To the Editor:

It is my opinion that The Newtown Bee does an exceptional job of reporting news and events in Newtown and its surrounding areas.

In terms of information of a political nature, some readers might view The Bee as leaning left, some might view it as leaning right, and others may view it as somewhere in between. Their opinions are correct for each of them. Our constitution grants freedom of expression with few, but necessary limitations. Responsible political discourse is healthy.

There are some questions to explore in relation to editorials that are more significant, in my opinion, than which way a newspaper leans. For example: Does truth matter? Does civility matter? Does transparency matter? Should an editor contact an author of a Letter to the Editor before making changes to the letter? Should productive discourse be encouraged? I believe the answers to these questions are yes.

The Editor’s Note at the bottom of my last Letter to the Editor was inaccurate. I did not say what it claimed I said. I can’t know what’s in someone’s mind, so it’s possible that the editor’s recollection was an innocent error. Nevertheless, should I be censored from making a civil online comment to correct the record? In my opinion, the answer is no.

Respectfully submitted,

Connie Cooper

Sandy Hook