On tolerance of opinions

Mr. Larry Williams opens his recent letter with this: "I would like to know if the policy of the editors of the letters column is to allow anybody to say any cockamamie thing they want to when you 'turn it over' to readers."

What he doesn't seem to understand is that these letters appear on the OPINION page. That means, simply, that they are, well, opinions. It's up to the reader to determine each letter's veracity. I would have thought that every reader of any opinion page would know that.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address. He said, "If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it."

I hope you are in agreement with Jefferson on this. Freedom of speech does not mean you have to listen to (or read) anything that you don't agree with, but it does mean that ALL of us have the freedom to speak as we see fit. The editors seem to understand this. If you have a problem with what others have to say, use your freedom to ignore it. Or if you believe, as you stated, "complete explanation and corroboration" are needed, apply your own reasoning/critical thinking skills to counter what you disagree with instead of merely griping about what someone else is saying and prove them wrong.

It's far more impressive that way, and you'll have won the game, fair and square.

John Babush

Big Rock