I would like to point out some things that Leonard Presberg seems to have missed.
The anonymous letter that so offended Mr. Presberg was an opinion. In big, bold print, on top of the page where the “letters, faxes, email” section begins, it clearly says, “Opinion.”
At one point in his letter he refers to the offending comments as an editorial. Does Mr. Presberg not know the difference between a letter to the editor and an editorial?
He wanted there to be “reporting or fact finding,” and worse, he suggested that someone check with “administrators” before publishing such a letter.
I guess Mr. Presberg thinks that anything published in the newspaper should have to be approved by government officials.
Opinions do not have to be fact-checked. I have a right to think someone is a thug if they dress a certain way. That would be an opinion.
I have a right to think that certain groups of people might contain more terrorists than others. That would be an opinion.
I have a right to think that the term “free thinker” is a code word for atheist or agnostic. That would be an opinion.
Frankly, I don’t like much of what progressives have to say, but they have a right to their opinions, and they have a right to have them published in the “opinion” section of the paper, and so does everyone else.
If contrary opinions upset you, for heavens sake (oops, apologies to the free thinkers) stay away from the opinion section!
Mr. Presberg’s spasm over someone’s honest opinion is unfortunately not rare; it’s typical of so-called progressives — they go nuts if you disagree with them.
There’s a word for what Mr. Presberg suggests — it’s called censorship. Not very American, and not very patriotic.
And of course, Presberg had to resort to the “R” word. Yep, according to him The Citizen is feeding racist attitudes.
So, I think I can safely assume Mr. Presberg considers the concerned parent who wrote the letter to be racist. He is, of course, entitled to that opinion, and I am entitled to my opinion that Presberg has some really warped ideas.
The truth of the matter is that for so-called progressives, like Mr. Presberg, there is only one opinion that should be heard — theirs. Everyone else is supposed to sit down, shut up and listen to them.
History is replete with such characters. They have names like Stalin, Mao, and Castro.
In closing, I must comment on Mr. Presberg’s assertion that he is a “Patriot.” I have never met a patriot who does not believe in freedom of speech and freedom of the press. A patriot would stand up for the right of concerned parents to be heard.
Mr. Presberg should consult the United States Constitution, not Chairman Mao’s “Little Red Book,” for ideas about freedom of speech, and of the press.
Jerry Bivens
Williamson, Ga.
