How obscene! An article on Christianity in a family newspaper.

Based on the letter (“Wrong venue”, 1/5/2006) from Aimee Ergas condemning the Observer editorial board for publishing an article on Christianity, I assume someone on your board will be going to jail. After all, someone must have held Ergas down and forced her to read the article she found so offensive. If I have assumed incorrectly and no one forced her to read it, I strongly suggest the next time she sees an article on Christianity, she simply avert her eyes.

While I found the letter humorous, it offers the opportunity to address a misperception held by more than just Ergas - the concept of what is "public." She claims the article on Christianity should be published in a church newsletter, not "our" community newspaper. The Farmington Observer is owned and operated by the Gannett Company, not the "public." It is not "our" newspaper. In this country, newspapers have the freedom and the right to publish whatever they deem fit. Obviously, they need to consider their customers and refrain from printing articles or ads that many of their subscribers would find offensive or face a possible backlash in cancellations.

I applaud the Observer for publishing a letter that criticizes their selection of articles. Personally, I have written many letters to the Observer criticizing their editorial stance on various issues. Even though they have the right not to publish opinions counter to their own, they do.

Although Ergas is completely within her right to tell the Observer she does not approve of articles "proselytizing religion", she's wrong in claiming because it's "in a public newspaper." If Ergas wants a newspaper that reflects only her beliefs, perhaps she should fire up her own printing press.

[Letter to the Editor - Farmington Observer - Published 01/19/2006]