Letter criticizing volunteers was way out of line
Don't have a cow, man!rnThat famous saying by famed celebritity Bart Simpson could have been used in regards to a letter in last week's Osoyoos Times.
The letter, written by Monica Reddemann and Wayne Knight, was brutal in its criticism of the Cherry Fiesta's Cherry Pie Eating Contest July 1.
Quite often our Letters to the Editor section is used to criticize. It is great forum for people to raise and debate important issues. We believe it is a section that belongs more to our readers than to us and although there are some letters that just don't make it (talk to our lawyers), we are committed to running everyone's letters – even the really bad ones. And that is exactly how we would characterize the letter presently in question.
It is one thing to criticize elected officials, whose decisions have far reaching effects.
But it is entirely another to slam a group of volunteers because your Grandchildren didn't get to eat a pie.
To the writer of this horrid letter – what exactly were you thinking? Were you convinced that this group of (shall I say it again) volunteers purposely went out of their way to not include children? Is that the lack of imagination you spoke of? And staying on the subject of imagination, really just how imaginitive is it to write a letter publicly criticizing a group of volunteers who have absolutely no way to defend themselves?
We will speak for them and say this – you had no right critizing them for a job you obviously weren't prepared to do yourself. The Festival and Events Committee have been looking for volunteers for years. You have had every opportunity to become involved and make sure that the Cherry Fiesta had lots of cherry events.
You chose not to and instead resorted to humiliating criticisms of hard-working, committed volunteers whose only goal is to do their part to make your community a better place to live. Shame on you!
