Needing thoughtful points of view

Dear Editor,

I read with interest your recent editorial expressing your goals to combine small-town journalism with a forum for differing local opinions. Both are respectable and laudable goals to be sure. It got me thinking about the general role and objectives of a small-town paper in this world of instant, bombarding technology where tweet-bites have us turning our heads and raising our eyebrows, where the tone of national news has become droning tirades. It is generally refreshing that this local paper is a counter-point; it is our opportunity to come together as a community. Here we support our schools and our children. We support our hospital and our local organizations. We hear of events and benefits in which we can participate. We learn about our county’s needs and debatable issues. We celebrate births and mourn deaths. And, we also read letters to the editor that express differing personal opinions.

But is it a reasonable position to defend the bi-weekly op-ed pieces by Blaine Blackstone, while he actively divides our community? His style of inflammatory bullying (that seems to have become an unfortunate norm) derides those who do not agree with him. Should he be given the regular and repetitive platform to simply take stabs at ‘the other team’ in order to continually promote ‘his team’? There’s enough promotion of divisive partisan politics elsewhere. Please broaden our communities’ minds to thoughtful points-of-view instead of angry, polarizing rhetoric. Mr. Blackstone’s rants might have a place as a letter to the editor, but it’s past time, Annie, to find someone new to give us thoughtful material to consider on the op-ed page.

Mindy Ferrell, Trout Creek