Letter to the Editor: Censorship – San Clemente Times

SUPPORT THIS INDEPENDENT JOURNALISMThe article youre about to read is from our reporters doing their important work investigating, researching, and writing their stories. We want to provide informative and inspirational stories that connect you to the people, issues and opportunities within our community. Journalism requires lots of resources. Today, our business model has been interrupted by the pandemic; the vast majority of our advertisers businesses have been impacted. Thats why the SC Times is now turning to you for financial support. Learn more about our new Insiders program here. Thank you.

JOIN NOW

PAMELA ROTH, San Clemente

The day a newspaper decides it must flag and not print inflammatory or insensitive letters to the editor is the day we need a new newspaper.

Newspapers used to be a bastion of free speech. Once you start to not publish letters because it could offend someone, you get into very scary territory. All fascist countries and regimes start out censoring distasteful speech. You arent the taste committee.

I was born a New York Jew, in a Long Island suburb, that was approximately 95% Jewish. We were taught about the Holocaust at a very young age. And your apology about publishing someones viewpoint about stickers and Nazismwith a vow to censor such opinions in the futureis much more frightening than a letter to the editor comparing stickers to Nazi identifying badges.

In fact, that person writing the letter might have been Jewish.

Do you have no journalistic standards? Your job isnt to be sensitive to everyones emotions. Everyone is sensitive about something.

So, be a newspaper. Print our letters to the editor. Its not your place to judge whether a letter writers stance is justifiable. Were adults. Leave censorship to North Korea and the Taliban, please. Thank you.

Related

BECOME AN INSIDER TODAYTrustworthy, accurate and reliable local news stories are more important now than ever. Support our newsroom by making a contribution and becoming a subscribing member today.

CONTRIBUTE NOW

Follow this link:
Letter to the Editor: Censorship - San Clemente Times