KEEP LETTERS MORE LOCAL

E.V. Rogers, in his Feb. 10 guest column, challenged Globe-News Editorial
Page Editor John Kanelis' opinions by doing the math and pointing out the
obvious fact that online responses generate nothing for the local economy
and are of no interest to most local readers.

Bravo, Mr. Rogers!

I would like to add a couple more realities. Mr. Kanelis, in his Feb. 3
column, stated that there are three topics that produce most of the paper's
out-of-area responses, and it is his hunch that there are networks of
activists monitoring the Internet for these topics in order to respond so
quickly.

This sounds very likely to me, also, and if correct, printing their
responses gives these activists undue forum and skews the authenticity of
public opinion. Of course, this is an often-used liberal tool - distorting
facts to seemingly support their objective.

When traveling, I enjoy reading the opinion pages of other newspapers to
learn the attitudes and concerns of the local people. If all papers follow
the lead of the Globe-News, they will do to newspapers what interstate
highways have done to our country. One can travel about most of the United
States, but without leaving the interstates, very few differences will be
observed other than topography.

If all opinion pages print the same type of responses, especially from
activist groups, our papers will all become boringly similar. And unreliable.

What a shame!

Anne Chappell, Memphis