Three people who described themselves as longtime readers called today to ask why the Erie Times-News feels compelled to print so many disgusting details about so many awful stories in the news. The latest one is the top story on page 1 in today's editions. It reports on an ROTC instructor in Millcreek Township School District, who has been charged with groping a 16-year-old female student.

"Wouldn't it be enough just to say that a man has been charged, and then leave it alone?" asked the first reader. "It's terrible that I have to read about such a person as I eat my breakfast."

Sometimes when a reader calls with such a complaint, they just want to get it off their chest, let you know how they feel, and that's it. They don't want to hear what you think, they don't want to hear any explanations -- they just want to unburden themselves and move on.

This call was different, however, and we ended up having a lengthy discussion about what readers "need to know." The caller told me she has a 15-year-old granddaughter and is heartsick to think that other teenage girls might find themselves in a situation similar to what's described in today's news story. "That's why I find it so upsetting," she said.

Not to go looking for a silver lining in this dark cloud of a story, but we agreed that it might be instructive to know that there are some people out there -- people who might even serve in positions of responsibility -- who take advantage of their positions to prey on young people.

When I mentioned this conversation to a second caller, she said such instances are not at all common.

"But what about the page scandal in the U.S. House of Representatives?" I asked. She called that "a political case that's been blown all out of proportion." I strongly disagreed, and, again, we ended up having a long conversation.

What it came down to, I think, is that if you put yourself in the shoes of the Congressional pages, or the teenage girl in Millcreek, you might be glad that the newspaper sheds as much light on these stories as possible.

A fourth call came from a high school junior who said she had to put up with the "fast hands" of a volunteer at her church. "I have a lot of respect for the girl in this story," she said, "because she went right to the people in charge and reported this guy. She didn't put up with it, like I did. She took action."

The teenage caller said she "felt bad for days," wondering if she had somehow "sent out signals" to the creep at her church. "I don't think I did. In fact, I'm sure I didn't, but this guy made me feel bad about myself. And I hated that."

Personally, I appreciated the opportunity to connect with readers who were so affected by the story about the ROTC leader. We might not have agreed on all issues related to the article, but the discussions we had seemed to illuminate the issue. I felt that the Erie Times-News, by publishing such an article in such great detail, was serving its readers -- even those who don't appreciate reading about such things while they're trying to enjoy their Cherrios.

-- Kevin Cuneo