Beginning last week, I notice that The Daily Item has adopted a new motto: "Upholding the conservative principles of life in the Susquehanna Valley." The slogan, though snappy, seems to gloss over what those "conservative principles of life in the Susquehanna Valley" signify. "Conservatism" is a notoriously open-textured term.

Do you mean "traditional conservatism"? That movement emerged toward the end of 18th century in Great Britain in opposition to the French Revolution, exalting the traditional rights of the English over appeals to universal human rights. Yet in the United States, the appeal to universal human rights is central in the Declaration of Independence, and the subsequent human rights movement has strong representation in the Susquehanna Valley.

Or do you mean "contemporary economic conservatism"? That movement seems dedicated to a kind of economy governed strictly by free market principles. However, despite appeals to such principles by many in the business community, actual reliance on government subsidies and legal protections enforced by governing bodies is a necessary and acceptable aspect of doing business throughout the land.

Or might you mean "contemporary social conservatism"? That term refers nowadays to those who seek by law to oppose abortion and gay marriage or to promote sexual abstinence among single people and youth. Yet, in our Valley and elsewhere significant proportions of the populace resist those efforts on principle.

Assuming The Daily Item is not opposed to human rights principles, or to all forms of government participation in the economic system, or to diversity of political perspectives on social issues, I offer an alternative motto: "Upholding democratic principles in the Susquehanna Valley."

That alternative would, I believe, be more consistent with the older motto that appears on the editorial page: "a diverse community is our greatest asset." That's a motto that well deserves our applause and strong support!

Doug Sturm,

Lewisburg