The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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August 25, 2010

Our Readers Speak

Readers The Register-Herald

BECKLEY — Argument ignores rules of writing



I write in response to the Aug. 17 article titled “More Than Dreams: We Need Science.” In particular, I wish to address Mr. Dan Page’s argument which states that the “anti-coal” coalition primarily consists of liberal arts majors who possess little to no knowledge about the “science” behind coal.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in English and history from Concord University, and I will be an instructor of English at Ohio University this fall. I have nothing against coal other than the ethical standards of certain unnamable companies. What does this suggest? If Mr. Page, the editor of our State Journal, has taken a first-year university class in composition, he will have assuredly studied a basic rule of writing, do not generalize. The great gift of the liberal arts is that they promote our democracy by giving people the skills necessary to be independent thinkers in order to cast informed votes about our country. By claiming that all liberal arts majors are hippie tree huggers, Mr. Page commits an elementary fallacy of generalization that damages his credibility as a respectable journalist.

Furthermore, if Mr. Page chooses to insult liberal arts majors, I wish to invoke another elementary requirement of good writing which the liberal arts teach. Show me evidence that suggests that “hard, objective” science favors coal over alternative sources. By merely playing the devil’s advocate, I could cite various respectable scientific journals, not from English majors, that suggest otherwise.



Jeff Yeager

Kopperston



Thank you to Dr. Brett Whitfield



My mother, Dorothy Adkins, recently had double knee replacement surgery at Plateau Medical Center in Oak Hill. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Brett Whitfield and the entire nursing staff in the orthopedics department at Plateau Medical Center for the wonderful care that my mother received. The nurses were very friendly, thoughtful and did their job with a smile on their face. These nurses are angels on earth. Thank you again for the wonderful job that you do.

 

Ella Price

Oceana

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