The cover of last month’s edition — featuring a protester in downtown Truckee — struck a nerve with at least one reader. They wrote to say they don’t like it when “local news takes on national issues,” and felt the cover alienated half our readership. They’ve decided to withdraw their financial support for and readership of Moonshine Ink.
It’s not the first time we’ve received a note like this. A few months ago, another reader objected to a paid ad by an advocacy group opposing a proposed development. They believed it was inaccurate and responded by sending an email with the subject line “No more funds.” That was directed at us — though I doubt they’re donating to that nonprofit, either.
By my rough count, we’ve published nearly 12,000 pages in our 22-plus years. Two pages have made these two readers decide to stop contributing and quit reading.
Moments like these aren’t unique to Moonshine. A friend of mine — one of the kindest people I know — told me that when she shared with a few longtime friends that she voted for President Trump, they stopped speaking to her.
It’s hard enough to get by in today’s world. Climate upheaval, financial uncertainty, international conflict — we’re all carrying heavy loads. So why are we so quick to cancel each other? To build walls where we might build bridges?
Part of the answer lies in how Western culture has trained us to think: in binaries. Us versus them. Liberal versus conservative. Right versus wrong. It’s a mindset of separation. And yet, the truth is, nothing is truly separate.
Take, for instance, the relationship between the mind and body. For a long time, science treated the brain as an isolated command center, shielded by its so-called “immune privilege.” But we now understand the brain and body are profoundly interconnected. The gut, once considered merely digestive, is now known to be a second brain. Gut microbes shape our nervous system and impact brain development. One study even found that the feces of people with Alzheimer’s contained significantly less microbial diversity than that of cognitively healthy peers.
The lesson? Everything is linked. Biology tells us this. So does life. The culture we know, the people we talk to, the places we live, the papers we read, the perspectives we hear — they all ripple through us in ways big and small.
Consider what happens when connections break down: Cells in a body that don’t interact with their neighbors can lose function; a child raised in isolation may miss key developmental milestones; a forest without biodiversity becomes vulnerable to disease. Disconnection doesn’t protect us — it makes us weaker.
When Eric T. Brandt received a devastating Alzheimer’s diagnosis, he could have despaired and self-isolated. Instead, he doubled down on connecting with the loves of his life: family and music.
As with a body, a community depends on open communication to stay strong.
At Moonshine Ink, we’re committed to honesty and inclusiveness, even when it challenges and even when it’s uncomfortable. We don’t always get it right, that’s for sure. We’re human. We just ask that you stay for the conversation. Because thoughtful journalism, like a healthy body, depends on diversity — of ideas, perspectives, and yes, disagreement.
Let’s resist the urge to cancel. Let’s stay connected.
