(Editor's note: Ordinarily, communications between an editor and a guest columnist are kept private but in this case, because it is requested by former News-Reporter columnist Arthur W. Danner, an exception is made.

This newspaper has always been and will continue to be dedicated to the betterment of and positive promotion of Washington and Wilkes County. Any submissions for publication which we feel do not contribute to that end will not be published. At the same time we are careful to be fair to the entire community as we maintain a liberal policy allowing people a way to voice their concerns and criticisms or to promote their events.

We hope Mr. Danner's new publication will serve him better than we have.)

May 23, 2006 Dear Mr. Danner,

When I invited you to write a series of guest columns for The NewsReporter, it was because the research you had done and the questions it raised, along with the conclusions you reached, were of significant importance to the community. The points you have made concerning education, family values, responsibility, and others have been invaluable to our readers and I hope they have even filtered down to those who aren't regular readers. Your columns have provided historical insights which are new to many and they have challenged the community to wake up and make life better.

For that, I thank you most sincerely for myself, our readers, and the community as a whole.

However, though your columns have mostly been constructive and helpful, they have lately taken a destructive and even vindictive tone. This week, a prime example, you attack the former City Council and its actions toward updating its charter nearly three years ago. Whether legal or illegal (and I doubt the Georgia General Assembly would have proceeded had it not been legal), the city has moved on and there is nothing constructive to be gained from recounting the perceptions of that issue. The preceding few columns were similar in their tone and it seems that the trend has been developing over a longer period of time. Also, while in the beginning I received a number of positive comments concerning the publication of your column, lately all the comments I get are negative.

Therefore, I have made the decision not to run "Don't Fuss ... Let's Discuss" in future editions unless it returns to the original intent or something equally practical and wholesome.

Again, thank you for all of your contributions. This was a difficult decision but I think it is best for all concerned at the present time.

Sincerely,

Sparky Newsome

editor & publisher

Dear Mr. Newsome:

I wish to thank you for allowing me to be a guest columnist of the News-Reporter during the last nine months. I shall continue as always to respect my Host generosity because I recognized that I am a user of my Host's resources and connections. Also, I realize that when the Host/Guest relationship becomes a liability to the Host, the Host has the right to terminate the relationship with or without cause.

Since our Wilkes County relationship goes back over 233 years of non-harmonious experiences and the "White Supremacy" superiority you have gained and maintained, you have the power in the name of your readers' negative comments on my weekly column to play the "White Supremacy Card". I had consciously refrained from using the "Race Card" in my writing and dealt with the naked truth.

I have always planned my life and destiny around not being entrapped in a dependency mode that limits my self-expression and freedom of choice as have the African American community in Wilkes County, therefore, I shall become my own publisher of my weekly column: The Independent Truthful Publication.

Perhaps some of your readers cannot handle the "Truth"

Sincerely, thanks a million for being a good Host while the relationship was mutual.

Attached: A Few Good Men famous saying: "You can't handle the truth."

P.S. I suggest that your termination letter and my response be published in the Editor's corner.

[received from docdanner@nu-z.net;

May 24, 2006]