15 Minutes of Fame Guidelines

There has been some confusion as to just what the 15 Minutes section is about, and what subjects are acceptable.  I've put this little section together to help readers understand what I expect, and the types of subject material that I'm looking for.

I set this section up as an open forum for readers to speak out on issues of interest to them.  It's sort of like what I do with my opening piece, where I bring something up and then readers react to it.  This is your chance to bring something to the discussion table, without having to wait for it to be brought up by someone else.

There are very few guidelines to what I'm looking for here, but one thing I want to avoid are issues that are strictly American in nature.  Imagine how relevant a discussion of illegal immigration into South Africa might seem to you, and it becomes apparent that illegal immigration into the U.S. holds little interest for someone in Canada, Australia, or South Africa.  Things like idiot drivers, morning people, low wages, chronic pain, crime and punishment, or obesity are just some of the examples of things that I'm looking for in this spot.  It doesn't matter what country you're from when issues such as these are raised, since they're part of the human experience and we can all relate to them.

The other major thing I avoid, which sort of goes hand in hand with the first, are directly political issues.  The very first submission I ever received after opening this piece for commentary was a well-written and empassioned piece about the Arab-Israeli conflict.  It isn't the writer's viewpoint that troubles me, but the subject matter itself.  I have worked hard to keep politics out of RGQ as best I can, even though some political issues do slip in from time to time.  A great example of what I'm not looking for is discussions of Bush-bashing or Bush-loving, or some directly political discussion of current events and the leaders who are driving them.  Whether you love or hate Ashcroft or Blair, this is not the place to bring those issues forward.

There are some things that straddle the line between issues and politics, such as my frequent discussions of issues of privacy.  I bring them up as an issue that affects us all, while refraining from directing commentary toward the policymakers responsible for them, or the policies themselves.  If you can find that balance, then such issues are more than acceptable here, but my basic point is simple.  I'm looking for issues that unite us as humans, and that we all have a stake in.  I'm very determined to keep RGQ as apolitical as I can possibly keep it.

Please feel free to email me at reallygoodquotes@yahoo.com if you have any questions about what is or is not acceptable for publication.  I'll be more than happy to work with you to create a piece that fits what I'm trying to accomplish here.

Thanks to all, and I'm looking forward to your submissions.

Expectantly,

Bruce