020