I am writing in response to the two political letters that were printed in The State News (“Michigan proposal goes against ban,” SN 9/21 and “Vouchers combine church and state,” SN 9/21). I would like to know why people write these letters, and why The State News feels they absolutely must print them?

I write several letters to the editor a year. Some of them have been printed, and some of them have not. I am baffled as to why the political jargon that Margaret Webster and William Robertson spewed forth made it through the selective process of what to print in The State News. The two letters printed in Thursday’s paper were nothing but political ads against school vouchers. If these two “campaigners” want to lobby against school vouchers, why doesn’t The State News give them their own column? There is no need to clutter up the letters section with statistical letters about why MSU students should vote “no” on school vouchers.

What makes it worse is that Margaret Webster and William Robertson are not even from East Lansing. They are from Kalamazoo and Holland. Why are people that are not from this area writing letters to the editor, telling MSU students how to vote? Maybe a local voice would be better, or perhaps an explanation that these two people are alumni from the university and that’s why they are writing. These two short, sweet letters were nothing but factual, statistical political campaigns from people who don’t even live in this area.

Last of all, why did The State News print two similar letters about the same topic? Wouldn’t presenting both sides of the issue have been a little more logical? Granted, maybe The State News did not get any letters that were in favor of school vouchers, but perhaps then they should have only printed one of these unnecessary letters. I am all for letting others voice their opinions, but the fact that The State News printed both of these letters arguing against school vouchers leads me to believe that someone at The State News is trying to get their own opinion across as well. I am not trying to present an argument for or against school vouchers. I am in no way versed enough in my political information to do that. I also care about the issue and am in no way saying that students at MSU should ignore the issues facing our state.

However, when I am reading the paper in the morning and reading interesting letters, seeing two carbon-copy letters full of political jargon from two people who don’t even go to MSU - nonetheless live in the Lansing area - upsets me. Perhaps The State News should think next time before it presents a one-sided argument in such a provocative way, especially by using two poorly written, statistical letters that belong on the Local & State page of the paper.

Please, Webster, Robertson and The State News, leave my editorial section alone. I would rather read about the need for swimming pools and the size of the clothes at Gap.

Sarah Mackowiak
English senior