Dear editor,

I’m a yearly business visitor to Kodiak. I compliment the paper and citizen contributors.

For interesting letters to the editor. For example, Mr. Fox’s Nov 4th letter was obviously provocative. I defend the Daily Mirror’s decision to print the letter, despite its negativity.

In support of freedom of speech, a newspaper must only suppress obvious libel and senseless ranting; giving most letters the benefit of the doubt. In fact it’s a citizen function — not a function of the press or government — to curb real abuse of freedom of speech (which normally appears as intentional misinformation or prejudice-supported by propaganda). Such abuse is naturally checked by other citizens publicly exposing it to the abuser’s friends and community.

Lack of knowledge in a writer’s words — often a reflection of a whole citizen group’s point of view — is not abuse of free speech. Indeed, it’s this condition that freedom of speech is needed for! It’s why Thomas Jefferson observed “Information is the currency of democracy.” It’s self-evident that workably complete information never exists except through the interaction of many minds. Each Alaskan’s authority to cooperatively police abuse of freedom of speech is recognized by Sections 1,2, and 4 of the Alaska Constitution’s Article I. Each Alaskan is also expected to practice freedom of speech with the formula described in Section 4: “Every person may freely speak, write, and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right.”

I cherish the power generated by Kodiak citizens who recognize these things — because citizen silence is the ultimate assassin of all freedoms.

Stuart Thompson