# This is the scariest, creepist event of my life (re: my letter to the editor) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 30, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853 "2003-12-30T23:17:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/21 "2003-12-31T16:59:17Z")
I’m creeped out. I don’t know why newspapers sometimes INSIST on publishing real names and cities or you don’t get the press time. You could submit your name and address and then use a fake for the actual publication. Very scary… ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/22 "2003-12-31T17:27:30Z")
I agree with the posters saying CALL THE COPS! I have a gay cousin in law enforcement, call the police. Start a paper trail, most likely nothing else will happen, but IF something does you have documented evidence of harrassment. And if it were me I’d feel safer knowing I tried to get the problem solved. Hell I made a police report for harrassment last year when I had three of my plants stolen off the front porch over one week. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/23 "2003-12-31T20:44:39Z")
Whoa. Where the fuck do you live? ---
**Author:** ![Mefern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bcef8e/32.png) [@Mefern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mefern)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/24 "2003-12-31T21:24:44Z")
Take a name and a city and put it into [Google.com](http://Google.com) and it’ll more often than not give you the address and phone number. Works great for checking addresses for my wedding list. [www.google.com](http://www.google.com) FirstName LastName, City I think if you ask the phone company not to list you it won’t show up in there. Otherwise, ask them to publish the letter anonymously or just don’t write letters about controversial subjects. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/25 "2003-12-31T21:29:06Z")
Yikes, that’s kinda spooky. Remind me not to write any letters to the editor. I agree with whoever said that they didn’t necessarily get the address from the paper. It’s probably pretty easy to find a person’s address if you know their name & general location. Signed, Joe Smith 123 Fake Street ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/26 "2003-12-31T21:29:37Z")
> [@](#): > > And with apologies to any enlightened members of law enforcement, but bringing a complaint about gay intolerance to a police officer is a bit like bringing a complaint about anti-semitism to the Gestapo. My experience has been that the police have always been very helpful to me under these circumstances. Granted I’m white, female, have “Dr.” in front of my name, and choose where I live based on issues like how responsive the police are to bias. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/27 "2003-12-31T21:34:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mefern \* > Take a name and a city and put it into [Google.com](http://Google.com) and it’ll more often than not give you the address and phone number. Works great for checking addresses for my wedding list. > > [www.google.com](http://www.google.com) > > FirstName LastName, City Wow - it even links to a map to your house.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/28 "2003-12-31T21:55:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Stoid \* > \*\*Whoa. Where the fuck do you live? \*\* Nice try. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/29 "2003-12-31T22:01:36Z")
As creepy as this is, I think reporting it to the police will be more carthatic than anything else. What crime was committed by sending you anti-gay propoganda? Unless there was any actual threat to you or someone else, it’ll be a non-event from the perspective of the cops. ---
**Author:** ![SylverOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SylverOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SylverOne)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/30 "2003-12-31T22:20:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\*No newspaperwould release your address, though. > \*\* Our local newspaper… [Letters to the Editor](http://www.helenair.com/articles/2003/12/31/opinions/a04123103_02.txt) Depends entirely on the newspaper. The Billing’s Gazette only publishes your name and the city/town of residence. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/31 "2003-12-31T23:34:26Z")
The only time I’ve been contacted after writing a letter to the editor was years ago when they published a pro-marijuana-legalization letter and a pothead rang me up and rambled supportively but semi-incoherently at me for twenty minutes. Didn’t change my mind. 😉 Of course, I am listed in the phone book under a, shall we say, alternative version of my name. People who know me can find me. Others are out of luck. ---
**Author:** ![chicksdigscars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@chicksdigscars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chicksdigscars)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/32 "2003-12-31T23:42:52Z")
I have written letters to the editor of my local paper for well over a decade. I am known as somewhat of a rabble rouser, mainly because I very liberal and the area I live in is narrow-minded and conservative. I have also gotten replies mailed to my house regarding letters I have written. My name and phone number are unlisted and the paper does not print the address. So how did these people get my address? FROM THE NEWSPAPER. The damn staff of the paper gave out my address. I had a talk with the editor and mentioned my lawyer’s name. Hasn’t happened since. I started getting letters from this guy who signed, “Love, your father.” Now, I don’t have to tell you that this guy was NOT my father. He even sent me $80 one time to buy a new dress. Where I would find a dress for $80, I still haven’t figured out. I did call the police and showed them the letters. What did they do? NOTHING! The jerk who responded said, “Well I can’t stop him from sending mail to you.” It wasn’t the idea of mail, it was the DISTURBING tone of the mail. The wouldn’t do diddly. Save EVERYTHING you get. Keep calling the police. Even if they don’t do anything, there will be a record of your calls. Then, if something does happen later on, you have a paper trail and you can say, “I did call the police and they didn’t do anything.” Then your next phone call should be to a lawyer to sue the police dept. ---
**Author:** ![Truth\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/33 "2004-01-01T00:29:55Z")
I’m pretty puzzled at the amount of hysteria in this thread. **John Mace** is exactly correct. There is no law against sending people unsolicited mail. Moreover, sending people unsolicited mail expressing a political opinion is squarely protected in the U.S. by the First Amendment. What crime, precisely, would y’all like the police to investigate? I can appreciate that the OP is upset and rattled. However, having people express their disagreement with you – and to you – is part of the price you pay for participating in the public debate. I know many people find the opinions expressed hateful. But in the U.S., there is no law against expressing hateful opinions, thank Jefferson. Would you really want the police to come and question _you_ about a political opinion you’d expressed to someone, even if you did so anonymously? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/34 "2004-01-01T00:30:34Z")
Wow. I’ve had two letters published in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and never gotten any hate mail (or mail at all) over them. The first one was bashing Jesse Ventura for getting all hot and bothered about the press reporting on how his son had trashed the Governor’s mansion. The second was in response to a Republican state Senator claiming that the Supreme Court was creating new rights in protecting homosexuals and decrying the possibility of gay marriage. I asked him to show me where in the Constitution one was granted the right to be married or to engage in heterosexual sex. Perhaps the reason I never got any hate mail was because they were too busy trying and failing to find such things. Or perhaps they did, but my soon-to-be-ex wife threw them away, like so many important financial papers… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/35 "2004-01-01T00:48:53Z")
No, there is no law against unsolicited mail, or bigotry. HOWEVER, there are indeed laws about harassment and threats, D’UH! If you get anymore, keep track of it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/36 "2004-01-01T01:06:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*No, there is no law against unsolicited mail, or bigotry. > > HOWEVER, there are indeed laws about harassment and threats, D’UH! If you get anymore, keep track of it. \*\* Actually, there would be nothing illegal about sending anti-gay political stuff to the OP everyday for the next 5 years. As long as the literature didn’t directly threaten the OP or someone else. I suppose if the OP contacted the sender and asked to be taken off the mailing list, it might be considered harassement if they didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/37 "2004-01-01T02:56:25Z")
Am I missing something here? The letter received by cheddarsnax appears to be a bunch of propaganda, but nothing overtly threatening. It seems like the sender is not trying to announce menacing intentions on cheddar, but rather trying to convince cheddar of his views with some distasteful material. How can one even consider going to the police over this? ---
**Author:** ![geewhiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f0a364/32.png) [@geewhiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geewhiz)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853/38 "2004-01-01T03:20:11Z")
I don’t support gay rights but I am not going to send someone a bunch of stuff without my name on it. I find that a bit, shall I say, cowardly. Man, if I am going to say something, you are going to know it is me. On the other hand, I kinda understand why he didn’t put his name on it. If you come out against anything with the exception of God and traditional values, you are an oppressor, homophobic, one of the “jeesuzers”, “horrible Christians”. I am a devout Christian (a rather liberal Baptist). I don’t support gay rights but I am not homophobic (you can ask any of my gay friends), I don’t shove my beliefs down anyone throat even though I have others shove their beliefs down mine (including gay rights advocates who attack when you don’t support them and tell them…no matter how nice and gentle you are about it). I will discuss God with anyone, I will not debate (unless in the appropriate conditions) and I will not fight about it. I have had people say horrible things to me because I am a Christian. Supposedly I am supposed to take it. I understand why he would not put his name on it. The difference is, I would put my name on it. I would have sent a letter outlining my position. You were not threatened. You had your beliefs assaulted. Some of us deal with it every day. Get over it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-the-scariest-creepist-event-of-my-life-re-my-letter-to-the-editor/221853.md?page=1)