Thank you all who emailed your comments about the editorial/opinion page. In all the response, and there has been a lot, only one person said “cancel”. Their reason was “boredom after the first couple of paragraphs” which tells me noninterest in that part of the paper, not outrage.
He went on to ask for more sports schedules and more community activity listings, for those who want to plan their days around attending local events of interest in the county. This is good information we will take to heart and work on including more.
Thank you for the kind words of encouragement included in many of your responses. We appreciate you, our readers.
I will close with a few of your responses:
I vote to keep the editorial page, it’s one of my favorite sections. While my political views are conservative and I mostly agree with Tony Farkas, I also appreciate the opposing view of Jim Powers as much as I tend to disagree with him, that is what Opinion articles are for. I’m happy to have a local newspaper that is still functioning as a real “news” organization presenting various opinions on topics noted as such and also reporting verified facts as news stories, and not the other way around as some purported news agencies have chosen to do. Keep up the good work! —Gary L Woods
Thank you for having the editorial page. Please do not cancel it. As citizens of the community, we need the editorial page to express our views and opinions and understand the views and opinions of others. I understand that both sides of an issue will be presented as opinions. Sincerely, —John D. Henderson
It was with great interest that I read your article asking if your readers agreed with canceling the editorial page. I would hope there would be no agreements to cancellation. You are to be commended for a great job, at least in my opinion. Congratulations on the clarity with which you explained the difference between an editorial and a news article. As uncomfortable as someone may feel about reading an opposing opinion to their own, I think it is vital to society that we be able to hear “the other side,” and to be able to disagree courteously. At best, we just may find that we were not as right as we thought we were. Just FYI, I was delighted with the article about Will Rogers. Thank you for hanging in there. Please continue the editorial page. —Nancy Gentry
I’m a longtime subscriber and subscribe to the paper for many reasons. Here’s some of them: Required public disclosures/notices, local and state government information/notices, public utilities information, etc.; editorial content submissions, & opinions/letters to the editors; Area news involving public schools (ie, students’ accomplishments etc.,) with pictures. Actually, need more of this but it’s better than it used to be; law enforcement, charity/fundraisers; crossword puzzles. I’d like at least 2 in weekly paper vs current simple one each week. So, I encourage you to keep editorial/opinion submissions. Thank you. —Sonie Mangum
I would like for you to keep the Editorial page. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all could be open to hear each others point of view without becoming provoked if we are of different opinions. I am writing and planning to send you a letter to the Editor. You’ve got me thinking about politics and I think that I would like to share how I’ve been practicing the art of listening to those whose political views are different than mine since around 2020. Thanks for all you do to keep our community alive. I love having news and opinions. I don’t always like the different emotions they might bring up. But I like the growth after I’ve calmed down and received the lesson (s) that I always get eventually. Sincerely, —Joyce Davis, M.Ed
I am weighing in on behalf of my mother and myself. We both read the editorial page then discuss what is there. As we are both conservative, we enjoy Tony Farkas’ musings. Admittedly, we both sometimes have trouble reading through the liberal content but it is important to air both opinions Please continue the editorials. Newspapers are becoming a lost art. —Denise Kembro
I can’t believe this is even a question! Where else can one express an opinion than on the opinion page, especially a senior citizen cancer patient like myself who lacks energy for marching with a sign past City Hall (or wherever I need to go to have my voice heard in these strange times)? I vote to KEEP the opinion page!!! Sincerely, —Cindy McMahon
Cancel the Editorial Page? Allowing different views in the opinion section is vital to understanding the minds and thoughts of the community. Differences of opinion is what makes the country what it is. If people would read the differing opinions, they might actually learn something. If they read it with an open mind, they might see something they didn’t see before. The Editorial Section / Opinion section is vital to understanding and communicating. The Opinion section is not there to agree or disagree with, as far as being in the paper, it is an opportunity to see different sides of the same coin. Leave the Editorial Section alone. Those who want to take it out, appear to be small minded and not open to learning. I personally, love differing opinions, and view it as a chance to grow. —Robert Poynter
Please DO NOT cancel the Editorial or Opinion pages. These are the first things I read. I know for a fact that some people cannot handle views that do not mirror their own. I have both Democrat and Republican friends who get livid when somebody tries to point out a fallacy in their view. Sometimes I do it just for fun. I personally try to get my news from several sources so that I don’t become impervious to other opinions I’ve had the pleasure of seeing several of my opinions printed, and I would hate to see this section disappear. Thanks, —Glen Kenney
I LOVE the editorial page! I always go there first. (I also get the Houston Chronicle and the Wall St Journal, and go to the editorial pages there first.) Awesome job getting a diversity of writers! I like the way one of them puts in his disclaimer, saying this is his opinion, not the newspaper’s. —David Woods
Keep the editorials, please. —Brian Smith
Greetings: I fully support, endorse, want both the opinions of any and all sides plus the editorial page to continue … Keep up the good work with updates on community events and the recent Griffin story was great. As are the articles by Jan. —Chuck Davidson
The editorial page must be kept. I fall under the conservative banner and as much as I disagree with the viewpoints of one of the contributors, the ability to express differing opinions is at the core of our most fundamental freedoms the constitution guarantees. It’s sad that our society has devolved into the enemy camp mindset we see today instead of healthy debate that is so necessary to find some common ground from which we could move forward. — Phil Wall
I am in support of keeping the editorials expressing opposing views. While I seldom agree with one of the writers, I do want to understand his perspective. —Jerry Springfield
Howdy! Please keep the editorial page. I particularly do appreciate when you have both Jim and Tony. I want to add I also really love Bartee’s This Week in Texas History column. Please keep that too! —Angela Ride
I’m writing to express my opinion against the possible cancellation of the editorial page in the newspaper. Including the viewpoints of Tony Farkas and Jim Powers offers your readers various perspectives which are beneficial for understanding different ways of thinking. Although your readers live in small towns, we don’t want to be “small-minded.” I think diverse opinions can contribute to a broader understanding of today’s issues. I hope you’ll continue to feature an editorial page with differing opinions, as this is valuable for open-mindedness. I particularly enjoy reading about alternative opinions because it helps me understand how others view life. I think this makes me a better neighbor and citizen. Additionally, I’d like to take this opportunity to suggest including more information in the paper about human trafficking, drug abuse, elder abuse, scams, and other illegal issues occurring in our communities. As Chairman of ... Crime Stoppers, we are available to provide articles on these important topics. Sincerely, —Larry Grant
I am writing to convey my strong appreciation for the editorial page of your newspaper, which I find both interesting and beneficial. When I’m busy, the editorial columns are the only sections I read because they are the most engaging parts of the paper. Although I’m not a Libertarian, one of the primary reasons I continue to subscribe is due to the stimulating and thought-provoking editorials written by Jim Powers. His articles are insightful, original, challenging, and exceptionally well-written. Although I do not always agree with the viewpoints expressed by Jim Powers or Tony Farkas, their editorials stimulate my thinking and challenge me to consider different social and political perspectives. I’m very serious about wanting to understand various issues. I think it’s crucial to continue offering a diverse range of viewpoints on your editorial page. Even when articles provoke strong reactions and criticism from some readers, they serve an essential role in informing the public about various perspectives, which is increasingly important in today’s divided world. Furthermore, if the articles elicit strong emotions, it indicates that readers are genuinely engaging with the content. The editorial page is always the first section I turn to with eager anticipation. It would be very disconcerting to me if the editorial page were ever excluded from the newspaper. Best regards, —Carolyn Baxter, Speech-Language Pathologist
