In the past 6 months, 1653 of you have used this type of missive to get your point across. Although the content of your message may have been valid and more profound than any I could have ever mustered within my brain cells, this practice of labeling any criticism, suggestion or praise to a person you cannot personally correspond with as an "open letter" has to stop. It is burning my retinas to their bases.
1653 open letters. Seriously? Here is the thing about an open letter. They are designed to be read by a larger audience to get a point across, raise awareness, start a movement, etc. However, an open letter assumes that the person that the letter is mainly targeted towards will actually read the letter.
Do you think Bill O'Reily, Rush Limbaugh, Norm Coleman, Donald Rumsfield, Dick Cheney or Karl Rove is reading the Daily Kos?
Do you think that George Bush, Sarah Palin, or Sean Hannity is reading anything?
I know, I know, but it sounds soooo much cooler and more meaningful when I call it an open letter. It gives it instant gravitas. The truth of the matter, is unless you are addressing it to a fellow diarist, a site moderator, or one of the many pundits, politicians or celebrities that frequent this site, it is not really an open letter. It is a rant. Or a praise fest. There is a difference.
The worst is when someone writes an open letter to a corporation and other non-sentient being. The GM logo cannot read your letter, sir. Please find a warm body to actually send a letter to, and stop pretending that you intend the group you are bitching about to actually receive the letter.
Now, I understand that some may find this to be but a small quibble, something that needs little attention and less action. But come one people, we are not freepers! We don't engage in hyperbole, false righteousness, and know-it-all-isms!
The open letter has it place. Let us just use it properly and above all with due discretion.