I was proud to see this local paper stand by the side of more than 300 independent organizations around this country in support of our First Amendment rights (“In Our View — Trump’s Words Un-American” Aug. 16). We as a body public have duly elected Donald Trump to carry out the duties of president of our United States. He has sworn an oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Freedom of speech and the press are first in our Bill of Rights to be protected and defended. It is thus our right and duty to call out to our elected president when he is not faithfully executing the duties of his office that we as a nation have granted him.
Our local and independent news organizations have been under strain these last decades. Hundreds have reduced staff, decreased circulation, or closed. Local news organizations hold our elected government accountable. A recent study published by the University of Notre Dame and University of Illinois at Chicago found that government becomes more costly and less efficient without an independent local press around.
Red, blue, green or whatever political color you wish to ascribe to, our rights to express and publish must be protected both locally and nationally.
