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Read. Write. Think. Speak.

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Staff

The above words are the unofficial motto of this newspaper. To us, it is more than an encouragement to learn and offer considered views. It is an appeal for more individuals to engage in the debate and discussion of this community’s future, past and present.

While in most of the country there is, as the president recently said, a coarsening of public dialogue, we are blessed that, so far, in this summer of discontent and the nascent election season, we’ve seen in our community an overwhelming tendency toward reasonableness. There have been eruptions, occasional outbursts and even anger, but little of it has felt particularly threatening or oddly paranoid. Over the years, this community has seen protest in many forms for many causes. Our tolerance runs a bit higher as a result, and maybe not so strangely, we tend to talk it out rather than shout it out.

The tenor of our times is most likely driven by uncertainty — both in the economy and our politics. Change, which as the song says, is gonna come someday, is difficult to map.
Just ahead of us are dozens of decisions that will alter the makeup of the boards and bodies of local government. And it’s not just the elected bodies that are changing — turnover on appointed boards and commissions and in our nonprofit community is also way up. In many, many places, there’s a sense that there is a changing of the guard.

For those who will step into the new roles, there is a heavy responsibility to listen and learn as well as to act. And for the rest of us, this is a critical time to stay engaged, observe and offer guidance, as well as to hold the newly accountable to their words.

This newspaper and others and our local radio and television operations are always vehicles for public discourse. For us, providing opportunities for engagement and dialogue was a key reason for launching The Citizen. As we have said since our founding, this is your newspaper and your invitation to get involved in the discussion. It’s pretty simple, really. It goes something like: Read. Write. Think. Speak.

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