The endorsement that rocked a very small town.

When the editors of The Lone Star Iconoclast put the finishing touches on the newspaper's September 29, 2004, editorial endorsement of John Kerry for president, we had no premonition that the half-page commentary would ultimately be read by millions of people from throughout the world. Neither were we concerned that the critique of the Bush administration would put at great risk the survival of the newspaper itself.

We did suspect that members of the mainstream media might make a footnote of the editorial, since it did emerge from Bush Country, and we expected a modest amount of criticism, perhaps a lost advertisement or two, or a few canceled subscriptions.

What occurred, however, dislodged our belief that the First Amendment is impenetrable, and revealed that freedom itself is on trial in America.

Soon after the September 29 edition hit the stands, our three telephone lines exploded with non-stop calls. Most of the communications were negative toward the editorial and most consisted of violent language and a cancellation of services, advertising and subscriptions--all because we dared to express an opinion on an editorial page.

The Iconoclast had begun the day with a circulation of about nine hundred twenty. Within a week, that number had dropped to less than four hundred, and the majority of the advertisers had pulled out.

Our reporters began to be harassed, our carefully crafted local news gathering network began to fall apart, and media groups from throughout the world were seeking time-consuming interviews, as our dilemma had sparked worldwide attention.

Thousands of e-mails began pouring in, some writers chastising us with perverse and filthy language while others described us as heroes with guts. Many noted that the editorial expressed their thoughts exactly, words that they had been reluctant to express among their peers for fear of intimidation. Now, our "bravery" had touched them to the extent they were willing to speak out.

As the world community began to learn about the Iconoclast's editorial and the ensuing predicament of survival, people started to subscribe to the paper, and a few placed temporary advertisements. Within a month the circulation of the publication grew to over two thousand and consisted of a national database as opposed to primarily a local one.

The editorial was eventually republished in numerous newspapers--large and small. Internet bloggers had a field day with it, and several groups distributed the editorial as a hand-out. The editorial also saw a wide distribution overseas, primarily in Europe and Australia. Millions visited our website (iconodast-texas.com).

The editorial was co-written by W. Leon Smith, Don Fisher, and Nathan Diebenow, over a period of about three weeks, undergoing several revisions. Finally, a document that all three of us were comfortable with was established as "the editorial."

Even in light of intense criticism, the Iconoclast stands firm on its editorial, which was written based on principle and the application of candidate positions upon issues that will have a long-term impact on Americans.

W. Leon Smith is the editor-in-chief of The Lone Star Iconoclast of Crawford, Texas. E-mail office@ iconoclast-texas.com