Help Keep CentralSpeaks.com Available for Comments

Providing a forum for the general public to comment on issues in our small city is truly a two-edged sword.  Intelligent exchange of ideas can be an excellent tool for helping to generate ideas and enthusiasm for the benefit of the City of Central.  On the other hand, when a great resource such as this is used irresponsibly it can become a liability to the city.  If the detriment to Central outweighs the benefit, I will be forced to turn off the ability to comment, which would be a great loss in my opinion.  Let me set forth some "rules" and examples and warn you up front that I will enforce these, even at the risk of being accused of taking sides, on either side, of any issue.  There are 1,272 news posts on CentralSpeaks.com written by those uf us who created and maintain this site.  I welcome anyone to review any or all of those posts and look for evidence of any bias.

Now for the "rules".

Post nothing as a "fact" unless you have the evidence (and I don't mean suspicion, I mean real evidence) to back it up.

Don't ask rhetorical questions "wondering" if something is true simply for the purpose of creating controversy that does not currently exist.

Do not use the names of private citizens in a negative light unless their voluntary participation in public events has caused them to become a part of the "public" discussion.  Examples of names that are fair would be elected and appointed public officials, people seeking public office, people representing themselves in public as being the spokesperson for non-profit organizations and businesses, etc.

Obviously, no inapropriate language will be tolerated.

Finally, in raising my children they knew I had rules they had to live by, and that the last rule was, "If you are about to do something and you know I would not allow it, consider there to be a rule against it."

I am hoping not to have to expand this list of "rules" because we are all adults and I really love free speech.  But remember, having the right to say something does not make it right to say it.

Thanks for listening, post away, and be responsible.

Dave

P.S.  – I have been advised to make everyone aware that the opinions posted in comments are not necesssarily the opinions of the owners or editors of CentralSpeaks.com and these comments are only allowed on the basis of freedom of speech.