The number of letters to the editor and guest columns we receive speaks so well of our community.

You care about your city, county, state and nation.

You have ideas and don’t mind sharing them. 

You are willing to sign your name and take ownership of your opinions. 

The diversity of those opinions are great and being able to consider different points of view of the same subject makes us all stronger and more informed. And who knows, some of us may even change our minds about a thing to or two.

We get it when people complain about letters to the editor, guest columns and editorial cartoons they disagree with and wonder why we publish things they personally find objectionable. We want you to know that we publish diverse points of view on purpose. We strongly believe we should all be challenged in our thinking regarding the views we hold. It makes us stronger. 

An open and free marketplace of ideas is crucial for an open and free society. We embrace and encourage a robust public discourse and believe we are all made stronger by the words and opinions of others, especially of those with whom we may disagree. Editorial pages are the place for strong opinions.

We make sure that opinions are kept on the editorial pages and are not to be found in our news reports. 

The Valdosta Daily Times clearly distinguishes between news and opinion by publishing opinion pieces, including the newspaper’s daily editorial, on the editorial page, clearly marked “Point of View.” On the same page, we publish letters to the editor, guest columns, syndicated columns and political cartoons.

Newspaper editorial pages celebrate the freedom of speech and provide a redress of grievances guaranteed in the First Amendment. Political and social commentary help define us and refine us as a nation and a community.

We strongly believe in the value of political debate and celebrate the longstanding newspaper tradition of newspaper commentary, controversial editorial cartoons, opinion columns and letters to the editor.

The letters to the editor section of the newspaper on the Point of View page is always your opportunity to share your opinions. We do not have to agree with your opinion or point of view.

We willingly publish letters and columns from people telling us how bad we are at what we do.

This is your free and open public forum. Letters contain opinions on issues that have public interest and are not a forum to air domestic disputes or consumer complaints. The Valdosta Daily Times strongly encourages letters to the editor and guest columns.

A robust public discourse improves, educates, refines and strengthens us all. While people may not always agree, we should always listen to one another and defend the rights of our fellows to say things with which we disagree.

With regularity, we publish columns, letters and cartoons that our editorial board, each of us as individuals or our staff members disagree with, and we should. We publish other things with which we agree. And we should. If there are not diverse opinions, there is no marketplace of ideas, no true open forum.

You are encouraged to share your opinions. We encourage letters to the editor and certainly do not require letter writers to agree with our point of view. Letters can be submitted to valdostadailytimes.editorial@gaflnews.com or mailed to P.O. Box 968, Valdosta, GA 31603. We look forward to hearing from you.