We got the word again from another reader the other day — our opinion page is too slanted and filled with rants from people who hold abhorrent positions.
My knee-jerk reaction was: “Well, yes. Of course it’s slanted; that’s why it’s called an opinion page.” After a few days of further thought and reflection, my reaction is: “Well, yes. Of course it’s slanted; that’s why it’s called an opinion page.”
We assemble this page largely from materials sent to us, including columns from special interest groups and letters to the editor from readers. If the page is slanted one way or another, it’s because groups and readers of a particular persuasion put a greater emphasis on sharing their thoughts with their local newspaper.
As a former Republican, let me put all my cards on the table. I’m as irritated as you are by the writers who think the people running the executive branch in Washington and Madison are saints who stand for truth, justice and the American Way, when we all can see they are liars who seem hell-bent on turning the U.S.A. into a third-world nation. These writers are always advocating for more of the same.
I’ve even told Republicans I’ve encountered that if you don’t like the tone of our opinion page, all you have to do is send us a reasoned letter to the editor telling your side of the story. We’re equally opportunity letter-publishers.
I can’t write those opinions for you. Remember I described myself as a “former” Republican. Ronald Reagan famously said he didn’t leave the Democratic Party; the party left him. The words of Reagan and Republicans like Lee Sherman Dreyfus still resonate with me, but the party has left me.
In my mind, almost every modern politician gives lip service to concepts like freedom and individual rights, but their actions show they believe the state’s duty is to impose a way of life on the collective. Their priorities may vary, but both major parties aim to wield the power of the state to whip the huddled masses into line.
The conflict is not between Democrat and Republican, in my opinion: It’s between the state and the individual. I believe “the state’s role is to defend our shores, deliver the mail and stay the hell out of our way,” as Dreyfus said. (And as an aside, I take the phrase “our shores” literally and am appalled by the U.S. government’s various foreign wars and proxy wars.)
So, if you believe someone ought to balance some screed or another that you see on these pages, I for one probably agree with you, but it’s up to you. Get thee to your keyboard and send us the other side, in 400 words or less, to news@newmedia-wi.com.
Warren Bluhm is the editor-in-chief for NEW Media. Readers can contact him at wbluhm@newmedia-wi.com.
