Henry Louis Mencken was a newspaperman well-known during the first half of the last century.

He was a prolific writer, offering up words to wound those ideas and individuals he found intolerable, and he didn’t shy away from controversy.

He also didn’t shy away from acknowledging the tendency of humans to be passionate in their frustrations.

“Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats,” said Mencken.

I think Mencken was onto something about how people think.

Newspapers attract and encourage reader engagement, and lately, on our editorial page and in the comments section of our website, The Gazette has received a lot of feedback.

Some of that feedback isn’t directed solely at stories that have appeared in the paper; several readers have responded to other readers, to offer admonishments or praise depending on what has been said.

The latest exchange, both in the paper and on the website, was prompted by a letter written by Jane Christie on August 18, in which she questioned school fees and the schools’ choice to subsidize the cell phone costs of some employees.

Reaction was mixed: Some readers applauded her research and readiness to examine fiscal issues; others felt that her letter didn’t reflect the full reasoning of why certain budgetary decisions had been made.

There were comments that complaining about fees and phones was designed to create dissension and that greater collaboration is needed to get past budgetary and communication problems.

I agree that the overarching goal here is productive dialogue.

But I don’t think it’s necessarily bad to raise an issue out of anger, even though several people said that that was not the best place to start a conversation.

Well, unless you’re screaming your point with your hands clamped over your ears to avoid hearing anyone who might disagree, I think you’re probably ok.

I believe that anger can be constructive if it prompts questions that lead to an informed point of view, and if those questions are raised calmly and rationally.

Because sure, I think most of us have had a day when we’re tempted to, metaphorically, begin slitting throats. 

Especially in this economy when budgets, and thus nerves, are stretched beyond an easy point.

We as individuals have to be accountable, and we expect our elected and appointed officials to be so as well.  So we raise, and respond to, issues. And we seek answers.

And isn’t that what an enlightened citizenry is meant to do?