The Mitchell News-Journal was created in 1991, the same year I was born here in Mitchell County. It has been a part of life from my earliest memories, always there to provide a window into my community. Lately, I’ve been especially grateful for the letters to the editor, and I commend the News-Journal for giving the writers a platform.

Right now, free speech and a free press feel more vital than ever. Across the country, we’re seeing efforts to silence voices through lawsuits, detentions, and intimidation. When Rümeysa Öztürk, a Ph.D. student at Tufts University, coauthored an op-ed in her campus newspaper expressing concerns about the university’s stance on the war in Gaza, she was detained by ICE and held for six weeks without justification.

A federal judge eventually ordered her release, but the strategy of silencing speech through fear remains. This isn’t about red vs. blue; it’s about our shared right to speak freely without fear. When local papers like the News-Journal publish diverse perspectives, they uphold the very principles that make our democracy strong.

So thank you again for making space for differing views and protecting the freedom that allows us to express ourselves and hold those in power accountable.

J. Wise