Words, as civil rights activist and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel often noted, create worlds.

Whether he was paraphrasing Genesis or John or both or neither he was right.

Words create worlds.

They shape worlds, define them, and for better or worse, govern the way we live in them, whether real or imaginary.

They are sacred, powerful and not to be taken lightly.

Freedom to use them is protected by the very first of the amendments to our Constitution; the very first right in our Bill of Rights.

For those of us who live by the word they are both treasures beyond all price and burdens beyond all bearing.

They are the last hope of the oppressed and the weapon of choice for the oppressor.

Through them justice is both defined and defended and misstated and undermined.

Even unspoken they are powerful, their absence capable of serving both good and evil.

In this holiday season, and as we approach our 10th year of publication, we reaffirm our dedication to do our best to do our duty use the words at our disposal to create worlds fairly and honestly described that are, in turn, a credit both to those read and those who write them.

We give you . . . our word.