My bad

So I got this letter a few days ago, and this guy signed it with his middle initial in his name. Well, no one else on the letters page had used their middle initial, so it looked a little awkward, and I took it out. Apparently, this was a bad move on my part, as it generated the following response:

I suppose I should be glad you published my letter today (July 13), but I'm disappointed you could not spell my name correctly and I want a correction to be published. I also want to hear from you. I expect an e-mail message or phone call in response to this message.

My name is (First name) F. (Last name). That is the correct way to refer to me, although in conversation friends and family call me (Variation of first name). My middle initial is part of my name. It appears on every document that originates with me. The correct rendition of my name appeared three times in the "letter to the editor" you published today.

Others may feel differently and may not care whether their middle initial is included. I do. It's not only my name. It's also my product. I'm an author and my by-line means something.

Regardless of how others may feel in a similar situation, I do not want to be called (First name)(Last name). That is not my name. No document has ever left my hands identifying me as (First name)(Last name). Not once. Not ever.

There is nothing in any style manual, nothing about routine editorial practices, and nothing in accepted standards of journalism that entitles you to change my name. You could have avoided causing me this unhappiness by following a simple rule: call people what they call themselves.

I want an explanation, a published correction, and an assurance that if my work appears in your paper again, you will make an effort to spell it right.

Oops. Sorry. But don't worry...I don't think your work will be appearing in our paper again.