Press "Enter" to skip to content

Opinion

Letters to the Gazette-Journal on any subject of public interest are always welcome. Letters should be 300 words or shorter, and all submissions must include the writer’s complete home mailing address, email and phone number should we need to reach you (this information is not published).

We favor letters that thoughtfully respond to or offer perspective or content published in the Gazette-Journal, and on local or state issues. The Gazette-Journal will not accept letters which comment on articles published in other periodicals; and we may not use letters which have appeared in other publications. We do not accept letters that are primarily broad endorsements or attacks on political candidates or parties. Also, space limitations often prevent publication of thank-you letters.

The right is reserved to refuse letters and to limit letters from individual contributors to one per month, to limit to one the number of candidate endorsements an individual can make, and to edit letters for length, accuracy, clarity, tone, style and other considerations. The newspaper requires a physically signed copy for our records. That can be accomplished by sending a digital image, such as a JPEG, to the editor.

Editorial: Fighting the tide (9/30/2026) - From all the headlines during last week’s high tides and offshore storm, one would think that the term “nor’easter” is a proper construction. This semi-jocular terminology has gained a foothold… …
Letter: A long time coming (9/30/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: I was able to attend Sunday’s groundbreaking for new Station 1 in the courthouse. I played a very small role as a member of Gloucester EDA. It was… …
Letter: Not all taxes are objectionable (9/30/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: People have always complained about taxes. Many complaints have focused on how tax dollars are spent, claiming taxpayers often don’t know where the money goes. Others complain taxes… …
Letter: Tree preservation (9/30/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: The Gloucester volunteer Clean and Green Committee wanted to highlight some points from a letter about tree preservation that we presented to the Board of Supervisors in August.… …
Letter: Types of government (9/30/2026) - The media has an important role in shaping the views of its audience and how people perceive different types of government. I don’t think the media is objective in defining… …
Letter: Pick the big fish (9/30/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: We are being distracted by minnows while some very big fish are swimming around us. A changing climate is a big fish. Warmer waters, flooding, severed storms and… …
Letter: The ‘Medicare for All’ myth (9/30/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: The term “Medicare for All” is being bantered around a lot. What does that really mean? The obvious answer hidden behind that soft phrase is government health care.… …
Letter: Democrats, do your job (9/30/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: Because of the gross incompetence of the Trump administration, Democrats feel that they have a good chance of gaining control of both houses of Congress in the upcoming… …
Letter: Don’t be deceived (9/30/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: Claim: Rob Wittman is kicking people off Medicaid. Reality: Rob works to protect Medicaid for children, the disabled and elderly. He was one of 17 Republicans, and the… …
Letter: Taylor for Congress (9/30/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: Public media is the mechanism by which we stay informed of “the news.” I recall fondly our family evening ritual of turning into one of the three major… …
Letter: The Euphemism Party (9/30/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: Before we vote on changing the Virginia Constitution, we should perhaps review some history. Back in the 1850s, a political party known as the “Know Nothings” won the… …
Letter: Keep U.S. rebuild going (9/30/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: Because the performance of the economy is primary and so tied to quality of life, I’m going to focus on this sector and why a winning federal team… …
Editorial: Register to vote (9/23/2026) - Wake up, readers! If you have a problem with local, state or federal issues, or if you have a favorite candidate or cause, there is only one way to affect… …
Letter: Vote ‘Yes’ on sales tax proposal (9/23/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: Vote “Yes” to the 1 percent sales tax as proposed and the need explained to us at a recent meeting so ably and precisely by Dr. David Daniel.… …
Letter: Vote ‘Yes’ on sales tax (9/23/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: Early voting has already started for the Nov. 3 General Election. There is a referendum on the ballot asking you to vote “Yes” or “No” to add 1… …
Letter: Vote ‘Yes’ on sales tax referendum (9/23/2026) - Editor; Gazette-Journal: As a Mathews County landowner, taxpayer, and proud graduate of our public school system, I am strongly endorsing the 1 percent local retail sales tax referendum this November.… …
Letter: Web of deception (9/23/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: One of the cleverest devices seen in nature is the spider’s web. Painstakingly and patiently woven, its effectiveness of design is remarkably successful. The unsuspecting prey gets caught… …
Letter: What is not said (9/23/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: The upcoming election, and the just started early voting period, is important on several layers. Here, I want to warn voters about one of the three proposed constitutional… …
Letter: A wrong translation (9/23/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: In letters on Sept. 17, Sharon Frye mistakenly translates a sign that says “86 47” as meaning “Kill the President.” Miriam-Webster defines the term “86” as a): to… …
Letter: Spears for Mathews Commonwealth’s Attorney (9/23/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: Please consider voting for J. Grant Spears as our next Commonwealth’s Attorney. Grant, now residing in Moon, is a longtime resident of the area (Hartfield) and the son… …
Letter: Thank you for the support (9/23/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: On behalf of the Central Village Homemakers of Mathews, I would like to thank the following businesses for their generous contribution either with a gift certificate or merchandise… …
Editorial: The law of the land (9/16/2026) - Twenty-five years ago today, still breathing in the ashes and the scenes of horror from the Twin Towers and Pentagon struck by terrorists a week earlier, Americans really did not… …
Editorial: Political letters (9/16/2026) - Anyone paying attention to tiny, tiny details may have noticed that, with Labor Day in the rearview mirror, we have changed our policy on letters…no real change, just one more… …
Letter: An essay on democracy (9/16/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: With the mid-terms on our horizon, it seems appropriate to remind ourselves what E.B. White, noted children’s author and essayist, had to say about the Meaning of Democracy.… …
Letter: A vision (9/16/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: This letter was supposed to be a reminder to vote NO on all 3 of the Virginia Constitutional Amendments. All 3 of these amendments are written in a… …

Subscribe to Receive Weekly Updates and Announcements