When I wrote my first Advertiser Forum column, for the December 2015 issue, I concluded with the following statement, which is as true today as it was then:
So we can’t promise that you’ll agree with everything you read here. We can’t promise that everyone will read everything that’s printed. But we can promise that we will do our best to provide an open forum for all of the news, updates, and advertisements that folks would like to share.
Our open forum remains just that—a place for contributors to express their thoughts. Whether it is advice, analysis, insight, or simply opinion, it is included. With each issue, the reader has the option to decide whose articles to read, who to agree with, who to argue with, and who to contact for additional information.
As we’ve found across these months, there will be times when people really don’t agree. Sometimes it’s a simple misunderstanding of what’s been said, and sometimes it gets complicated. But that should come as no surprise to any of us, because life is full of disagreements and misunderstandings. While that’s unfortunate, it’s also inevitable at some point. We don’t all hear the same message when we read the same words, so our responses will be different. And that’s okay too.
My second Advertiser Forum column, in January 2016, included this sentiment which remains true too:
Here at The Advertiser, I don’t expect to be perfect. I won’t have all of the answers, and everyone won’t agree with the things I say. But as long as I’m here, I’m committed to doing the best I can for our group. Tell me what you think, and I will listen. Tell me what you want, and I will try to make it happen.
My invitation still stands—tell me what you think and I will listen, tell me what you want and I will try to make it happen. This isn’t just my open forum, it is ours. If something is on your mind, let me know. I don’t see my role as being a policeman to stop people from saying things. I want people to say what is on their minds. Everyone is allowed to have thoughts and opinions, and sometimes hearing a new perspective on an issue is truly enlightening. We can all learn from talking, thinking, sharing, reacting, and communicating. The risks will always be outweighed by the rewards.