Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

We want your letters

Here's the deal people, we want you to write letters to the editor. There are no sacred cows, so any topic can be expounded on.

Letters to the editor let us, and others, know what the community thinks about things, its likes, its dislikes, its hopes and its dreams.

Anyone wanting to write such a letter is more than welcome. Feel free to complain about the paper, if you like, letting us know what you don't like about it, or, tell us what you do like. We want to know.

If you don't like how the city government is operating, write us. The same goes for the county government, with extension to the state and federal level. Tell us what you think, good or bad.

Now, there are some rules, but few and all are easy to follow. First, the letters have to be signed, preferably with a phone number so we can verify the author. Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous people who will stoop so low as to use another's name.

Next, for those writing to complain, the complaint's can't libel anyone. If you don't like something your neighbor is doing, fine, write us, but you can't call them names or make accusations unless said accusations can be proved.

Third, we do reserve the right not to run the letters if we deem them inappropriate or libelous. This means no writing about naughty stuff, folks.

We're not talking about censorship, here, but staying out of court, unless someone else wants to pick up the tab for the lawyers and pay the fines, which have been exorbitant in libel cases in recent years.

If you feel the need to be offensive, just watch the language. Profanity will not be acceptable as this is a family newspaper.

Otherwise, write us. Tell us what you think. If you want, write us about this column, and the others to follow. We don't mind, and, in fact, welcome it.

The free exchange of ideas is what makes this country great, so let's exchange those ideas people.