Publishing letter a breach of integrity

You recently published a letter from Don Cistaro that stated he was “dismayed” at the news of a gay couple adopting a 7-month-old girl.

A friend of mine wrote you expressing his disappointment in your decision to publish such prejudiced rhetoric. In response to his letter, you cited Cistaro’s First Amendment right as a reason for publishing the remarks.

Here is my opinion: You’ve breached your journalistic and ethical integrity as a paper, and claiming the moral high ground of the First Amendment is a cowardly excuse for highlighting this man’s message. There were no facts, statistics, or scientific documentation to back-up his despicable viewpoint.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the value of the right to free speech. I am a Marine Corps veteran and I consider myself conservative in many aspects. However, there is a line in which you do not publish every opinion in your paper, especially one that inspires blind hatred.

I hope the $50 of ad revenue was worth tarnishing your paper’s reputation in the local community. That is something you do not earn back easily.

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 12:18 AM with the headline "Publishing letter a breach of integrity."