On Saturday, a group of citizens will gather in Plains as part of a Southwest Georgia coordinated event called the “Tea Party.”
Ironically, their tea party purpose is similar to the most famous one in Boston. And this tea party doesn’t involve an ocean or throwing things overboard from a boat, but they are going to use the opportunity in a public forum to have their voices heard and to allow people to be informed and to learn.
According to www.teapartyday.com, the event, which is called Taxed Enough Already party rally, is to “make our voices hear. With the national debt already out of control, President Obama has added 78, 000 new government jobs to the federal payroll since he took office. His increase in the number of government employees will add hundreds of millions of dollars to our debt. If history is any measure, these jobs will never be eliminated. They will add to the mountains of debt we are leaving to future generations.”
Not to condone, condemn or even approve of the event, we do have to say kudos to the group for attempting to become heard in a civilized manner.
As the legal organ of this community, we do strive to be an outlet to allow people to be heard, through the letters to the editor section, or through local editorials.
We do have an editorial board whose members read the letters and column submissions thoroughly to ensure that what is printed is credible and factual and not a “gossip” opportunity.
Sometimes media outlets do take this idea a little too far, especially when anonymous letters or columns are presented or when insinuations are thrown out by the editors/publishers or writers of such printed media outlets. We attempt to research each story, get the facts and that is why we don’t chase down every anonymous tip we receive.
That is certainly why we don’t print accusations or insinuations. We print facts.
Just like Saturday’s rally in Plains is scheduled to have speakers, credible in their fields, to speak on the issues at hand, taxes, we want to do things the legal, ethical way. Not underhanded or by printing gossip.
That is not what this country was based on.
And that is not the principles we at this newspaper follow.
If you have a concern or an issue, please feel free to write us a letter to the editor (our policy is printed below) or share an editorial column.
Let your voice be heard!
And you don’t have to wait for a tea party to do it!
