You are certainly welcome and encouraged in our free society to start your own publication (print, cartoon, film, blog, microblog, or otherwise) to communicate your ideas and opinions. Nobody is keeping you from that. Best of luck.

Regretfully your note has not explained why my comments were deleted several times. Apparently my freedom to express is not so intact as you mightily announce. I did not attend the fine schools you did, and do not have training in the skills of reporting, so you’ll have to excuse my incapability to successfully meander through your statement about journalists: “they do what they do so that other citizens can participate in a free democracy” which seems so at odds with deliberate exclusion of citizen comments. But, then, I am a simple man, obviously untutored in the ways of the world like you. Yet you seem to be doing double duty, though: 1) denying a citizen the right to write which means denying another citizen the right to read, 2) suppressing the right of thought of a citizen which means denying another citizen the right to think. I say double duty since you apparently produce not only Pulitzer Prize quality articles, which you RAM PAGE after page into the consciousness of readers, but I heard a rumor that you also manage Reader and Customer Relations. Should you ever apply for another media position outside this forum, please use me as a reference--- I’d love to tell all I know about you and your communicative skills. Adieu!

I can see that you've been on a commenting rampage recently. Good for you! Because that means your freedom to express is still intact. Journalists don't have any special rights beyond citizens, Mr. Kent, because they are citizens themselves, and they do what they do so that other citizens can participate in a free democracy — much like you are doing with your rampage. So, clearly, you're criticizing no one but yourself. What a wonderful occupation, indeed.

Apparently schools of journalism do not emphasize freedom of expression for citizens...unless of course such citizens promote the notions of the journalists. Apparently, also, freedom of the press means the press' ability to suppress free thought and expression. My, what a wonderful occupation.