Every voice counts on the Opinion pages

Frontiersman editorial board

In most communities the holidays are a quiet time, in many ways. At a time when retail businesses are at their peak of activity, many other segments of society take a moment to catch their collective breath and prepare for a new year. Political bodies are in recess, and big changes are rare at the end of budget cycles. It's a quiet time for news, as well, and there aren't as many juicy topics for the letters to the editor section of community newspapers like ours.

The quiet time is coming to an end now, and it is exciting to see the activity levels picking up around our community. Soon state and local governments will be back in full gear, and passions that were boxed up for the holidays will be dusted off and brought back out into the light of the great discourse. We can't wait.

In fact, for us, the most telling sign that a new year has begun is the increase in letters to the editor that we've already begun to see. The flow of heartfelt and passionate letters from our readers is one of the best signs of a healthy and engaged community -- a community where we are proud to serve and participate. The exchange of ideas on our opinion pages may be the most important service the Frontiersman provides. We believe an active opinion section, where the readers guide the conversation, is a great contribution to the wider community discussion of ideas that affect the Valley.

It is important to note that we do not play favorites with opinions or ideas. In fact we feel the letters section has more impact and credibility when all opinions are shared as equally and fairly as possible. In the forum of public discourse, no opinion counts until all have been heard. The best decision cannot be reached with half the information.

We encourage all readers to take part in the public discussion of ideas and opinions on our opinion pages. The letters section of Frontiersman belongs to the readers, and we are grateful to those readers who take the time to participate. We look forward to hearing from everyone in our community.