I had one of those moments last week that happen at least once in every election. Someone writes a letter or sends an email to me saying that we are either shills for their opponent or have treated their candidate or party with appalling bias. These missives usually have several words typed in ALL CAPS with lots of exclamation marks and always try to wound me personally.
"You need to review, why you are doing the job of a Editior (sic)," one of them said last week. This was one of the mild ones.
Many almost always end with some kind of threat (thankfully not involving firearms) of never reading the paper again or never advertising in the paper again - or telling all of their family and friends to never look at the paper again.
Frankly, an election just wouldn't be an election in the newsroom without at least one of these letters. They are like election lawn signs - part of the landscape.
Some threaten lawsuits if their candidate loses on account of our biased coverage. Others pledge never to write another letter to the editor if their letter is edited down from the 12-page masterpiece that must be published. And if it is not published it will be absolute proof that I am but a front for the other side.
Some try to appeal to my better angels: "In the interests of fairness, democracy and justice ..." one writer pressed for his letter to be printed. They all, of course, are so invested in their side that there is no discussing the matter with them.
No matter if you point out any coverage that contradicts their argument. They are like rugby fans in the finals. They are not to be reasoned with. I am that bad referee who did not red flag their opponent and send them to the sin bin.
When candidates who are running on a platform of consensus building and good listening skills send such emails, I wonder what would happen if they did get elected. Would they throw hissy fits when a vote didn't go their way? Hopefully not.
Sometimes I am tempted to print the worst of these letters with all of the caps and misspelled words with their signatures. Such a temptation is, unfortunately, petty and reveals a flaw in my character, and I have so far resisted the temptation.
Of course, it will also do little to enhance the election conversation. I prefer to believe that such writers just let emotion get the better of them in the heat of the election and they aren't like those people who are always screaming at cashiers in supermarkets for some minor failure. But they could be.
In any case, I also have some empathy for those who lash out at the media and editors.
There is a sense of powerlessness in every election campaign and for every candidate when they realize there are a lot of moving parts in democracy and they can control very little of it - try as they might.
There are election rules, slate rules, so many voters to try to reach, and it's over in just five weeks. It's no game for sissies. It's rugby where you get to keep your teeth - hopefully.
Pat Tracy is the editor of the Burnaby NOW and Record newspapers.
