'We Need to Defend It'

Editor:

“Sunshine, If We Can Keep It” (March 20) reflects Benjamin Franklin’s words, in 1787, to a group of people waiting outside the Constitutional Convention. They asked him what kind of government the delegates had decided upon. “A republic, if you can keep it,” answered the 81-year-old Ben, and hobbled off.

Franklin had his doubts. Earlier that same day, he had remarked, “It (a republic) can only end in despotism as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government.”

The NCJ evidently shares these doubts, and places the responsibility, as does Franklin, on the people: “We owe it to each other to engage in every level of government, to pay attention and work to impact the decisions that affect us and our neighbors.” The doubts are well-founded, and journalists are in the crosshairs. As the dean of Columbia School of Journalism stated, “These are dangerous times.” We have excellent local journalism in Humboldt County, and we need to defend it.

Ellen Taylor, Petrolia