I received an email this week from a reader, now an ex-subscriber, who said he was canceling his subscription because he didn’t like an opinion that was published on the Opinion Page.

Now I’m the first to concede that I can’t argue with someone’s opinion, although I don’t have to agree with it.

But it does frustrate me when people use the lame excuse that they don’t like an opinion expressed to cancel the newspaper.

The Opinion Page is just that — a forum for opinions. Our readers have varying and often diametrically opposing views on various subjects. The Opinion Page is intended to be forum for the readers to express their views.

We try to run the opinions as they come in but we can't orchestrate when we get them and what we get. So, sometimes we get letters in favor of a certain issue and none opposing it. That doesn't mean we're taking sides, it only means those are the only views we've received to date. Normally, opposing views are eventually submitted and run in as timely a manner as possible.

Consequently, if any member of a specific group wishes to express an opinion, we'll be glad to publish it, provided they are residents of Oakland County and meet the other, basic requirements, such as the 250 word length, no use of profanity, etc.
Occasionally we will run opinions from people outside the county but because of space limitations, we must restrict the opinions published.

The balance in a newspaper comes in the stories that are on the other pages and how they are written, not on the Opinion Page. The balance on the Opinion Page comes in trying to publish all views in as timely a manner as possible, even if you disagree with the views. Some people seem to forget they are opinions and that's what the page is called - The Opinion Page.

One of America’s basic rights is freedom of speech, which means people have a right to disagree.

If you must cancel your subscription, cancel it because you don’t like the stories that are published or the cost of the publication.

But to cancel the newspaper because you disagree with what one person may have said on the Opinion Page just doesn’t make sense. It’s almost un-American because people are entitled to their opinions.