EDITORIAL:
The political season typically brings a flurry of letters to the editor aimed at putting in digs against some candidates or boosting others. This is all part of the political process and a reality of which anyone running for political office should be aware.
With seven candidates vying for two seats on the High Springs City Commission, sensitivities are at a fever pitch. A letter to the editor published in the Oct. 8 edition of Alachua County Today seems to have hit a nerve.
The candidate who wrote the letter was apparently upset he and others were not invited to attend a ceremony in which three High Springs firefighters were promoted. Meanwhile, he characterized the attendance at the ceremony by two of his opponents as politically motivated.
Alachua County Today received feedback from some, including commission candidates, who questioned the validity of statements made in that Oct. 8 letter to the editor. Those candidates were concerned that their attendance may have been inaccurately characterized as politicizing an otherwise private ceremony.
The editorial board of Alachua County Today believes that political candidates, public officials and citizens alike should be engaged in the pursuit of the truth. To that end, Alachua County Today provides space on this page every week.
The editorial page is in effect a public forum for readers to discuss, debate and raise awareness about issues important to the general public.
We so much believe in the power of a free press and the involvement of readers in promoting a free thinking society that we rarely censor the content of letters published herein, with the exception of material which is extraordinarily inflammatory or we know to be libelous.
Sometimes, in an effort to paint a picture, letter writers draw a conclusion which may be only supported by his or her suppositions rather than the facts.
The best way to inform the public about perceived misstatements, half-truths or falsities on the editorial page is to respond with a letter to the editor.
The mere publishing of a letter on the editorial page of Alachua County Today is not a testament to the veracity of statements made therein, but one person’s opinion. We do not vet the statements of facts in letters, because to do so would be stepping out on the proverbial slippery slope censorship.
This space is available to all who wish to voice their concerns, correct the record, say “thank you” or just about anything else on one’s mind.
For political candidates or anyone else concerned with protecting their reputation or presenting the truth as they see it, we always offer a remedy - write a letter.
