Gregor was a ''teenybopper'' five years before that insult was invented - an adolescent, training-wheels hippie who outshouted the college students at a free-speech rally and got busted for spitting on the campus cops. The cutline below his deranged picture in the local newspaper pointed out that he was a student at my high school, in my freshman class.
I took it personally. I wrote a letter to the editor. It was actually published.
Friends, teachers, neighbors and complete strangers told me they agreed with me - and I've been perpetrating opinions ever since.
That's why it was so much fun to learn more about people who share the same habit - the ''regulars'' who appear on our Forum cover today. Opening their responses was even more fun than going through the stack of mail each day. Those of us who work here in the editorial department have come to recognize their letterheads, stationery and signatures like friendly faces around a neighborhood bar. We could hardly wait to see their pictures to find out if their faces matched our mental mug shots of pen pals who are practically part of the family.
I was impressed - and a little chagrinned - to find out how much effort John Lockhart puts into a letter, so I can take a glancing look and casually shuffle it into the ''Use'' or ''Don't Use'' stack along with about 75 others we get every day.
I was reminded for about the eleventy-seventh time that ordinary people who write letters to the editor - without the benefit of journalism degrees, framed awards or even a sophisticated word-processing terminal - have opinions that can make ours look like factory rejects with missing buttons and crooked hems.
Such as James Cornelius Crawford's comment on race relations: ''Almost every day, people literally die attempting to enter this country, and many who succeed may never see their families again. And we constantly bicker over skin pigmentation!''
Or these comments on writing letters:
''Newspapers provide a valuable service to the community through their letters to the editor section ... Usually, it is our only opportunity to enter the public debate.'' - Marilyn Riegert.
''Readers' Views is one of the first things I read in the paper, and contains some of The Enquirer's most interesting writing.'' - Maureen McNally Gallardo.
Exactly. See what I mean?
And here's my favorite:
''Having known a number of editors in the past, I know they want to be, and usually are, the best-informed people in the community.'' - Mr. Lockhart.
Obviously, Mr. Lockhart is a perceptive man whose letters should be published much more often. The problem is, we don't have enough room to publish all the letters we get, and some of the best turn out to be dead letters that don't include phone numbers for verification.
Our space for letters is tighter than Santa's slacks this time of year, but after the New Year we hope to be back to open op-ed pages and a full page of letters every Wednesday (as well as Sunday).
If you decide to toss in your 32-cents' worth, here are some tips:
People who disagree with our opinions are not handcuffed like parking-meter bandits. I even disagree myself now and then. Anyone who claims I censor letters I don't like must have missed the ones that call my opinions ''specious management advice,'' or ''negative and vitriolic.''
Keep it short, say something original, and don't get too negative and vitriolic.
Starting out with, ''I dare you to publish this,'' or using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS doesn't get your daring opinion published any LOUDER. And a few exclamation marks go a long way!!!!
Leave journalese jargon like ''public coffers'' to headline writers. (The only public coffers I've ever seen are the ones who hack through plays and concerts.)
Beware that Reader's Views has its own stalker - a sick pup who sends hate mail in Nazi uniforms to people whose letters clash with the sky on his (her?) planet. (The FBI-Don't-Care referred us to postal inspectors, who are allegedly investigating.)
If you stick to the word limit, we are less likely to delete your favorite paragraph. Hint: If your letter needs a table of contents and an epilogue, it's too looooooong.
Don't forget a daytime phone number so we can verify your letter, and include your neighborhood or city so that some other John Doe in Deer Park doesn't take all those calls from people who offer to make travel reservations for you. (As in, ''You can go to ... '')
Remember, you don't have to call me up and shout obscenities like teenybopper Gregor to exercise your freedom of speech.
Just do what Mr. Lockhart does: ''To be honest, sometimes I write one just for fun.''
Peter Bronson is editorial page editor of The Enquirer. If you have questions or comments, call 768-8301, or write to 312 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
