Ann Arbor Sun

ANN ARBOR SUN EDITORIAL  RAINBOW COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

Published by the Rainbow People's Party 1520 Hill Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 Phone (313)-761-1709

The Sun Editorial Board John Collins, Kathy Kelley, Ann Hoover. Mike Minnich, Linda Ross, Walden Simper

With this issue the SUN is revising part of its format to facilitate closer communication between SUN readers and the SUN editorial board.  We will attempt in each issue to use page two for the Voice of the People, a Letters column, Flashes (of announcements), and the new SUN editorial-providing a forum for both you and us.

We believe an editorial column has become necessary to express our opinions and our criticisms, as distinct from what is written in SUN news stories.  We will still be printing news from a revolutionary analysis; but we will reserve this column for making direct explanations, concrete proposals, or constructive criticisms.

In this first editorial our criticism is directed at ourselves. Once again a brother or sister from the street (see Letters) has pointed out a shortcoming of the SUN.  Criticism is, as Mao says, the only way to make a newspaper a success.  Revolutionary people realize that valid criticism need not be negative but can help us grow by introducing new ideas to keep us in tune with the community.  Criticism is the basis for making new decisions, progressive change and unifying the community.

We are setting aside part of this page in each issue for the Letters column.  We continue to urge people to write us.  That is not to say that we will print every letter we receive, although each letter will be read and taken into account.  Instead, we will try to print those letters that deal with real issues in the community-those that present a consistent argument and are not isolated viewpoints.

By way of further explanation, we should add that lack of space is a serious problem with the SUN, which is always jam-packed even though it was recently expanded to 20 pages.  We need about five pages for advertising to keep the paper solvent.  We use another page for calendar and free ads and usually two pages with Community Flashes, City Council News and University Bullets.  Rock-n-roll news gets about two pages, Tribal Council News at least one page and Rainbow Bridge another page.

Those are our regular features.  We usually do not have enough space to include other well-read features such as Dope-o-scope, Eat to Get High, and Barefootin' Doctor.

That means we must make extreme decisions each issue on what else we can print.  We realize we leave out news of repression form all over the planet-and more importantly from our own community.  

We plan to improve, to be more concise, and extend our coverage but we need your help.  If you know of any news, or have any ideas or suggestions, write or give us a call at 761-1709.  And if you want to get deeper involved, stop by our offices at 1520 Hill Street or come to the bi-weekly Communications Committee meetings (check SUN calendar or call Tribal Network).

As the brother's letter says, "This will help make us a truly community newspaper."

-SUN editorial Board

Community Staff: Amy Horowitz, Gary Grimshaw, Jan Ridgell, Shaun McShaun, Carol Shackson, David Fenton, Sam Smith, Lori Melton, Greg Sobran, Freddi Brooks, Genie Plamondon, Mike Brady,

The SUN is a member of the Underground Press Syndicate and subscribes to Zodiac News Service (ZNS)