This is True often deals with education. That’s due to several factors, including: 1) We all spend so many of our formative years in school, 2) Kids have a knack for doing really dumb things sometimes, and 3) School administrators and teachers always want to outdo the kids, and thus pull even dumber stunts.
Reader Feedback
Binge Drinking in College: No, Not Funny
I periodically remind people: the stories in This is True are not always meant to be funny. Even the funny ones are often chosen to drive home a point, but sometimes being funny isn’t the way to do that. A good example is this two-story line-up from True’s 3 October 2004 issue:
Thanks to Zero Tolerance, You are Not Safe
The silly concept of “Zero Tolerance” may have started in American schools, but it certainly did not end there. It not only has spread to schools in other countries, what’s the expected result when all those schoolchildren get out of school, and into the Real World?
I Demand You Agree With This
There was a story last week about the governor of West Virginia, who was so outraged over a joke T-shirt that he demanded 1) that the seller remove them from its stores and catalog, 2) recall them, and 3) destroy them. The company refused. My tagline: “…In other news, the indignant governor said no, it’s untrue that only inbred buffoons think they can stop people from telling jokes.”
The Cradle of Common Law
In the 28 March edition I ran a story about Britain’s Home Secretary, who has started billing released prisoners for their room and board when they have been found innocent after spending years in prison.
When is Racism OK?
When some idiot in the public eye spews forth an outrageous racist remark or two, they’re always called to task! And rightly so. Well… are they really? What happens when people are afraid to call a racist a racist, because they’ll be called racist? This story was in True’s 29 February 2004 issue:
I Believe in Santa
No, it’s not “Virginia” but rather “J” in Canada. It started with her letter, which ran in the 7 December 2004 issue’s free edition:
Letters that Make me Smile
Now and then I get a letter from a reader that really makes me smile. Last week it was from Michele in California:
Liberal Bias AGAIN?!
In last week’s issue I ran two stories that were wonderfully balanced, politics-wise. Yet the response was very, very telling. First, here are both stories:
The Missionary’s Position
Or, Much Ado About Nothing!
I got exactly one complaint about a story in last week’s issue, and the basis of the complaint, by a Baptist Youth Pastor, is so eye-rolling in its cluelessness, you’ll understand why some kids are so screwed up.
Driving Home a Point
In the Premium edition (only), I sometimes run a Tagline Challenge, where I include an extra story without my usual “tagline” and let readers suggest how they think the story should end. This month the Challenge was indeed a challenge.
Groan: Not Again!
Last week there was Yet Another Political (this time, anti-war) ad, and as expected I got a bunch of complaints and petulant “unsubscribe” demands.
Self-Promotion and Other Funding Sources
True’s readers are a passionate bunch. Stephanie in Minnesota writes:
Distant Cousins
See 2006 Update, Below
Many readers enjoyed these two stories that appeared in the 16 February 2003 issue, as they showed how different — and how similar — Australians and Americans are:
It’s an Ad, Stupid (continued)
Some months back an advertiser slammed George W. Bush, leading to a bunch of complaints by readers who wondered if I was some sort of “right-wing pukebag” (as one reader put it).
A ‘True’ Honorary Unsubscribe
There are some readers I correspond with a fair amount over time, especially Premium subscribers. Ian in the U.K. was one of them. I had a recent letter from him in my “use in an issue when space is available” folder, in which he had written:
The Other Kind of Military Brat
A nice letter from Christopher, with the 21st Air Force in New Jersey:
Evangelical = Hatemonger?
A letter as a denouement on the popularity of the Get Out of Hell Free products (after my essay on the topic, which is still up on the GOOHF site).
Date Rape is Funny?
Last week’s story about one of Time magazine’s “best inventions of the year” brought a mixed reaction. Let’s start with the story, from True‘s 1 December 2002 issue:
The Voices in My Head
As I (ahem) expected, I got a few letters from readers about last week’s story about the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill’s successful campaign to get Sears to stop selling a T-shirt. It reads: