Introducing The Cecil Yeoman

The Cecil Yeoman is a new addition to Cecil County News.  Written by Anthony Yetzer, a local teacher and Republican Central Committee member, the column seeks to fulfill the purpose of Cecil County News as a source for honest citizen journalism.  In a time when big media effectively holds a monopoly on news even at the local level, Yetzer believes it is of the utmost importance that the citizens of Cecil County tell their own story lest it be told by those hostile to their interests as is currently the case.  

Regarding the name, yeomen were a social class that arose in England during the Middle Ages, the rural equivalent of a citizen.  A yeoman was a man who owned his own land.  Being responsible for his own economic destiny gave yeomen a certain independent turn of mind.  The term was once much more commonly used to describe the inhabitants of America, most of whom were farmers who owned their own land when the country was founded.  Yetzer believes the term is still apt for us their descendants: It recalls the English roots of our county founded in 1674 and how the preservation of our rights and liberties is essential to our identity as people of independent mind who seek to make our own destiny in spite of those who would deprive us of the opportunity.

Yetzer hopes to contribute a new essay for The Cecil Yeoman at least monthly and urges others to join him in contributing to Cecil County News.  Cecil is not just a few acres of sod ripe for development on the I-95 corridor.  It is a beloved place with a rich history, culture, and people.  In a world that increasingly threatens these things, it is incumbent upon the yeomen citizenry of the county to stand up for this precious inheritance from our past in voice, print, and deed.  Reclaiming our local news is a good start.