I want to express gratitude for the recent column published in the Daily explaining why articles such as this are written. I am certain this appreciation is shared by all individuals who were fortunate enough to have read it.

I read the article twice, not only because I knew how important it was, but because I knew it would change the way I act. It will be surprising to most readers to learn this about me, but I am not just someone who writes articles, I am also someone who reads them. This allows me to understand how difficult it is to be a reader of the Daily, and that article was a sobering reminder of how we sometimes fail to keep our promises to those who possess the gift of using words to create sentences that express thought.

Though we try our best, life as a common reader can be challenging. For example, to show appreciation to writers, readers have the duty of replying to the things they read. Usually, more response from readers can be considered an indication that the piece was enjoyed by many people. Unfortunately, sometimes readers do not make many comments on an article. While this might seem to indicate no one actually cared about (or even read) the piece, it is sometimes because it was so incredibly well-written they have been silenced by the raw power of the writer’s wisdom. It is simply impossible to argue with perfect writing.

However, there are times when readers do actually fail to maintain their place in the writer-reader relationship. Papers that have been picked up by potential readers are later forgotten all across campus, and sometimes replacement copies are not obtained. 

This is why written newspapers are losing popularity. Luckily, due to the generous hard work and compromises the Daily has made, these careless readers are still able to give worth to the words of writers by reading their compositions online.

Leaving a newspaper behind is a minor infraction when compared to other acts of neglectful readership. On rare occasions, readers can surprisingly forget the responsibility they have to understand the writer’s perspective. It is common for us as writers to forget to remind readers that they are expected not only to read whatever we write, but to care deeply about the subject matter. As a writer, I am fully aware that if my opinions and ideas are not heard by others, they are invalid. Simply put, readers have no right to deny us their attention. Once they start to read the article, they have made a commitment to read it entirely, regardless of how interesting it is.

Not only do bad readers act unethically, they might actually cause themselves serious intellectual harm. Being a less-than-perfect reader denies a person the chance to learn and think better. Without writers expressing their viewpoints, we would not understand others’ perspectives. Reading what others have to say educates us, and most new ideas are from writers. If a writer is willing to share his or her opinion with us, that is a gift we must not refuse.

In the end, writers do not write for their own enjoyment; they write because they rightfully expect their words to be read and appreciated. Readers must never forget this. As I read that article, I realized that it was meant to make me feel ashamed as a reader — and it did. After finishing it, I realized that the feelings I had of annoyance and anger should be directed toward myself, and not, as I and many others had originally assumed, the author. He was only reminding us of how we have failed him as readers.