Don’t apologize for opinions

Oh, for goodness sake, readers; in the parlance of the day, take a breath. Steve Massey is a columnist. He writes opinions; he is not a reporter. Rob Curley is an editor. He is an overseer and manager; he is not a censor. The Spokesman-Review is a newspaper. It reports news and voices opinion; it is not a textbook.

A newspaper’s editor is not obligated to provide context for opinion. Context is provided by other columnists, the rest of the newspaper and the current culture. Nor is he required to apologize. Apology for opinion content is unnecessary because it is irrelevant. One does not apologize for another’s thinking, or the right to express it.

As for the tender eyes that may happen upon the Massey column, their guardians had better shield them from Twitter, Facebook and similar social media, as well. They will find neither context nor apologies there.

We live in a real world. It is not a perfect world. Someone, somewhere will always be offended by something they read. Celebrate the First Amendment, the Fourth Estate and turn the page.

David Haugen

Spokane