Thank you very much for your editorial (Herald, Sept. 11) clarifying your policy on letters to the editor. I was beginning to wonder if printed letters were going to represent both sides of an issue during this election season. It started to appear that you were giving positive, overexposure to the issues and individuals of your senior management’s liking.

It is unfortunate that American politics, and the election season in particular, have devolved to an “us against them” process. The issue discussions that become personal attacks and then the media’s leverage of those situations by presenting their own spin of the facts does not help us understand the issues or the candidates. It may help individual candidates and increase circulation, but it doesn’t help us become better informed citizens.

So thank you for clarifying your policy on allowing equal opportunity for both sides’ discussions while at times having to wear a striped shirt and whistle to ensure we all play fair. I am the kind of person who wants to talk about the issues. I engage folks when given the opportunity to see how they feel about an issue and what their solutions might be.

One thing that I hear from every person I engage, regardless of party affiliation, is his or her frustration with our government. From the highest levels of elected representatives to the individual government employee, too many of them have lost sight of the fact that they were elected or hired to serve us, not themselves. From the contemptuous attitude of a government employee who is put out because I am asking for assistance to the overreach of our elected officials who think they know what is better for us than we do, it has clearly gotten out of balance. There must be a change.

Thank you for being part of correcting that imbalance by committing to providing both sides of the discussions so that we the people can be better informed and can decide for ourselves.

Tim Gallagher

Hesperus