March 20, 2008
It is the time of the year when children are anticipating summer vacation. Parents are deciding how much plastic toy clutter they can tolerate strewn across their back yard. Lawn mowers are being tuned up ... and some people are making poor choices.
Some of those choices will end up in the paper. Along with a small report on the legal page, we will get the usual threats of lawyers, lawsuits and the implied responsibility for ruining lives by printing the news.
It is an irony that the same freedom that lets us print public information - whether you like it or not - is one of the great joys of living in America.
In America, unlike many countries in the world, the government does not control the news you read.
Our freedom of information is two-fold and you have to truly love America to accept it.
You have to accept that if you are picked up driving through town at night without your headlights on; the paper may report your name and age.
You have to also accept that you could read something so repulsive on the Internet that it makes you sick, yet the poster has the right to continue their blog.
In America, we have the right to information about our government. And - unless they are slanderous statements - we also have the right to say any thing we want to say.
Is it always a good thing?
It might depend on who you are and what side of the story you are on. But we think ultimately, yes, it is good.
It is good to know when a level-three sex offender moves into your neighborhood. It is also good to know what happens at local, state and national governmental meetings.
It might be more information than you want, but at least you can get it.
We suspect that most of our editorial page readers don't end up in the police reports, but should it happen, don't call us.
We know our rights too.
Click here for this week's
letters to the Editor
This week's cartoon
(click on image for a full-screen version)
Home - The Front Page - News - Letters to the Editor - News From the Past - Legals/For the Record- Classifieds - School News