When You Write To An Unknown Audience

By Bobbette Madonna
Posted Monday, August 16, 2004

The creation, development and ongoing improvement of your own ezine is a true labor of love. It is also a forum for your own unique perspective on life. Your readers have their own perspective and will sometimes tell you about them.

As a person of firm beliefs in freedom of speech and expression I am not offended by criticism. Sometimes valuable lessons are learned by both the offended and the writer. Thus, this article.

Holidays bring out the spirit of sharing values and beliefs in me. Can't help it, I'm old fashioned and not politically correct. Besides that, it's my ezine. It was a response to a Christmas message that prompted this article.

Email from subscriber:

Bobbette, I respect your belief. I am a giving person, a good person. What you are doing is unconstitutional. I wish you and yours all the best. Please do not preach, it shows major insecurity.

To which, I responded

So, you respect my belief but I am not to express those beliefs and I should keep them to myself so as not to offend? Unconstitutional? Hogwash!

No, my friend, I can say anything I please. It's called freedom of speech. Those, like you, who don't wish to hear it can strive forever to keep me quiet. Take God from everything political and from all that is public domain. That's ok. We don't need that. You can not remove it from our soul - ever.

Please understand. I am not of your non-faith. Never have been. I am probably a lot older than you are and I am not going to change my beliefs no matter how much you and the non-Christian population are offended about what I believe. Nor are you, I am sure.

With a gun to my head, I will not deny my faith nor will I not write what ever I feel in my ezine. I am not offended by your words, just sad to think that at 62 years old I have had someone tell me I am insecure in my belief. I don't have
an insecure bone in my body, heart or soul.

No, my friend, I think it is you that may be insecure in your non-belief (let's call that a wash). You feel a need to tell me, not to tell you, something I believe. I would never tell you not to say, write or feel something you truly
believed and that is the difference between you and I. You want to shut me up and I say to you - live and let live, in peace and harmony.

Modern day revisionists changing the original concepts of the constitution will not make it true. Our God is the same then, now and always... You have no God. Is that our doing? Must we shut up because you chose not to believe? By what authority do you make that law? What law is that? Who is your leader?

Thank you for reminding me that there are those in my ezine list who are atheists and non believers. However, this will not make me stop (nothing will) saying what I believe. I am not preaching, I am asking (in my Christmas message) people of all persuasions to help each other. That is all.

My reader is still subscribed. He has a right to his beliefs and I will give anyone room to voice their opinion in my ezine. It looks like we came to a meeting of the minds which is a very satisfying conclusion. When you write to an unknown audience be prepared for some very interesting and sometimes surprising feedback. It's what fuels my fire.

About the Author:
Bobbette Madonna publishes LOGON NewZine and the Guerrilla Marketing Resource Center. Also, she is the owner of (www.niba4u.com) - a spam watch site and is a partner for the fight against unfair termination of service at (www.spamattorney.biz) The main subscription and marketing resource center for LOGON is at: (http://logonnewzine.com)