Editorial

 

With Freedom of Speech comes Responsibility

I had to reject a letter to the editor this week. It's a hard decision, and one I do not make lightly.

There is a careful balance between freedom of speech and perpetuating inaccuracies. Letters that state opinion are welcome, those that praise or those that criticize. But letters that contain errors of fact cannot be allowed to perpetuate any inaccuracies. They are rejected.

Here's the difference: a letter might state that 'Joe Smith behaved badly at the council meting and is unfit to represent the public.' That's an opinion. If a letter stated that 'When Joe Smith voted no on the budget, that showed him as unfit to represent the public.' In reality, if Joe had voted yes on the budget, then the letter would contain an error of fact.

The Supreme Court said that one cannot yell fire in a crowded theater. Letters writers need to be respectful to the community, the target of their opinions, and be accurate just as news articles do.

My compliments to the community. In four years of publishing The Monument with its Letters to the Editor, Commentaries, and Sound Offs, I have only had to reject three items as inaccurate or defamatory. With the past history of healthy dialog between the citizenry, news-makers, and this paper, that is a darn good record. Keep it up, citizens, and thank you to those that have re-worked their contributions with patience and respect. I look forward to hearing from you.