"Letters packages include gentle reflections, but they also illustrate strident disagreement about what our readers think is most important," writes Neuzil, our letters editor. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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What’s a water cooler for?

That’s how our opinion section has been described of late. A “water cooler” for Minnesota. Everyone knows they’re welcome, and everyone knows where to find it. A place for everyone.

Of course, I agree with this general sentiment. As the letters editor here, I want as many views as possible represented in what we publish, and that means inviting anyone with an opinion — about anything — to write it up and send it in. And I sincerely enjoy receiving a letter in opposition to the case everyone else is making. That liveliness is what makes my job interesting, and presenting a spirited discussion for readers is deeply satisfying.

I’ve been reflecting on the purpose of our opinion section recently, with some wistfulness, because Tuesday was my last day of work before a nearly five-month-long maternity leave. I’m looking forward to doing a different kind of work while I’m gone, but what I’ll miss most about being letters editor is how little a good letters package resembles water-cooler conversation.

Do you make a passionate case for fetal personhood at your office water cooler? Present a fiery defense of copper mining bans? Or share your nuanced views about climate change, nuclear power and electrical grid capacity?

Probably not. More than likely, you keep quiet or mumble something about the weather while refilling your glass. But in a robust opinion section, all those views and more are welcome and, indeed, encouraged. Letters can and should be a place where readers fight for their most cherished values, and in any discussion about such weighty topics, serious disagreement will ensue. That’s a good thing.

That’s not to say I don’t also delight in letters that warm the heart or make us all love Minnesota a little more. I regularly receive beautiful odes to our lakes and forests, letters of appreciation for the generosity of our people and quirky reflections on the human condition. In fact, one of my favorite letters from my stint as editor so far was published Jan. 30, 2023, under the print headline “A remedy for winter blues,” which recommended a fortifying bowl of tomato soup and a bubbling grilled cheese sandwich.

The point is that the letters forum is expansive. Letters packages include gentle reflections, but they also illustrate strident disagreement about what our readers think is most important.

As I sign off to take care of an opinionated little creature of my own, I leave the curation of the discussion to Noor Adwan, our former editorial intern, who is taking over for me until April. You can still submit a letter to the editor using our online form or to opinion@startribune.com. Your views will be as welcome as always in her capable hands.

Contemplative, boisterous and fierce. That’s not a water cooler. It’s better.