On Saturday East Ridge News Online shared an opinion/editorial written by Laura Mathis with the headline “To Post or Not to Post.”
Mathis, a community activist who has recently begun attending city council meetings, is or has been a frequent contributor to the East Ridge Neighborhood Watch Facebook page and other community-oriented Facebook pages. She is very much concerned with crime in our city and often posts dispatches from Hamilton County 911.
Mathis has reached out to East Ridge News Online on several occasions and expressed her frustration with some of her posts either being deleted or censored in some way by ER Neighborhood Watch. The piece she submitted to East Ridge News Online bemoaning this situation was posted under the “opinion” section of the Website with a byline of “Contributed Article.” At the bottom of the opinion piece, the article was attributed to Laura Mathis.
East Ridge News Online shared Mathis’ opinion to five Facebook pages that focus on East Ridge, including East Ridge Neighborhood Watch, East Ridge Concerned Citizens, East Ridge, TN Friends and Neighbors, East Ridge Neighborhood Watching and East Ridge TN & Surrounding Area. I also posted it to the East Ridge News Online Facebook page.
Some people read the article and thought that I, Dick Cook, had written the opinion. Of course, that was not the case.
Some comments urged me to continue posting articles written for East Ridge News Online to the various Facebook pages. I will continue to do so, as many readers of East Ridge News Online access the stories published there through social media.
Among other things, Mathis wrote about her frustration with being “censored” by Facebook page administrators. Those administrators have rules for posting on their pages. Some are lenient and tolerant of ideas that don’t necessarily agree with their own; some are not.
I reached out to Mathis last week to let her know that she was welcome to write an opinion/editorial for East Ridge News Online about any topic related to our city that she desired. I fully expect Mathis to contribute opinion pieces to this Website in the future. Look for her “byline.”
Matthew DeGlopper has been a frequent contributor to East Ridge News Online. His opinions have been insightful and thought-provoking.
Mayor Brent Lambert even wrote an opinion article that was published on East Ridge News Online. I have invited Lambert repeatedly to submit opinions to this Website. I think he’s got a lot to say and this Website can be an avenue for him and other elected officials to express their ideas to their neighbors/constituents.
During the last two elections, I invited all candidates to submit their opinions to East Ridge News Online.
Now, I’m inviting you, dear reader.
What’s on your mind? What are your concerns? I’m providing a forum for you to express your views, whether I personally agree with them or not.
On the home page of East Ridge News Online there is a button at the top, “contact us.” Click on it and you will see a feature that says “submit an opinion.” Click it and type.
If you don’t want to go that route, just e-mail your opinion piece to [email protected]. You will need to put your name on it. That’s reasonable, isn’t it?
I look forward to reading your views and sharing them on the world-wide Web.
