Everyone has an opinion, right? Many of us share our opinions broadly (like, I don’t know, just spitballin’ here) through a daily Substack newsletter called “In My Opinion” ) but others are more reticent. The Virginia Gazette has a feature called “The Last Word,” which allows readers to submit their opinions anonymously over the telephone or by email. For people who don’t want to write a “Letter to the Editor” or an op-ed, “The Last Word” is a place to vent. Here are some selected items from today’s paper.
Gratitude is always an excellent way to start. These are the “thank you’s” in today’s Last Word:
The Last Word can sometimes be informative, as people post about upcoming events. Here are a couple of examples from today’s newspaper:
Sometimes people write about local service providers:
I think that these businesses sometimes write their own laudatory reviews for “The Last Word,” but these three look authentic.
Often, people are looking for solutions to a problem:
Politics always provides something for people to exchange views about:
The writer of this meant to reference the First Amendment, not the Second, but we get the point.
People sometimes write about serious local problems:
And then there is the ongoing discussion about parking:
And finally, the library. Always the library:
One thing that’s interesting about this newspaper feature is watching generational battles play out:
People often ask questions that could be answered through a pretty simple Google search. But folks who don’t use computers regularly don’t think to Google.
People write about their unwillingness (or inability) to use a smartphone to do things that are available only through various apps – like parking. They’re frustrated but they don’t want to change how they do things. They’re often crotchety.
People call in their “Last Word” items and then ask for a response in the paper. They are apparently willing to wait a while to get a response to their query. Or they’ll put their phone number in their entry and ask respondents to call them. Who does that?
And the person looking for a phone book. Adorbs.
I found these interesting and yes, adorbs. Was struck by how well mannered all the respondents were, or did you omit the trolls? 😉