Here are this week’s letters to the editor of the Herald Times Reporter. See our letters policy below for details about how to share your views.
Free speech is a platform for common ground
The 24-hour news cycle bombards us with so much “news” that we hardly have time to digest what happened yesterday before dealing with what happened today. Some events, however, are too important to let pass without careful consideration of their impact.
Members of the current administration are using recent events to undermine and limit free speech, a right guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution, because they see it as a threat to their world view and their power.
Whether it is a late-night comedian’s monologue, a whistleblower’s expose of wrongdoing or a journalist reporting on government activities, people have the right to speak their mind.
The right to critique holds those in power accountable. Commentators and constitutional experts — across the political spectrum — have affirmed the importance of free speech and the danger in suppressing it.
We have the constitutional right to rally in support of immigrant rights, mourn the murder of Charlie Kirk or George Floyd, support a cause we believe in, or protest a government action we oppose.
We have the right to express our ideas, feelings and opinions.
Censoring public speech is not an American value.
We all need to research issues, check our sources and talk to people with different points of view. We may be surprised by the common ground we find. Freedom of speech and the press provides us with the liberty and security to do this.
Linda Briggs-Dineen
Kiel
For better understanding
During the past few years, several terms have been used in the oral and written media that are not clearly understood by many, and which could use some clarification.
I am including some definitions and explanations of a few of those terms to help to clear up some of the confusion about their meanings.
1. Autocratic — relating to a ruler who has absolute power; taking no account of other people’s wishes or opinions; domineering
2. Totalitarianism — form of government that theoretically permits no individual freedom and seeks to subordinate all aspects of the individual to the authority of the state
3. Tyrant — a cruel and oppressive ruler
4. Dictator — a ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has obtained control by force and maintains control using intimidation, suppression of basic liberties and terror
5. Arrogance — an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner
6. Grandiosity — an exaggerated sense of self, entitlement, and need for admiration and power
7. Self-absorbed — being primarily interested in themselves and their own feelings, experiences and needs, often lacking awareness of others
8. Sycophant — person who acts obsequiously toward someone important to gain an advantage
9. Obsequious — excessively obedient
10. Narcissists — people who live and breathe rage; if they’re not being adored, they seek to inflict pain and destroy anyone who will not worship them
11. God complex — a state where a person has an unshakable belief in their own exceptional abilities, superiority and infallibility, often linked to narcissistic personality disorder
I hope that this helps.
Jim Rabata
Manitowoc
Our letters policy
Letters to the editor are published in the order in which they are received and letter-writers are limited to having one letter published per month. Letters can be emailed to htrnews@htrnews.com and Editor Brandon Reid at breid@gannett.com. Letters must meet specific guidelines, including being no more than 250 words and be from local authors or on topics of local interest. All submissions must include the name of the person who wrote the letter, their city of residence and a contact phone number. Letters are edited as needed for style, grammar, length, fairness, accuracy and libel.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc letter-writers address free speech and understanding terms used in media
Reporting by Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter / Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
