Playing political hardball on Perspective page

It must be the summer heat settling in, because I'm not quite ready to chalk up the past week as some sort of omen for November. Although that might be a little too optimistic.

It seems I have gravely offended many, if not the overwhelming majority of vocal Saline Countians, with allowing conservative voices to speak on this Perspective page. This is, after all, the Democrat-News and it was only about a generation ago when one's political fidelity was a prime qualification for any job at the newspaper.

For those keeping score at home, the week of June 21, on my scorecard went down as follows in terms of columnists: Monday - one conservative (Obermann), one liberal (Dean); Tuesday - two moderates (although both expressed at least some degree with dissatisfaction with President Bush); Wednesday - one conservative (Shribman), one liberal (Hightower); Thursday - a conservative to moderate (Stewart), one liberal (Sklar); Friday - one moderate (Ms. Juhasz), and one evangelical conservative who is guilty of spending time in "that conservative state" to our northwest (guess who).

At this point, the prudent business thing to do would be to issue a mea culpa and find champions of abortion, gay marriage, etc. to reinforce the popular opinions. And that might be the long-term move.

But in the meantime I'd like to encourage people to seek out more sources on all the hot-button issues, including ones that run contrary to their bent, and practice the lost art of debate, making points and bolstering arguments.

I don't agree with every single opinion put forth in this newspaper on this opinion/editorial page. But I also want to run items that make people think, that challenge the public to consider more than one angle. I couldn't even consider voting for Howard Dean. But I think his column Monday put forth some very profound thoughts on tax "cuts" and whether they truly are the benefit voters are told they are.

I'm not in the business of providing blanket "attaboys" to whomever happens to hold reins of power. And I'd like to encourage everyone to speak up, and, better yet, take a stand with letters to the editor about columnists, editorials, even cartoons.

We can make political campaigns, alleged documentarians like Michael Moore and others quite a bit wealthier during this election year. Or we can read up, spend some thoughtful consideration on, enter a public discourse -- and (gasp!) make educated decisions in the voting booth. Or we can go the way we've been going in recent months and we'll probably wind up with the type of government on all levels that we deserve.