Letter: Float shouldn't have been controversial

I was saddened to see the headline on the front page of the July 5 edition of the Albertan Float in Olds parade sparks controversy

I found this to be more evidence of the ever present attack on free speech in our land. Why on earth should a Red Deer Pro Life float in a local parade spark a controversy?  

And why is this controversy considered front page news? The presence of a float in itself is not a suggestion in any way that all observers would find the float relevant or representative of their views. 

Organizations of all kinds have been putting floats in parades since the inception of parades. If there was any value whatsoever to the “news” article it was in clarifying the position of the Town of Olds - to err on the side of free speech and open expression.  

Had the headline read “Town of Olds chooses to err on the side of free speech,"  I would have appreciated that there was some newsworthy value to the article.  

As it was, I can imagine few people read to the end of the article to learn this relevant information.

Jessica Lawrence,

Carstairs

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