I know who my readers are.
I meet them every day all over town. Like me, they are all grownups who can face my telling the truth and they depend on me to raise issues that affect all of our lives.
kAm|@DE @7 >J C6256CD’ 49:=5C6? 2C6 8C@H? 2?5 E96J 92G6 2== 366? E9C@F89 E96 “<:5” E9:?8D] $@>6 @7 E96> H@C<[ @E96CD 2C6 C6E:C65 @C D6>:\C6E:C65[ 2?5 E96J 92G6 G@=F?E66C65 2?5 DE:== G@=F?E66C E@ 5@ H92E6G6C E96J 42? E@ >2<6 E96 4:EJ 36EE6C]k^Am
kAm%96J <?@H 2== E96 8@@5 E9:?8D :? $652=:2[ D:?46 2 =@E @7 E96> 2C6 E96 A6@A=6 H9@ >256 E96D6 E9:?8D 92AA6?] qFE E96J <?@H E92E :? @C56C E@ D@=G6 AC@3=6>D[ E96J 92G6 E@ 36 :56?E:7:65]k^Am
kAm|J C6256CD <?@H E96 244@>A=:D9>6?ED E92E $652=:2?D 2C6 42A23=6 @7] %96J C6>6>36C[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ E96 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ 677@CE >6>36CD @7 E96 46?E6??:2= 4@>>:EE66 AFE 7@CE9 :? 3C:?8:?8 FD E96 <:?5 @7 7:CDE\4=2DD 6G6?E :? `he_ E92E 2?J 3:8 4:EJ H@F=5 36 H:==:?8 E@ 4=2:>] %92E 6G6?E ?6EE65 FD 2 ?6H 4:EJ A2C<[ r6?E6??:2=[ H9:49 H6 6?;@J E@52J] $9@CE=J E96C627E6C[ >2?J @7 E9@D6 D2>6 DE2=H2CE :?5:G:5F2=D G6?EFC65 @FE E@ 3C:?8 9@>6 E96 324@? :? E96 7@C> @7 2 4@>>F?:EJ 4@==686] p?5 E96J D4@C65 282:?] $E2E6 u2:C r@>>F?:EJ r@==686 :D E96 C6DF=E @7 E92E 677@CE]k^Am
kAm%96J C6>6>36C E96 `hf_D 2?5 `hg_D H96? 7@C>6C >2J@C 2?5 !FCA=6 w62CE H:??6C p==6? w2H<:?D 2?5 >6>36CD @7 E96 4:EJ 4@F?4:= 9:C65 E96 E@H?’D 7:CDE 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E 5:C64E@C 2?5 7:G6 >2;@C :?5FDEC:6D H6C6 3C@F89E :?E@ E96 E@H? 2?5 9F?5C65D @7 A6@A=6[ H9@D6 D2=2C:6D H6C6 2== 23@G6 E96 >:?:>F> H286[ H6C6 9:C65] p== E96 A6@A=6 H9@ 925 E@ H@C< 7@C 2 =:G:?8 C6>6>36C E92E]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E9@D6 J62CD[ E96 $652=:2 r@>>F?:EJ r6?E6C[ H9:49 9@FD6D E96 q@JD 2?5 v:C=D r=F3D @7 (6DE\r6?EC2= |:DD@FC: 2D H6== 2D E96 $6?:@C r6?E6C[ H2D 6DE23=:D965] %96J C6>6>36C 2=D@ E92E 5FC:?8 E9@D6 J62CD r:EJ r@F?4:=>2? r2C= uC2?<=:? H2D =2C86=J C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 86EE:?8 E96 ~p%$ EC2?DA@CE2E:@? D6CG:46 :?E@ $652=:2] %96J 2=D@ C6>6>36C E96 7@FC r@?E:?6?E2= %C2:=H2JD 3FD6D E92E C2? :? 2?5 @FE @7 $652=:2 6G6CJ 52J E@ 2?5 7C@> z2?D2D r:EJ 7@C A6@A=6 H9@ 5:5?’E 92G6 42CD @C 5:5?’E H2?E E@ 5C:G6]k^Am
kAmpE E92E E:>6[ {:36CEJ r6?E6C H2D E96 F>3C6==2 7@C `` @E96C 4@>>F?:EJ 8C@FAD 2?5 @C82?:K2E:@?D] %96C6 H2D 6?E6CE2:?>6?E 7@C 25F=ED 6G6CJ H66< :? E96 7@C> @7 G:DF2= 2CE D9@HD[ 2?5 >FD:42= 2?5 E962EC:42= A6C7@C>2?46D] %96C6 H2D 2=D@ 2 u2== u6DE:G2= H96C6 D9@A @H?6CD 4@F=5 DAC625 @FE E96:C H2C6D 5@H?E@H? 2?5 E96 AF3=:4 4@F=5 82E96C 2?5 6?;@J E96>D6=G6D]k^Am
kAmx7 $652=:2 H2D 2? @C5:?2CJ @H?[ x DFAA@D6 H6 4@F=5[ :? a__h[ ;FDE D:E 5@H? 2?5 A2E @FCD6=G6D @? E96 324<] qFE $652=:2 :D 2 9:DE@C:4 C2:=C@25 E@H?[ 8C2465 H:E9 9@>6D 2?5 3F:=5:?8D @7 2H6D@>6 2C49:E64EFC2= 5:DE:?4E:@?] (6 2C6 E96 7@C>6C 9@>6 @7 DF49 5:DE:?8F:D965 4:E:K6?D 2D y@9? w@>6C q@E9H6==[ $2C29 $>:E9\r@EE@? 2?5 r92C=6D *62E6C] $92== H6 H6:89 @FC 4@?EC:3FE:@?D E@ E96 E@H? 282:?DE E96:CDn (6 2C6 E96 7@C>6C 9@>6 @7 8:7E65 A6C7@C>6CD =:<6 $4@EE y@A=:? 2?5 y24< ~2<:6] (6 2C6 E96 AC6D6?E 9@>6 @7 |:DD@FC:’D 7:CDE r2C?68:6 {:3C2CJ 2?5 E96 7@C>6C 9@>6 @7 v6@C86 #] $>:E9 r@==686[ @?6 @7 E96 7:CDE DF49 :?DE:EFE:@?D 7@C 3=24<D H6DE @7 E96 |:DD:DD:AA:]k^Am
kAm$@[ 2C6 H6 AC6D6?E=J 7F=7:==:?8 E96 AC@>:D6 @7 E96 E@H?’D A:@?66CDn p3D@=FE6=J ?@E] p?5 2D 2 AC@F5 >6>36C @7 2 72>:=J H9@ 92D =:G65 :? E96 $9@H\|6 $E2E6 7@C D:I 86?6C2E:@?D 2?5 H:E9 9:DE@CJ @? >J D:56[ x C6D6CG6 E96 C:89E E@ 42== E96> =:<6 x D66 E96>] p?5 2D 2 4@=F>?:DE 2?5 DE277 HC:E6C 7@C aa J62CD @? |:DD@FC: 52:=:6D[ x 92G6 >2?2865 E@ DE2J :? E96 <:E496? >2?J E:>6D H96? E96 @G6? @G6C962E65]k^Am
kAmp?5 @? E92E ?@E6[ x C6DE >J 42D6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mr2?’E 3C62< E96 ?6HDA2A6C 923:Ek^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmp 7C:6?5 2?5 x H6C6 5:D4FDD:?8 E96 :>A@CE2?E C@=6 ?6HDA2A6CD A=2J65 :? E96 72>:=:6D :? H9:49 H6 8C6H FA] $96 C642==65 E92E H96? 96C 72>:=J’D A2A6C H2D =2E6[ 96C >@E96C H@F=5 8@ @FED:56 2?5 DE2?5 H:E9 96C 92?5D @? 96C 9:AD 2?5 8=2C6 E@ D6?5 E96 42CC:6C[ H96? 96 D9@H65 FA[ 2 D:=6?E D:8?2= E92E 96 925 >6DD65 FA C@J2==J]k^Am
kAm%96D6 52JD >2?J A6@A=6 86E E96:C ?6HD @?=:?6] p44@C5:?8 E@ 2? 2CE:4=6 :? &$p %@52J[ D@>6 ?6HDA2A6CD 2C6 BF6DE:@?:?8 E96:C 564:D:@? E@ AFE E96:C AC@5F4ED @? E96 x?E6C?6E 7C66 @7 492C86]k^Am
kAm|2?J ?@H G:6H E9:D 2D 2? 6IA6?D:G6 >:DE2<6 2?5 2C6 324<EC24<:?8] &$p %@52J AF3=:D96D 2? 6\65:E:@? 6G6CJ 52J E92E :D @?=J 7C66 E@ G:6H6CD H9@ 2C6 ?6HDA2A6C DF3D4C:36CD]k^Am
kAmx? 2?J 42D6[ E9@D6 @7 FD H9@ 92G6 2=H2JD AC676CC65 E96 766= 2?5 D>6== @7 E96 24EF2= AC@5F4E 4@F=5 42C6 =6DD] (96E96C :E 2CC:G6D >@C?:?8 @C 6G6?:?8[ ?@ 52J H@F=5 36 4@>A=6E6 H:E9@FE 2 C625 @7 E96 ?6HDA2A6C]k^Am
kAmxE’D 923:E\7@C>:?8]k^Am
