Free Speech Week, Oct. 19-25, reminds Americans to speak up.
The annual, nonpartisan event helps us reflect on how crucial free speech is in our democracy.
Expressing your views against a congressional, county commission, city council or school board action — or just critiquing a TV show or film's plot on a message board — empowers you.
That's because contributing to the conversation, whatever its topic, leads to diversity in the Public Square, better representation of opinion and, perhaps, decisions.
FreeSpeechWeek.org shares three ways to celebrate the observance:
●Tell your friends about Free Speech Week
●Exercise your free speech — just display a bumper sticker, post a message online or write a letter to the editor
●Ask organizations you're a member of to partner with Free Speech Week and spread the message.
Of course, you can do any of these things year-round, because exercising this right is that important.
I'm happy to say that Crestview area residents — particularly the News Bulletin's Facebook fans — understand this concept more than people in other areas where I've worked.
North Okaloosa County residents truly care. For instance, more than 9,000 people read a Crestview mom's column on head lice; 102 people liked it, 38 people shared it and more than 50 people commented on it.
Adriana Foster believes the Okaloosa County School Board should re-think its policy on not informing parents about students without head lice.
She has a point: merely alerting parents to the presence of lice on campus, without mentioning a student's name, would not violate health-related privacy rights.
The public support she has received apparently proved she is not alone in her concern. (If you don't know how Facebook works, the CNB might post a letter to the editor, but that doesn't mean everyone views it. Sometimes, a letter or guest column gets 300 viewers; sometimes 1,000 or 2,000. Foster's letter clearly interested residents.)
Shortly after the Facebook post drew so much attention, she requested support on the thepetitionsite.com from those who want to see a change in school policy.
Foster's efforts may or may not yield results, but one thing is certain: Now, Okaloosa County parents know there is a problem.
And, with her column appearing in the community's newspaper of record and on crestviewbulletin.com, they know the Okaloosa County School Board is aware of their concerns.
And all of these concerned parents know what to do, come election time, if school board members don't take action on the issue.
(I take no position on this issue; that's just what some parents said.)
That's just one example of why we celebrate Free Speech Week.
What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BONI: Crestview mom's lice column demonstrates power of free speech