I’ve always considered myself a sort of maverick of the First Amendment.

“Congress shall make no law...”

Y’all know how it goes - at least you should. It was amendment No. 1 after all, signaling its importance to the world. The First Amendment is the basis of the freedom that so many have fought and died for and so many more throughout the world live without.

All of us in this nation have the freedom to say what we want, express ourselves, worship the god of our choosing and protest the ideals we see as unfit - and we have those first few lines of the Bill of Rights to thank for all this. I can’t imagine living without these freedoms, and abhor even the thought of the government trying to take them away.

That’s why when I sat back the other day and thought about my new job here at The State News my jaw dropped. No other page in this newspaper so directly hinges on the ideals of the First Amendment than this one. It’s on the Opinion Page that we express our ideas, address our grievances and critique society.

But what scared the hell out of me was that I’m the one who decides which speech makes it to the page, and which gets thrown by the wayside. I now hold the power I vehemently believe no government - especially our own - should possess.

With the stroke of a pen, the muttering of a few words or a strike of the delete key, this Dubya holds more power than the one in Washington. President Bush may have the authority of the Oval Office, but I hold the power of the pen and the press. I’d like to see him try to quiet his critics as easily as I could silence mine.

I can censor any opinion I don’t agree with. I’m that evil Big Brother who controls the flow of information, the very things we think during our day. My ideas shape the day’s editorials. Every column that appears on this page must pass by my eyes first. Each letter is scrutinized by yours truly.

And even if I’m not intentionally trying to silence a viewpoint, my nearly three years at The State News and other professional papers have taught me there’s a fine line between editing and altering. This job drops me directly between the proverbial rock and a hard place, forcing me to dance on this line.

Too bad my dancing stinks - a fact easily verified should you ever catch the rare sight of me on the dance floor at Spiral.

But I still have the same ideals I learned about and fought for in high school ingrained in my brain. It’s the freedom to say what’s on my mind, and the freedom for you to say what’s on yours, that keeps our diverse nation strong.

So, like it or not, I’ll be erring on the side of free speech for the next four months or so.

Prepare to be enlightened - and offended.

That’s right. Free speech isn’t just the right to speak out for or against the decisions of the MSU Board of Trustees or to support the candidate for public office of your choosing.

The First Amendment gives you and I the freedom to burn the Stars and Stripes in protest, to speak out for equality and to drive one of those gas guzzling SUVs.

We’re free to openly oppose or warmly welcome Eric Knott’s addition to the Spartan football team, despite his bouts with the law in the recent past. You or I can say what we want about homosexuality, feminism and racism. Any idea is welcome here.

Ah, but of course there is a catch (isn’t there always?). As profound as my beliefs are to defend your opinions, you won’t find me standing in the corner of an argument lacking intelligence, thoughtfulness and thoroughness. There’s no place for an uninformed voice on this page.

Right or wrong, your voice can be heard here - just make sure you do your homework first.

And your neighbor that always seems to disagree with you? Her voice is welcome too.

And the guy down the hall who always seems unsure? Yes, him too.

It’s a lot of voices, true, but that’s the beauty of it. The United States is an amazing mixing pot of different ideas, cultures, life experiences and opinions - this page will be no different under my watch.

Yes, I’m the first to admit I’m offended by some of the views I openly welcome on this page. But I won’t be the one to censor them.

Instead, I choose to use the inherent weaknesses in those arguments to gain strength in my own views. Truth has an amazing way of coming out, no matter how many falsities are strewn in its way.

In the end, what is just and correct does not reign supreme because it was able to censor all opposition. Truth comes out because it is always the stronger argument.

So let the voices flow - liberal, conservative, young, old, white, black, gay and straight - this is their place.

Even if it still scares the hell out of me.

Jeremy W. Steele is the State News Opinion Editor. He can be reached at steelej7@msu.edu.