Thank you, correspondents

The northwest Bronx is renowned for being one of the most civically engaged communities in the city. For proof, you need look no further than the page you hold in your hands, or view on your screen, at this moment.

Week after week, readers send us their thoughts on topics ranging from the hyperlocal to international news. Some letters are heated, others sanguine; some full of earnest praise, others mocking. Every once in a while, we get a letter that makes us grimace, but we publish nearly everything that we receive on the principle that our opinion and op-ed pages are first and foremost a forum for free speech.

Many letter writers use these pages to rally support for a local cause. Recent instances include the ultimately successful fight against a landlord’s plans to shut down the Marble Hill International Unisex Salon; criticism of predatory towing at new malls along Broadway; and letter after letter opposing the mayor’s sweeping proposals to change zoning law. 

While there is a steady focus on local issues, readers do not shy away from major international topics. After we ran pieces from Rep. Eliot Engel and Rep. Charles Rangel, who had opposing views on the summer’s nuclear deal with Iran, our inbox flooded with comments from all points on the political spectrum. Also recently, an editorial about what we can learn from Scandinavian countries prompted a flurry of letters that took exception with our views.

Many times, letters give praise where it is due, but no one else is providing it. One writer shared her experience of receiving free ice from a local store after suffering an injury (only to get much different treatment in Manhattan). An appreciative longtime patient gave plaudits to her dentist as she went into retirement. Time and again, northwest Bronxites thanked our outstanding community groups for their efforts.

We also value your letters and op-eds because they keep us honest. If an article overlooks a fact or a source doesn’t like how he or she is portrayed, there is often a letter in the mail to correct the record.