The time has come to speak up

Wyoming needs a variety of voices, not an echo chamber

The people of the Equality State deserve a diversity of viewpoints. Unfortunately, they are being cheated. The state's leading newspapers have succumbed to the pressure of finances. Once-proud examples of state-leading opinion, they now are producing one locally written editorial a week each. They don't have the staff or the time -- and perhaps not the willpower -- to do more. And their tone has been diminished. Where once they thundered, they now whimper and plead. Wyoming deserves better.

Similarly, the mindset of conservative thought leaders has been not to encourage discussion but rather to silence dissent. Both of the state's leading newspapers have fallen for the argument that there needs to be increased conservative opinion on their editorial pages. One even has publicly pleaded for more conservative writers. But that push is not about creating balance; rather, it is an effort to squeeze liberal and progressive thought off these pages altogether. The right-wing complainers will not be happy until the newspapers are echo chambers of their thought and their thought alone. That the leaders at the state's newspapers have fallen for this -- reducing progressive and liberal thought, letting conservative columns overwhelm their pages and killing balanced discussion -- does not bode well for the marketplace of ideas in Wyoming.

And, sadly, there is a price to be paid for expressing progressive and liberal ideas. Those who hold positions of public responsibility fear to speak up. They know this will cost them their good works, perhaps even their livelihoods. Such efforts as the attempt to censor Laramie County Republicans who supported moderate candidates in the recent elections is proof of this. Let's not debate ideas; let's silence those with whom we disagree, goes the theory. And, again, the people of Wyoming are cheated.

Thus, we bring you Publius Wyoming. This blog is designed to be a forum for progressive and liberal points of view on issues concerning Cheyenne, Laramie County and Wyoming. We intend to be unabashedly left-leaning; we will not apologize for that. We hope to share other writers' work, and we will create our own. And as did the Founders, we will use anonymity when necessary. Some of our writers will use their names. Others want to express their points of view but do not want to be ostracized or lose their careers because of their ideas. They will be allowed to protect themselves here with anonymity. The ultimate goal is to create a place where these ideas can be expressed without fear of reprisal.

We hope you will follow this site. And share it.

It is long overdue.

We start it now.