Editor:

I confess to being perplexed about Jennifer Fumiko Cahill's recent piece "Why I will Not be Using Your Preferred Pronouns" (Feb. 14). It seems to be meant satirically. And yet, in composing it, Cahill ignored the cardinal rules of writing good satire. 

Good satire addresses current issues. Gender neutral pronouns? How 2017.

Good satire punches up. To quote Garry Trudeau, one of the great satirists of our time, "Traditionally, satire has comforted the afflicted while afflicting the comfortable ... Ridiculing the non-privileged is almost never funny — it's just mean." 

Good satire is funny. And before you accuse me of having no sense of humor, remember that, as we all have witnessed innumerable times in the last couple of years, that is always the defense of the bully.

Be best.

Lauraine Leblanc, Arcata

Editor's note: The column referenced in this letter was, in fact, satire.