Usually timid Reading Eagle publishes letter blasting all Latinos

“It is time for the Latino community to stop whining and contribute to our country,” a letter to the editor in the Reading Eagle said Thursday. “Every time I am with friends who grew up in Reading, our talk goes to the Latino community. It is bringing this country to its knees,” Richard Smith of Sinking Spring continued in his letter.

Wow! I’m glad America permits such speech to be published, compared to some countries where it would be censored.

But I wouldn’t publish that kind of venom in any publication I had control of.

Sure I’ll defend your right to say it, but get your own printing press!

To intelligent and educated people from out of the area, maybe considering Berks as a place to move their families or locate a business, or just to people who like to have fun, the Reading Eagle must make us look pretty hick.

Berks Community Television posts its policy on comments (which I put into the same category as letters to the editor) on its website:

“When commenting, you may not use profanity, make personal attacks or use libelous, hateful, harassing or sexual language.

"We will remove content we deem inappropriate.”

What IS the Eagle’s policy on publishing letters?

Does it publish all of those it gets, or does someone decide which ones? If the latter, who and how?

If the Eagle rejects your letter, please send it to me! I'll post it, unless it blames America's problems on one ethnic group.

Does the number of letters to the editors about religion really represent how many people write in about religion?

Just since Monday, the Eagle has published these letters (its headlines) about Christian faith:

• Jesus would be more accepting
• There is a God who answers prayers
• Answers found in the Bible
• Writer seemed to be reaching out for help (Paul said, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.")
• Saints suffered to enter heaven

The paper seems to have decided to not accept comments on its website, unusual for local newspapers. The Eagle’s comment-writers used to focus on issues more relevant to most readers than theology.

Leaders should demand that our local newspaper, the face of our community, make transparent its policies on publishing input from its readers.