Sincerely, No-One

The personal letter has long since lost its reign in the realm of the mailbox. Ousted by the magazines I was gifted but don't really read, by the deluge of college postcards as they vie for attention, by those few bills my family hasn't switched to electronic payment, and by the ubiquitous, voluminous junk, there is simply no place for the personal letter in this high-technology world. It doesn't surprise me, then, to hear that the postal service has cut back on Saturday deliveries: this is simply not a medium that has a lot of use today.

But.

Is there value, is there meaning, is there importance to the personal, literary letter? I want to tackle this from a couple of angles: first, in comparison to the alternate forms of communication more readily available today. Personal, face-to-face is and (for the foreseeable future) will be relevant and independent of this discussion. Phone and video chat, struck a blow to letter-writing, but more addressed a long term extension of this direct discussion. No, the more tragic coup de grâce was the advent of email and text messaging. These forms of communication are fast, (mostly) reliable, and tie in neatly with the rest of the internet age. Seems perfect, right?

But.

Email, and texting, are by nature either too casual or too awkward to provide the same literary and practical benefits of letter writing. These technologies, while convenient, promote more casual writing styles. This isn't always a bad thing, but alongside the occasional ambiguity and discomfort in relation/length, these become more of a hindrance than an actual aide to communication.

Letter-writing, on the other hand, traditionally holds fast to well-written, grammatically correct content. From a standpoint of pure practice, it is beneficial - but its potential is so much more than that. Letters can be cathartic and therapeutic, allowing for the organization and verbalization of complex thoughts. They can develop deeper bonds between individuals, as the anticipation and receipt of letters drives people closer. They preserve the writing in a physical form for future generations.

So is there a point to the personal letter?

Yeah. I'd say so.

On PRISM, Snowden, and other Recent Politics

In short: The NSA and the government are in the wrong, and this is very scary in its implications. Snowden, while maybe not the saint or hero that some make him out to be, made a hard decision for what he believed was the right thing based on the constitution and the will of the American people, and therefore should not face fear of prosecution or violence from his country.