Values diverse ideas in newspapers
In December 2018, we were returning from our grandson’s graduation from Texas A&M and had a layover in Atlanta. I purchased an Atlanta Constitution. It was Sunday and the paper had some in depth stories about the recent governor’s race that covered two full pages. This was a contested election that was narrowly won by the REpublican candidate. There were allegations, on both sides, of fraud and unethical conduct, and the reporters writing the story covered these without making decisions of who was guilty — they left that decision to the readers.
There was also an investigative reporter about political activity in a nearby county. Here again, the reporters covered the story in depth – one full page — but did not make decisions for the reader. There was also the national news, but I am a news junkie, so I loved the local and regional coverage.
As it happened this was also National Newspaper Week. It’s a shame that we have so many of our newspapers disappearing from lack of readership. The Atlanta paper is a great newspaper, but we also have a very good paper in Columbus.
There are letters to the editor on the editorial pages that are inflammatory, and I don’t agree with, but you have the right to say them. The newspaper is attacked in the letters as being too liberal and not presenting both sides. Remember the newspaper does not have an obligation to publish any of these letters, and I think they do a good job of letting you express your thoughts. Our newspaper has writers that have won awards for their reporting and articles. I especially like the profiles of some of the local people like Bobby Gale, Larraine Walker (Sunday’s paper) and Dr. Veal.
I hear the term “fake news” tossed about quite frequently concerning the national reporting as well as local. I have yet to hear anyone define that term or where those using the term get their news from. Are we being told by those using the term that all national news networks — ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, PBS, BBC and Fox — are reporting “fake news”? If you express an opinion that is opposed to this belief, then you are labeled a liberal, a Democrat, un-American, a Trump-hater and even un-Christian. Before you write the letter to the editor about me — I am none of those. I go back to Barry Goldwater in 1964 when some of our leaders were Democrats.
As my Mama used to say, “Use your head for something other than a hat rack.” Mama also said, “Being nice and respectful to others never cost you a dime.” Now we are a nation of in-your-face confrontation on all political issues, and civility is considered a weakness. What happened?
A long time ago when I was in high school, we took a class called “Problems of Democracy” that was a study of the history of the Constitution, the Articles, the Revolution and the Bill of Rights. Prior to the Revolution, a person could be arrested for speaking against the King. If the British soldiers wanted to take your home for their headquarters or simply to spend the night, the owner was evicted. The writers of the Constitution and Amendments included the basic freedoms of speech and the doctrine that a man’s home is his castle. Our teacher told us that freedom of speech means, “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it.” I strongly believe in that principle and have always supported it. It’s not being a liberal — it’s Constitutional.
Thank you for letting me express my First Amendment right to free speech.
Sherman Meadows
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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