Dear Mr. Lutz....

Dear Mr. Lutz,

I have just read your essay titled “Doublespeak”. It was a great essay I believe in the sense that it held my interest for the entire length of the article. I do however feel as though you might be a tad bit guilty of the own “doublespeak” you speak of. I felt that you were quick to judge those who use doublespeak and maybe your view was a tad bit sheltered. While I agree it is wrong to lie, or mislead someone with malicious intent. I do not believe it is so bad to lie, or avoid the truth in order to protect ones feelings. Like if for example someone asks you how they look fat today. You can tell they look a tad bit larger than they once did but instead you avoid the topic. I think this is okay. It protects their feelings and focuses on a good aspect of them selves. Another form of doublespeak that you seem to take issue with involves one boasting their own self image by padding their titles or accomplishments. I personally do not understand the harm in saying you are a “waste management specialist” rather than a simple “trash man”. What is the difference you know what you do, but waste management specialist sounds so much nicer. In many ways this is how the world works, for example I do hiring from time to time for my sisters company. When I am hiring I get dozens of resumes, if I have two individuals that I am interested in I will take more notice to the one who claims to be a “sales professional” rather than just a “salesman”. While the title is the same, and the description is the same it just sounds better the other way. It also has to do with money, one would assume a sales professional would make more than that of a average salesman. Lutz also talks about jargon another form of doublespeak which is primarily used by those of us in a professional field such as doctors, lawyers, and accountants. However each of us can be guilty of this, for example those slang we use with our friends by your definition fall under the jargon category. It is not a bad thing, it is just a matter of being a wear of such differences. The last time of doublespeak you speak of no pun intended is called gobbledygook, is that correct? Well I agree that this is wrong, if someone doesn’t know something they should simply be able to say so, without wasting everyone’s time by just saying a bunch of hideously used words. But this is life, doublespeak is a matter of life, it sucks yes but so does global warming, and obesity but hell we still have to live with both those things. My point is I see where you are coming from, and I agree overall doublespeak in the political world is wrong. It is used to mislead the American people, the people responsible for running our country; the people we entrust purposely mislead us. This is wrong and I wish you would have focused your essay more on this, and provided more exampled that pertained to the political realm.

Thanks,
R. Fernandes