Yes, there is editorial discretion

Thorn Randall ends his recent contribution to the Fence Post with this: "The Daily Herald apparently exercises no editorial discretion whatsoever when it comes to printing ignorant and inflammatory right-wing, smear-merchant propaganda from the same small cadre of hysterical partisan scribblers week after week."

Thorn, I could say the same thing about the Herald exercising no editorial discretion whatsoever when it comes to printing ignorant and inflammatory left-wing, smear-merchant propaganda from the same small cadre of hysterical partisan scribblers week after week, but what would that prove? Just this: the Herald is printing letters from both sides of the fence. How do you see that as not exercising editorial discretion? Or is it that you are dismayed that the editorial staff did not first clear the letters through you?

Furthermore, you make it sound as though these letters are printed on the front page. They're not. They are on what's called the "Editorial Page," aka the opinion page, and for good reason: People are being allowed to vent their thoughts and ideas without first having to clear them through folks like you and me. It might have something to do with freedom of the press and speech, don't you know.

Just because you want to believe a statement is true does not, of and by itself, make it true, nor would something be false just because you want it to be. Voice your opinion and be thankful if/when the Herald deems it sufficiently well-written to be published.

I don't know about you, but I believe that every paper's editorial staff gets buried daily with commentary unfit for print due to excessively inflammatory and/or incoherent babbling - or even just irredeemably poor grammar.

Bottom line - never forget that all this stuff is appearing on the opinion page; common sense can take it from there.

John Babush

Big Rock