If the numerous phone calls and visits I received last week are an indication, the columns and cartoons I chose to run on the opinion page a week ago were not very popular.
Well … at least with some. Turns out those who hated the cartoon about Donald Trump had no problem with the column by Susan Stamper Brown. At the same time, those who hated the column by Brown thought the cartoon was perfectly fair.
Let me start off by apologizing. I looked at the cartoon and read the column before choosing to run them. While I agree they pushed the envelope, I didn’t give them too much thought. After being urgently reminded by many readers, I won’t make that mistake again.
Before I run anything in the paper, even on the opinion page, I will look closely at it and try to ensure it is not overly offensive. That’s the best I can do.
Having said that, if you are easily offended, you likely will be again. The primary purpose of an opinion page in the newspaper is to spark conversation about topics important to our city, state and nation. If everything that is published makes everyone happy, it certainly won’t accomplish that goal.

As a reporter many years ago I covered a small town that had a big split in its government. In the few years I covered the town, there were four recall elections and tons of controversy. Any time I wrote a story, I gauged how fair it was by whether both sides were calling and complaining.
That’s not necessarily the goal on the Chronicle’s opinion page, but I do want people to look at and read what’s there and stop and think. If that gets them inspired to stop and talk about the issues being discussed that’s even better.
In today’s political world, there seems to be no room for compromise. You either love Donald Trump as president or you hate him. I’ve never been a big Trump fan, but I’ve also never once thought he was anything close to Hitler.
Yet for many that seems to be reality. Our president is either pure evil or the best thing to ever happen. Here’s the truth — like almost everything else he’s something in the middle.
I could easily defend both sides and sleep well at night because Trump is not the Messiah and he’s not Adolf Hitler. In fact, he’s not close to either.
As I said above, I will work hard to ensure the opinions in this newspaper, whether in columns, letters or cartoons, are not overly offensive, especially when being viewed and read by children.
But when doing so, I will not avoid topics that are controversial. Opinions by nature are supposed to have some controversy. They are opinions because they are not meant to be fact alone. My opinion is not supposed to be the same as others. That remains true no matter who is expressing their opinion.
If you disagree, if you feel their views are offensive or right on, then jump into the fray and let us know. This page is open to all points of view. Our rules for writing in are shown in the right column. Follow those, and I will share your opinion with all of our readers, even if I firmly disagree with it.
If that happens, if we can get the people who live, work and play in Page to share their views on important issues, then this page will have accomplished its goal.