[edit 12/29/07: it was published today.]

I sent a letter to the editors of The Olympian 16 days ago and it has yet to be published. I received a call from Mary at The Olympian to verify that I had indeed written the letter. I was then informed that my letter would be considered for publication.

I usually have a lot of emotion that goes into my letters to the editor, which can make it difficult to compose them clearly. This letter was no exception, and it definitely suffers from a lack of clarity in a couple spots. But, being a daily reader of The Olympian's letters to the editor, I know that clarity is often times not enough reason for a letter to go unpublished.

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Perhaps this letter that I wrote will be published. It could even be tomorrow. One letter that I wrote took almost two full weeks to get published when I sent it. Some of my letters have been published within a couple of days. The Olympian has always published the letters from which I have received a follow-up verification phone call and the information that they will be "considered for publication".

Only one letter of mine hasn't been published, and I remember hearing that the Olympian received something on the order of 100 letters about that topic in a couple of days, so it is easy to see why that went unpublished. I wonder what the policy is for publishing LTEs at The Olympian. I had always figured that (virtually) everything gets published. After all, I have seen a little bit of everything, including the advocacy of violence, racism and sexism.

I am wondering if this letter will be the first letter of mine that won't be published after being "considered for publication".

Do you write letters to the editor of The Olympian? How often are they published? How often do they go unpublished?

My most recent letter (of a couple weeks ago) contained a scathing indictment of the mainstream media for enabling Bush's war crimes. I wrote that the mainstream media are cooperating and helping Bush to accomplish a war of aggression. Hm. Accomplice to a war crime. That's a serious accusation. Perhaps that is why it wasn't published.

I wish that the information in paragraph two was clear and understandable. I was trying to condense two separate (but related) subjects into one. It didn't work. Next time I will pick one example to use. Anyway, you can find a more detailed critique of my letter here. And without further ado here's the letter as I sent it to the 'O':

December 11th, 2007

To the Editor,

Certain prominent officials within the Bush Administration continue to perpetrate and to get away with a wrongful, aggressive and illegal war of occupation in Iraq. There are many factors which enable the Bush Administration's imperial aspirations; not least among them are the politics of fear and division, the leverage of a compliant Congress, and an apathetic Public.

But the Bush Administration may be most enabled in its pursuit of global dominance by a compliant and cooperative mainstream media. For example, embedded military reports are taken at face value with little to no question about the veracity of what are oftentimes virtually anonymous sources. In its compliance with the Bush Administration politics of fear and division, the mainstream media do the USA harm.

Iraq did not pose a threat to the USA prior to invasion.

Our nation's military and military personnel are being misused, and abused, in the service of an unjust and aggressive occupation.

The port blockades were an attempt to stop an unlawful occupation; one that is hurting the people of Iraq and the uniformed service personnel of the USA. To speak against the blockades is comparable to saying that a police officer should not drive in excess of the speed limit in order to apprehend a suspect.

Millions of people in Iraq suffer on a daily basis because of the war. Their suffering goes unreported or glossed over. Where are their voices in our media? Why don't we hear from those who are most impacted by this 'war?'

Thank you and sincerely,

Robert Whitlock

Olympia