Editorial: Collective chill

“February made me shiver, with every paper I’d deliver. Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn’t take one more step.”

Given the unrelenting barrage of head-spinning news of late — much of which is proving extremely hard to digest, let alone comprehend — you wouldn’t be alone in feeling a bit like songwriter Don McLean when he wrote his mega hit “American Pie,” back in 1969. He was, of course, lamenting the Feb. 3, 1959, plane crash that killed legendary rockers Ritchie Valens, Jiles Richardson — better known as the Big Bopper — and Buddy Holly, a tragedy commemorated earlier this week on many a local radio station as the Day the Music Died.

Today, barely a month into the New Year, and scarcely a few weeks into a new presidential administration, there is no shortage of news on our doorsteps that’s eliciting some serious shivers. Devastating wildfires ravaging Los Angeles; a pair of fatal plane crashes just days apart, including the deadliest in nearly two decades; the ongoing threats of unprecedented trade wars with two of our closest — and nearest — allies; the specter of federal agents sweeping into schools, churches and hospitals to round up “undocumented” residents; and the dismantling of massive government agencies that have for decades provided huge amounts regulatory and practical services both here and abroad. It’s no wonder so many heads are spinning.

Those feelings of collective unease are on full display in many of the letters to the editor we’ve received over the past few weeks, and it does provide an opportunity to remind readers — yet again — about our policies on what we will and won’t consider for publication.

Guest columns and letters to the editor are solely the opinion of the author on a subject or subjects. The views expressed do not represent the views of Times Review Media Group or its staff, and our decision to publish a guest column or letter should not be viewed as an endorsement of any particular opinion.

As with all of our content, we endeavor to be fair and transparent in curating the opinion pieces we publish. Despite all too common accusations to the contrary, we are not in the business of promoting some woke-media, liberal agenda, nor are we card-carrying members of some right wing mob. We appreciate that many letters may tend to espouse one political point of view over another, but that is not indicative of any editorial policy. Rather, it simply reflects the fact that a majority of the letters we receive in any given week happen to lean in that particular direction.

Here is what we will not publish: anything that is anonymous, contains offensive personal attacks, cites conspiracy theories as if they are fact or accepted wisdom, or makes accusations that are not readily and reliably verifiable. Derogatory, mean-spirited or bigoted language against any individual or group — based on race, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status or political affiliation — will not be considered for publication.

Ultimately, we take pride in being a forum for robust civil discourse, and the sheer volume of submissions we receive each week is a clear sign of our strong connection to the communities we cover, so please keep ᾽em coming.

As for what may be coming next in the news in the weeks and months ahead, all we can say is, bundle up.