Real Views: 5
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Have you ever read an opinion column and considered writing in response? If so, you’re not alone. Many readers contact me with ideas and feedback. It’s great.
Most of the time the responses are as you’d expect. Some are encouraging. I selfishly like those best. Some are mean. That’s less fun but comes with the territory.
Sometimes people write to continue the conversation, and regardless of whether I agree, I find these to be some of the most valuable exchanges. So this week I thought I’d offer a sampling of some of my favorite messages, and invite you to do the same.
First up is feedback for a column I wrote recently on Caitlin Clark. It was a response to the news of her WNBA salary, calling for Clark to be paid equally to the men.
The Op-Ed generated quite a bit of feedback, mostly in the form of pro- or anti-women comments. But one email from George in Denver stood out.
“When I saw the first news reports about Caitlin Clark signing with the Indiana Fever I knew editorials like Trish Zornio’s wouldn’t be long in coming,” his email began. “Zornio advocates for Clark to be paid on a par with her male hoops counterparts, and I agree wholeheartedly. But my contention isn’t that Clark should get a raise but that Steph Curry (the men’s pro she is often and rightly compared to) and his cohort should take a pay cut. Male pro athlete salaries are outrageously high, and are a prime example of our skewed values as a society.”
Hear, hear! I couldn’t agree more, George. Thanks for highlighting that the solution to pay equity doesn’t have to be for Clark to get paid more. It could be for the men to get paid less! Right on.
Another column that generated much feedback was my list of six women who could replace Gov. Jared Polis. Here again, comments varied, but two responses stood out. It started as a Facebook message that turned into a phone call. Then it was a letter from a prominent supporter and donor to Secretary of State Jena Griswold.
You see, my piece highlighted six women I consider inspiring candidates for governor and one woman candidate I find less inspiring. Specifically, I concluded that “Democrats can do better” than her and several other men, and I stand by that statement.
Incidentally, the woman I referenced as lackluster was Griswold, and apparently, at least two prominent Colorado Democrats strongly disagreed. Not only did both feel I underestimated her but it was also suggested by one of the women that it’s a no-no to publicly point out concerns about prominent Democratic women lest it hurt our chances to elect them.
After much consideration, I remain in the uncomfortable position of disagreement on both points with two established women I admire, yet I am grateful for their feedback. It’s made me think even more about a topic I am passionate about: electing women.
Ultimately, yes, I deeply hope we’ll elect more women to positions of power, including governor. But I do not believe that justifies a hall pass for women officials, particularly if I feel there are so many equally or more talented women to feature. As I did.
What say you? Does it hurt our chances to elect women if someone like me says no to one woman but yes to six others? I would hope that elevating the most qualified women is far more pro-women than not, but is it possible to hold a woman official reasonably accountable, as we would for men, without encouraging the wrath of systemic sexism?
Tough stuff.
Switching topics entirely, let’s talk about road rage. In another recent column, I called out Colorado drivers for being bad. Really bad. Readers overwhelmingly agreed, but as it turns out, there were a few specific bad behaviors Coloradans might want to be on the lookout for.
“As a long-time Colorado resident, my native-born husband and I routinely witness illegal, aggressive, violent expressions of people’s dismay and anger on Colorado State Highway 119,” read one email. “From extreme speeding of crotch rockets to passing on the double yellow by pickup trucks on the turn just below Barker Dam, weekends have become a nightmare.”
Yikes. Sounds worthy of more attention to me. What else should we know about?
Last but not least, a fun one. In reply to a piece on ageism, one 80-year-old reader contacted our opinion editor with the feedback that columnists should be more easily accessible beyond social media lest there is potentially an ageist component. I agree, and to that end, we have an Op-Ed email address precisely for that reason.
So whether it is now or in the future, please remember you are always welcome to send me reader feedback or ideas to [email protected] or on social media. And again, thanks to everyone who has taken the time or will to write. You’re a valuable part of our community and we can’t do it without you.
Trish Zornio is a scientist, lecturer and writer who has worked at some of the nation’s top universities and hospitals. She’s an avid rock climber and was a 2020 candidate for the U.S. Senate in Colorado. Trish can be found on Twitter @trish_zornio
The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at [email protected].
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