Of opinions, fact and people who read 'em

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Just like every other newspaper in the world, the paper I work for is roundly damned by the people who live in this community.

Robert Williams, publisher of The Blackshear Times, has this to say about newspaper and its critics: Loved by many, cussed by some, read by all.

Truth. Every newspaper I have ever worked for and every newspaper editor I have ever talked to reports the same thing. The local people claim to despise the paper, while praising papers in other communities.

Kinda like Congress except in reverse. YOUR congressman is doing a pretty good job but the rest of those bastards need to be replaced. Newspapers are a definite case of "the grass over yonder is greener."

In case you wonder, the newspaper I work maintained its reader base subscribers in the time I have been here, if you consider the population decline which has also hit my community. In other words, our population is down more than 2,000 since I came here. Sales have stayed nearly steady.

With this in mind, I recently made this post to FB:  

 

It was recently pointed out to me that some people do not read the newspaper I work for because they do not like "arrogant opinions."

Thank you. I can mark you off the list of people I need to offend.

It is extremely easy to offend someone by insulting them. I do not do this. It is far harder to offend someone by telling the truth and standing up for your own convictions.

If the truth hurts, yer living wrong.
My friends and followers, whom I treasure, had this to say:

Mike: Arrogant opinions? Would the phrase be defined as, "any opinion other than the one you have at that moment?"

 

To which I replied: Rather, "any information that is not exactly the same as the opinion you have at the moment."

 

Vicki: If they don't read because of an opinion, they are just missing out on everything else in there.

 

Maggie: Although I appreciate the full intent of your maxim, "If the truth hurts, yer living wrong," it hints at Absolutism. It is not possible for people to live "perfectly." For example: people who are essentially "green" quite likely do not have the wherewithal to live fully green and live in today's modernity. (Not saying it is not do-able; just saying it means a radical 'fully off the grid' move). 

 

Howard: "... still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest..." Paul Simon

 

Lori: I submit that if a person spends his life putting his opinion in a town paper every week, a blog, various social mediums and in printed books, chances are there's a smidgen of arrogance. Would there not have to be? The confidence it takes to do the before mentioned activities would often be met with backlash that would drive a person to cross to arrogance now and then. The problem is that most people confuse confidence with arrogance and see a great deal more of it than there is.

 

Maggie (again): And if we spend our lives concerned with offending others we don't accomplish as much as we might wish. 

 

Lori (again): The greatest consolation is that those who are offended by all they do not agree with appear to be the dang unhappiest people in general. The world in general will not get in step with their beliefs and this bothers them to no end.

 

Rebel: Thank god I am never guilty of arrogant opinions! Was that thunder?

 

Maggie (again): Yes. But it keeps them occupied.