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Oh, the comfortable chair of the opinion-writer.

Date published: 12/27/2005

By STEPHEN DAUSE

YOUTH CORRESPONDENT

Over the next few weeks, I will be talking about myself.

Well, indirectly at least. This is the beginning of an occasional five-part series on what it means to be an editorialist, the responsibilities of the position and the most lengthy subject of the three: what editorialists can do better.

As an introduction, we shall start off with an extended metaphor:

The chair I'm sitting in is very comfortable.

It is the self-inflated chair of cynicism; it is the grandstanding chair of opining; it is the inconsequential chair of this little purple box.

It's also a very old chair, worn down by many users, some wise, some foolish, most prideful.

This chair probably has wheels, because those who use it don't stay anywhere long.

The chair I'm sitting on is the unique chair of being an editorialist.

Like I said, it's comfortable here. You can say pretty much whatever you want and only occasionally get harassed by your editor to better back up your claims.

From this chair, the world is your pincushion. You can prick and stab away, ridiculing whomever you want (private citizens excepted).

Getting things done and being a person of integrity are not your worries; filling up the paper with egotistically inflated newsprint is your only concern.

This chair, though exempt from having many checkable responsibilities of its own, is blessed with power to influence the masses.

While easily identifiable as being what it is--commentary, opinion, op-ed--this chair has sometimes hidden powers to state opinion as fact and claim fact-based opinion to not be factual at all.

Other times, the chair I'm sitting in is for none but professors, talk show hosts and experts in certain important fields, and everything they have to say is ignored by all but theorists.

Editorialists do come in all shapes and sizes, but regardless, they should try doing something every once in a while: Stop writing and think.

So that's what I'll do now. You may occupy this chair in all of its various forms, if you wish.

In fact, if you're a teenager in this area with an opinion, this chair is even more accessible for you--just come to the it! -MyLine meetings at 4 p.m. Fridays at The Free Lance-Star building, and find out how easy it is to let your voice "be heard."

Go on, take a seat.

It's comfortable.

STEPHEN DAUSE is a senior at Colonial Forge High School.

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Date published: 12/27/2005