Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute
A few years ago, we had a highly contested referendum on the ballot in a community where I managed the local newspaper.
It was one of those issues that you were either for or you were against.
There was plenty of rhetoric on both sides.
The newspaper had not issued an opinion on the matter, but a reporter who worked for me had.
He was against it.
Though I don’t discuss my politics publicly, they have come out with co-workers over the years.
It’s hard to work in this business and not share your opinions on occasion over the water cooler.
So, he was against the measure. I was for it and he knew that.
All this being said, he came to me one day and, in a bit of a shy voice and said, “I know we probably don’t see eye to eye on this, but I don’t like it and I wrote a column about it. I’d like to see if you’d consider running it.”
He slid me a piece of paper.
I gave it quick read.
“I think this is well written, well thought out and tactfully addressed,” I said. “I’ll run it next week.”
“Really?” he said. “So, you agree with what I’m saying here?”
“No,” I said. “Not a word of it, but that doesn’t matter. We aren’t supposed to agree all the time. We are supposed to have conversations. I don’t have to agree with something to print it.”
He thanked me and went about his day.
I believe wholeheartedly that disagreements can lead to progress.
Hugh and I are entering out third full calendar year as the owners of the Jimplecute.
He shares my passion for varying points of view.
We both value vibrant opinion pages. We agree it is the sounding board for the community.
We acknowledge not all opinions will be represented all the time, but we are dedicated to offering balanced opinions from all sides.
And we will always do so on the page entitled “Opinion” and not elsewhere in the paper.
And just because we print it, doesn’t mean we agree with it.
Columns by contributing writers are solely their own opinions and do not represent those of the Jimplecute.
The Jimplecute encourages voices from all sides and we ask your consideration of this each week.
Again, just because we print it, doesn’t mean we agree with it.
But it does mean there are those among us who hold said opinions— namely the person who wrote the column.
And, if one person agrees with what is expressed in a column, there are bound to be more.
So, the newspaper’s job is to offer varying opinions throughout our community.
If you read something here with which you don’t agree, don’t cancel your subscription.
Don’t take to social media and cry about “the unfair media.”
Don’t tune out the conversation.
Join the conversation.
Write a letter to the editor. Submit a column.
Go on the record.
Tell us what we did wrong. Tell our writers how they got it wrong.
Tell us how you feel. Tell the community.
That is how a vibrant conversation occurs. That is how we grow as a society.
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,” is a notion first credited to Voltaire.
And it is a notion we hold dear at the Jimp.
Please, send us a letter. We’ll print it.
Letters to the editor and guest columns are our favorite items to publish and they can serve as wonderful introductions to great new regular columnists.
Letters may be submitted to jeffersonjimplecute@gmail.com or mailed to 115 North Polk Street, Jefferson, Texas 75657.
Let’s have a conversation.
Austin Lewter is co-publisher of the Jefferson Jimplecute. He can be reached jeffersonjimplecute@gmail.com.
He is also an instructor of journalism at Tarleton State University and the director of the Texas Center for Community Journalism.