This content has been removed. The Atascadero News believes in providing for transparency for our community, to give the community a voice.

We cannot, however, indulge or provide for a venue of verbal abuse among those who disagree with each other.

What we hold dear is the Bill of Rights that provides a backbone for the United States, and the empowerment of people to act responsibly for their own personal welfare and the welfare of their country men and women.

It begins with tolerance. It is in the spirit of that tolerance that we allowed Atascadero resident Mr. Salemi the opportunity to make his voice heard. It is in demand for that tolerance that we remove his letter from the record as his neighbors in Atascadero did not abide with tolerance to listen without scorn.

As could be seen from the comments on social media, local residents both agree and disagree with Mr. Salemi, but we as a newspaper disagree with the treatment and insensitivity from both sides of the opinion of the author and disagree with any presumption that the Constitution offers anyone the right to behave abusively toward each other, and disagree that the Bill of Rights offers protection from social responsibility of individuals when disagreements cross the line into abuse.

We understand these trying times, and the acute windows so many are peering through as we pass through various forms of isolation and virtual realities.

We will continue to ask for social generosity when discussing alternative points of view as it is the hallmark of diplomacy and a unified nation.

Scorn will always rank as the lowest form of conversation, argument, and debate.