Unfortunately, this is the last issue of the Colorado Daily, a newspaper that has been a presence in Boulder for 130 years.
For most of its existence, the Daily was fiercely independent and owned by its employees. During this entire period, one prominent feature of the Daily has been its op-ed page(s) that has provided people the opportunity to exercise their free speech. The editors of the Daily have a long and proud track record of giving voice to the voiceless. The courage and wisdom of these editors made the Daily into a Boulder institution.
Given the change in the newspaper model with the loss of advertising revenue to the internet, the U.S. has lost many papers, and the remaining papers have dramatically reduced their staff. Despite the change in ownership and the change in political climate, the Daily has been one of the few places that still honored the idea of free speech. The Daily provided space for people who challenged the mainstream version of the news, a version that has too often been based on lies.
As one of the writers of the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center’s Peace Train column, and I think I speak for the other writers as well as myself, I want to thank the Daily for providing space for our columns. It is important for there to be a place for those who recognize that governments and their often-compliant media often lie or spin the facts.
The Daily has provided this vital service and it will be sorely missed.
Ron Forthofer, Boulder resident
