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Editorial: Myths, Misinformation and Propaganda
December 16th, 2008

Editorial: Editorial: Will Park Closure Just Make Things Worse?
November 29th, 2008

Editorial: Editorial: October and November Surprises
October 30th, 2008

Editorial: Is the Sky Falling?
September 24th, 2008

Editorial: Editorial: Who Reads Cedar Key News?
September 19th, 2008

Editorial: The First Hurdle for Every Child
September 3rd, 2008

Editorial: A View of China from Cedar Key
August 18th, 2008

Editorial: Who Killed the Real Estate Market?
August 8th, 2008

Editorial: Editorial: It`s Clamerica!
July 1st, 2008

Editorial: Can the City Commission Limit Noise?
June 6th, 2008

Editorial: Unintended Results Rock the Boat
May 29th, 2008

Editorial: Creeping Gas Prices
May 13th, 2008

Editorial: Cedar Key Election Soon
April 30th, 2008

Editorial: Questions fo the Candidates
April 2nd, 2008

Editorial: Coming Elections: National County and City
March 19th, 2008

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Speaking About Speak Out

Speaking About Speak Out

Editorial

Cedar Key News has recently received "input" regarding the value and or undesirability of Speak Out. Strangely, some readers have used Speak Out to express their objection to its existence. Another reader cited the fact that several founding fathers of our country published their opinions anonymously in what are now known and revered as the Federalist Papers.


More recently, the Freedom Wall in Beijing was used to criticize the Chinese government. The need for anonymity stemmed from fear of reprisal, a justified fear. In the United States an anonymous source called Deep Throat was instrumental in forcing the resignation of President Nixon. (Nixon's Attorney General, John Mitchell, tried to intimidate the publisher of the Washington Post with metaphoric threats of violence.) Not long ago a man who spoke out at a Commission meeting found roofing nails in his driveway and his boat cut adrift. Speak Out provides a place for opinions to be expressed without fear of retaliation.


Cedar Key News does not vouch for the truth of anything posted in Speak Out. We do not edit postings in any way, on pain of losing our legal protection. However, our current policy is to have an author's name with each posting. Furthermore, we are considering a mechanism that requires registration to access certain specified sections of our paper. Speak Out may be so specified. Registrants will not be identified as readers or posters. That section will keep unregistered readers from accidentally reading an opinion that is offensive to them. Registered readers must recognize postings for what they are, i.e. opinions.


When the Florida Department of Transportation threatened to cut down the trees along State Highway 24 a timely posting on Speak Out brought out a protest that saved the trees. Opinions on such as the Arts Festival, political candidates and the need to enforce state law must be taken for what they are, opinions. Let us hear what the people of Cedar Key think about the need for Speak Out.

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