So opens the famous letter from William Travis at the Alamo. Our situation isn’t nearly as dire, but our cause is the same. The Texas Public Policy Foundation is proud to announce the launch of The Cannon Online, our new platform for the work and ideas of our broad array of policy experts. Our goal is freedom; the byproduct is prosperity.

The Cannon Online is our opportunity to declare our independence from the legacy media. Previously, we depended on the op-ed pages of newspapers—and their online editions—to disseminate our ideas, the life-blood of the conservative movement. Over time, though, the available real estate on those pages has dwindled and the stridency of those who would silence conservative voices has grown. That’s a bad combination for groups like TPPF.

This is our response. Our ideas are too important to wait on the space and sympathy of a legacy news outlet. This doesn’t mean we won’t continue to submit exclusive op-eds to the Austin American-Statesman, the Dallas Morning News, the Washington Post and others. But it does mean we no longer depend on their forbearance.

We will also serve as a platform for other conservative writers, whether they’re political figures, subject-matter experts or even just everyday Texans and Americans.

My role will be very like my role when I was on the other side of the equation—when I was a newspaper opinion page editor myself. I see myself not as a gatekeeper but an amplifier. I love a good clash of ideas, and I will work to ensure that the strongest arguments on our side take on the strongest arguments of those who disagree. Straw men are not welcome here.

We’re new at this, so we welcome your feedback. If you’d like to weigh in, email me at [email protected].

Sincerely, 

Roy Maynard

Editor, The Cannon Online