So, I am writing, finally, in response to all of you who have been jabbing and digging at me personally with almost every blog I write. I can take the digs, but when you bash me for writing a review on something in our community, I feel that is just a bit too far.

When I first started writing for the Star Tribune, I knew I wouldn't be liked very much by some of you. I am a conservative Christian and stay at home mom. I don't fit in with most of the Star Tribune readers and writers, and that is the very reason the Star Tribune and I came together. I felt they needed another viewpoint on things and they did too. They realized oftentimes they only had one viewpoint of things and a Conservative/Christian, stay at home mom was not their typical reader.

If you read what the Star Tribune themselves write about the Your Voices blogs, it says, "Unique perspectives from members of your community" it also says, you will 'find commentary on current events, public issues, and day to day life in Minnesota'. It also says that if you would like to join Your Voices you can contact the Star Tribune.

I like healthy debates, I welcome them freely. However, it is not right nor fair when I am writing something about our community in hopes of helping others to learn more about our community and I get slammed personally. If you have an issue with me personally, then you should voice it to me personally via my Outspoken Mom blog or wait for me to write something personal, not community orientated.

After reading one of my fellow Your Voices blogs posts on Cowardness in our city, it became aware to me that some of you my harshest critics fall into that category with me. I am out here writing, showing my real name, my real photo and writing about things that are real in my life and many others. I am writing about real people, real places, and real events in our community. I don't even hide myself in my comments on other peoples blog postings. I keep it real and obvious with my log in name of osmomof4 which stands for 'outspokenmom of 4'.

We all have differences in opinions, that is what makes blog writing and reading so great and what makes our local and nationwide newspapers good too. But while many columnists and writiers use 'writing names' or alias names, most bloggers use their real names in voicing their opinions and thoughts.

I welcome all those who read my blog posts no matter where they are, and I love hearing comments. I have learned many new things and gained new perspectives from my readers and their comments. I put myself out there and I am OK with dealing with the feedback both negative and positive. I just ask, maybe if you dislike me so much as to rip on something I write no matter what it is, maybe you should own it.

Our Twin Cities area is filled with lots of different people all living different lives, if you look around and actually read all of the other Your Voices bloggers too, you would see how different we all are and we all write differently ways, about different things, and none of us fit one typically stereotype. I wonder how many of you actually have spent some time getting to know all of the Your Voices bloggers and their posts?. I challenge you to look through the Your Voices columns and find something or someone you can agree with sometimes and if you don't find anyone that seems to have 'YOUR voice', I encourage you to contact the Star Tribune and apply to be a blogger for them just like I did.

Blessings to you all.

-Liza The Outspoken Mom (of 4)