Let’s talk about The Fountain Hills Times’ current letters policy. The policies of our local newspaper are already printed each week and include “all letters are subject to editing” as well as other clearly stated restrictions regarding content.

At what point would these proposed new limits of free speech become censorship? Who decides what an appropriate viewpoint is? A better question would be why you would want to limit the writer’s views from an open discussion between readers in our community?

I, too, agree that some letters stretch the truth and are completely void of the real facts, but try to remember not to believe all the things you hear and read. In the end, it is up to the reader to verify the facts and statements and not rely on the subjective comments of the uninformed writers.

While some letters are more vocal and forceful in their choice of words, I have never read any letter which contained inappropriate content for readers of all ages.

I have lived in Fountain Hills for the past 15 years, and the letters written over time have shown that people’s opinions and viewpoints change and discussions in our local newspaper helps to encourage this change.

Just because a few overzealous writers go overboard with their comments, regarding religion and politics, let’s not over react. May I remind the readers, this is America and freedom of speech should not be restricted, no matter how good the intention might be.

Have you read some of the opinion letters in The Arizona Republic? This award-winning newspaper includes many totally absurd letters with no fact base, rebuttals to other writers and a few that are totally insulting to an educated citizen. They have been around for 125 years.