Showing posts with label letters to the editor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label letters to the editor. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Published

Third Way arrived today and I’ve got a letter published in it. What I’m most chuffed about is that it’s right in the middle of the letters page with my name in big bold type. OK, I know it’s only a letter, but it’s still nice to know I can write coherently enough for an editor to choose my letter from the hundreds/thousands/tens they receive every month.

Background: Last issue they introduced Claire Fox from the Revolutionary Communist Party (relevant political mover and shaker, obviously, what with communism's implosion nearly 20 years ago) who blathered on a bit about how she became a communist and why she was anti-anti-apartheid. But the cover picture showed her striking a pose with a cigarette which irresistibly reminded me of when I was 17 and my friends joined the SWP, ANL or whatever, and smoked as a sign of their rebellion against society. I always felt smoking was a particularly stupid part of the posturing then, and I still feel that way now.

Cue my letter:

Nice to see that Claire Fox is still a rebel at heart. Why else would she strike a 'look at me, I'm so cool and rebellious I smoke!" pose on the cover of Third Way.
It's hard to respect a revolutionary communist who's also a nicotine slave, and through her addiction funds global capitalism while being the consumer at the end of a long chain of third world oppression. But then, maybe by smoking she's being anti-anti-capitalist. Or something.


I guess being sarcastic about their interview subjects is the way to go if I want to get my name in print more often!