A letter-writer this week has said the new manager of the convenience store in Altamont, Dave Singh, should fly the American flag daily.

We have nothing against flying the flag. In fact, a flag flies in front of our news office every day. But such a display shouldn’t be a prerequisite for business; it should be left to individual choice.

What matters most about being American is not an outward sign, like displaying a flag, but rather honoring the principles that are important to our country.

For us, the freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment of our nation’s Constitution are paramount. We believe the freedoms of speech and the press are essential. Citizens in a democracy need to be well-informed if they are to make wise choices to shape their country’s destiny.

This is true in local matters as much as national matters. We wrote over a year ago that the local convenience store and gas station owned by Tom and Sally Ketchum was for sale. We then reported on its sale last month to a Connecticut-based company, GRGH, for $787,500.

We’ve printed several letters since the sale, including one from Sally Ketchum reminiscing over all the fond memories she had of the people who worked at and patronized the store during the three decades the Ketchums owned it.

With new owners came changes.

We printed letters last week from a 10-year employee who quit after she said her co-workers were fired. We also ran a letter from a long-time Ketchum’s customer who was upset when he saw glass pipes for sale at the store; although they were labeled for tobacco use, he said it was clear they could be used for drugs. It is legal to sell the pipes, the public safety commissioner said.

We ran these letters because we believe citizens are entitled to express their opinions in a forum that the community will see. We ran news stories along with the letters so that readers could get a balanced view, hearing the new owners’ views — as much as they would reveal.

What we haven’t run are the rumors and innuendo we’ve heard in recent weeks that have racist overtones. We believe one of the greatest strengths of America is its diversity.

All of us — except African-Americans whose ancestors were brought here in chains and Native Americans who were here long before European settlers arrived — are descended from immigrants. People from every nationality and ethnicity have added to the vibrant tapestry of American life.

We hope the members of our community will respect diversity if they cannot embrace it. It is fair to judge a man by what he does; it is unfair to pre-judge him based on how he looks. If we harbor such prejudice, it won’t matter how many American flags we fly or how often. They’ll just be a sham.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer, editor