Should I get mad over plagerism?

Question

I read a letter to the editor defending President Bush's stance on Iraq. What upset me was, it was word-for-word copied from gop.com's form letters. I know these sites want their letters to be published, but shouldn't people publish their own work? I am thinking of writing a letter to the editor requesting only original letters. Am I overreacting? Is it okay to use form letters?

http://www.gop.com/GetActive/WriteNewspapers.aspx

The original letter was:

President Bush has a clear plan for victory in Iraq that begins with training Iraqi forces so they can defend their country and fight the terrorists. We are making tremendous progress towards this objective. Earlier this year, Iraqi forces led the fight in clearing out terrorists during the crucial battle of Tal Afar, with U.S. troops in a supporting role, and every day, Iraqis are taking more control of the situation on the ground. Withdrawing from Iraq, as some Democrats in Washington propose, would send a dangerous signal to our enemies that we cut and run when the going gets tough. President Bush is offering a clear strategy to win, not a political quick fix.

Google some portions of this text and you'll find tons of similar letters.

Answer 1

Possibly you should write your own letter to the editor. Let them know how disappointed you are that they cannot find an original letter to print, etc. Maybe they'll print yours.

Answer 2

People are too lazy to write their own stuff. Plagiarism is an offense punishable by expulsion in colleges and universities, but when a famous author/pundit Anne Coulter plagiarizes almost an entire book, it's okay.

Answer 3

Just goes to show that most GOP members are unable to come up with any original thoughts.

Answer 4

If you do expect some big RNC goons to pay you a visit and discuss your liberty's with you