Censorship stifles free expression

To The Eagle:

The following comments are in regard to your note following Toni Below’s letter to the editor published in the October 7th edition.

In the interest of full disclosure, I do not know Toni Below. I presume, from the spelling of the name and the tone of the letter, that Toni is an outspoken lady who will say what she thinks.

I must have misread her letter, because I did not see anywhere in the letter where she stated anything about the “proven effectiveness of vaccines, wearing of masks and other measures to prevent the spread of the covid-19 virus.”

Her opinion may differ from yours, but that does not make it misinformation. She may have based her opinion on facts that you either do not know or have chosen to ignore.

One of the principles our country was founded upon was the ability of individuals to freely express their opinions on any subject, no matter how much anyone else detests or disagrees with that opinion. Sadly, that principle seems to be rapidly disappearing in our society, which includes the editorial pages of your newspaper.

Censorship, even with the objective of protecting the public against “misinformation,” is still censorship and stifles the free expression of ideas and opinions.

Donald Peek

Wausau, WI