Dumbest letter to the editor in history

Writing a letter to the editor of one's local newspaper is a civic-minded and patriotic thing to do. Published letters also frequently showcase the writer's steel-trap logic. But public letter-writing can leave the opposite sort of impression too. To be blunt, sometimes it just exposes the writer as a lame-o. I've seen some breathtaking examples.

This one takes the cake, though. The depth of cluelessness here is staggering. This guy was apparently trying to send "turf" -- as in manufactured "grass roots" -- by selecting some pre-written talking points from the organization he supports, and then inserting them into his "own" letter. But he messed up and sent the instructions instead:

To the Editor,

It is important that you write the letter in your own words. Nothing is more persuasive to the media, lawmakers, and the public than the experiences, opinions, and feelings of concerned citizens. To help get you started, we've provided simple talking points to the right (click the talking point once to add it to your letter), but please remember to use the words that mean the most to you.

REMEMBER: DELETE THESE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE WRITING YOUR LETTER AND INCLUDE YOUR DAYTIME AND EVENING PHONE NUMBERS.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Contact Phone: [Your Phone Number(s)]

Insert laughter here.