Lately the level of extremism and anger that the media has allowed to trickle down to the public has appalled me. Whether it is on television or in the newspaper I cannot watch or read it without seeing people that hold different views tearing at each other's throats.

The problem is that all this anger and resentfulness transfers to the public and affects how people interact with each other. News should report the hard facts without slanting them to the left or to the right. Media should not be able to force-feed us what to think, but should let us form our own opinions.

I wish I knew what this looked like, but unfortunately now ratings and readers are all that matter to publishers and producers. Its as Thomas Jefferson said: "The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers."

Boring letters that do not offend people do not get published, because if no one is offended, then people will not show the article to their friends, rebuttals will not be written, stories will not get posted on Facebook and the papers and channels that depend on negative flurries of attention will lose readers and viewers.

I think however, that is not true. If there were a newspaper or channel that truly reported unbiased stories and published things with respect to the people and communities involved, I, along with many other people, would proudly give my viewership to whatever that is over an organization with disrespectful stories that are only published to anger people.

I really wish people would learn to love and respect each other and be able to consider what it's like to be in the shoes of the person whom you are about to verbally attack. For a moment, consider their viewpoint, and if you disagree say so in a positive way.

If letters were published to educate and relay the point in a respectful rather than resentful way, I think there could be a positive change in the political atmosphere as well as a change in the way we treat each other.

Caitlin Rice
Clermont