Letters to the Editor

The Letters to the Editor feature in The CVJ creates a space in which readers are free to comment on articles published in The CVJ as well as on other aspects of veterinary medicine. In the spirit of freedom of expression we have not edited letters for their content or their tone. We have only made changes that involved reduction for letters that exceed the 500 word limit and correction of typing or grammatical errors. To ensure fairness, we have always provided the opportunity for a response by an individual or group who was the subject of a letter to the editor.

Recently, however, we published a number of letters and responses, which some readers considered to have contained inflammatory and disrespectful remarks. The Editorial Committee of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association therefore reviewed the letters and responses and agreed that they did contain comments that were personal and inconsiderate. The Committee developed a policy statement aimed at ensuring that the Letters to the Editor feature will promote civil debate on veterinary medical issues. The policy statement is as follows: “Constructive and professional comments made in the spirit of intellectual debate are welcomed by the Editor. Writers are expected to be respectful to others and to ensure that letters are considerate and courteous. The Editor reserves the right to remove comments deemed to be inflammatory or disrespectful.” The Committee also decided that this policy statement should be published as a regular component of the Letters to the Editor section of The CVJ.

We continue to treasure and promote the right to freely communicate information, opinions, and ideas through Letters to the Editor. However, the policy recognizes that there are limits to freedom of expression and that we should do what we can to prevent harm to individuals who write for this column.

The new policy is not intended to inhibit readers who wish to express their feelings. It is intended to ensure that individuals are not subject to ridicule or personal attack. It is remarkable how an acrimonious comment can derail a good debate and divert attention away from constructive comments. Furthermore, such comments invite response in-kind — not to the argument, but to the unkind comment. I don’t anticipate rejecting letters or responses because of the new policy. Where there is concern about violation of the policy I will work with writers to achieve a satisfactory outcome.

The CVJ Letters to the Editor feature encourages readers to write about any topic of interest and/or concern. We wish this feature to be a forum for the exchange of information, opinions, and ideas. I am sure that readers will understand that we don’t intend to censor opinion and that we will continue to publish opinions without consideration of whether we agree with them or not. What is important is that authors know that when they write a letter or a response to a letter the discussion in which they are engaging will occur in a positive environment. We encourage readers who are writing to disagree with a point to write as though the letter was being addressed to a respected friend and colleague. This should not preclude vigorous disagreement but should contribute to a discussion that generates more light than heat. If the intent is to persuade others to your view then logical argument is more effective than a personal attack. We want to do all we can to preserve Letters to the Editor as a marketplace of ideas, where there is a vibrant social atmosphere and everyone feels welcome to express an opinion with the understanding that comments may be challenged but individuals will never be “put down.”