Spout Off Allows Anonymous People to Hide

To the Editor:
I stopped reading The Herald several years ago. I love to read and keep up with the news of the day, but I could no longer tolerate the Spout Off column. From time to time, someone will show me an article in your paper and ask my opinion. I recently read the publisher’s piece where he defends and supports Spout Off. Mr. Hall quotes some famous people, like Thomas Jefferson, in making his point. He makes mention of the Bill of Rights. It makes me wonder where this great nation would be if our leaders chose not to sign the Declaration of Independence, and rather just Spout Off.
The publisher references the Bible as well. I have read the Bible and refer to it often for guidance. Although I’m no expert, I don’t see the connection between Spout Off and the Bible. Mr. Hall also stated that the opinions expressed by the people in Spout Off stand on their own merit. What merit? One of the things that makes our country so great is that people have the right to express their opinions. Hiding behind the anonymous protection of Spout Off while insulting and harming someone’s reputation is not the same thing.
There are consequences for things we do and say. I have made mistakes along the way and have had to deal with the consequences. I will have to deal with the results of this letter. Just the other day, a friend of mine reminded me, “You get what you pay for and you pay nothing for The Herald.” This is not an attack on the publisher personally. You have your reasons for supporting this type of journalism and, while I respect your views, I completely disagree.