Gratitude and accountability

We have a lot to be thankful for this week — from our loyal readers to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution — and the News Letter Journal is appreciative of the fact that we have a national holiday that reminds us to express gratitude for such things at least once a year.

We are thankful that we live in a country where members of the public have the right to attend government meetings or write letters to this newspaper and share their opinions — even when they don’t look at us through the keenest of eyes!

We are thankful for the readers and advertisers who support our mission, and grateful for the ability to share important news and information with you every week. We also give thanks for our ability to access public information on your behalf — and for having the ability, knowledge and support we need to fight for your access to that information as well.

And while it may not always appear to be the case because of the inherent conflict that exists in our system between the government and press, we are also thankful for those who choose to serve the people of Weston County through elected and appointed roles.

We really do need to take advantage of the opportunity to express gratitude to the people elected to serve in offices locally, statewide and nationally, because it is generally hard to do so while holding public officials accountable and demanding a level of integrity and respect for the public from those individuals.

In recent years we have been criticized for our willingness to hold these individuals accountable publicly, but that is the nature and purpose of our existence, and the thing we are most grateful for! Throughout the nation’s history, newspapers have written stories that bring public focus to issues that deserve attention, and they use editorials to share their opinions and experiences in order to provide context to those stories (and sometimes counter misinformation).

The News Letter Journal will go out of our way to gather information from accurate and reliable sources to enlighten citizens and ensure they are armed with the knowledge they need to be actively involved in their own self-government. Whether it is the use of an unlawful secret ballot by a local board, mismanagement of local elections or abuses of power and resources by well-compensated administrators and consultants — it is vital to our system of government that the people know what their public officials are doing.

We are especially grateful to the individuals who work tirelessly with us to answer your questions, but we also appreciate the sacrifices and service of those in public positions who don’t respect the job we are committed to do. We know that there are many in public service in Weston County who are not thankful for the work that we do, but we are thankful to them for doing theirs — even when our coverage is critical.

We understand that our coverage may offend some individuals, especially when it is critical of family members or friends, but self-government was never intended to be comfortable and the press was given protections in the Constitution specifically so we could be the primary agents of systemic discomfort.

But this week we are blessed with the opportunity to say “Thank You” to all who serve our community, and proud to play our role in this drama of democratic self–government alongside you!

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all — whether you’re feeling thankful for us this week or not!