The lines in the sand for liberty are being redrawn

           The world in which we live has been irreparably changed. Such a statement may sound banal, but its simplicity should not detract from its truth. Our habits, our customs, and our community have been altered in ways that just two years prior would have defied belief. This change is irreparable, as we will never again be able to trust the institutions that were used to betray us. The opportunity to increase the reach of government was seized at every level. Compliance was mandated, questions were discouraged, and dissent was silenced. Our compassion for others was exploited to usher in unprecedented government mandates, while our voices were silenced out of fear of reprisal. While we continue to grapple with the impact that the last several months have had on our own personal lives, the sweeping transformation that we have undergone as a society cannot be overlooked and should not be understated.

            Although the changes we have seen are broad and sweeping, their effects are felt on a personal and local level. As we piece together answers and begin to confront the world we now know, it is important that our local community does not get lost in the national narrative. The expansion of governmental power at the local level, the actions of our business leaders, and the influence of various organizations on our community must all be made transparent. Absent a reliable source of information that is not beholden to public officials, local leaders, and various interest groups, it is incumbent on the local citizenry to create and maintain a free journal. This journal must be free not only in circulation, but free from advertisers, free from political agendas, free from all external influence that seeks to subvert its goal of informing the reader. Maintaining a source of information that has an allegiance only to truth is essential if we are to live in a transparent and free society. CecilCounty.News is such a source.

The lines in the sand are being redrawn. Gone are the days when individual liberty was assumed. Past is the period when our personal freedom was not confronted. Lost is the time when our right to self-determination was a principle universally accepted. We now live in an era where no aspect of our daily life is left untouched by government diktat, and where our basic freedoms are not challenged. Our rights to associate, to choose what we wear, to decide what goes in our body, are increasingly falling under the purview of government bureaucrats, with their orders being carried out by big business. Where we shop, where we worship, and what we teach our children is becoming increasingly subject to outside control. Today, freedom is defended not on a distant battlefield, but in our neighborhoods, our schools, our churches and our lives. Liberty is lost only when we abdicate our duty to expose and hold accountable those seeking to take it. In standing up for yourself you are lifting up for others, in standing against corruption you are protecting others, and in standing for the truth you help inform others. Through its renewed focus to provide reporting on the entire community, and by expanding its scope to expose not just government corruption, but to promote transparency at large, CecilCounty.News is taking those stands.

A citizen journal is only possible through the patronage and participation of the entire community. We not only encourage readers to regularly visit this site, but also to submit articles and volunteer to write about everything happening in Cecil County. Articles can be published anonymously if the contributor so chooses. No one knows better than those in the community what is happening in our own backyards, and it is vital that those who live in the community be part of its reporting.