Leading article: Float like a butterfly
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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
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The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference."I only ask to be free" says Harold Skimpole in Bleak House. "The butterflies are free." Dickens's character meant "free" in the sense that these insects are able to fly where they will. But there is another sense in which butterflies are free: it costs us nothing to enjoy their beauty.
We are emerging from years in which many of us became expert in the price of things but paid less attention to their underlying value. Recession has forced a rethink in many respects, not least in how we spend our leisure time.
That is why we would encourage our readers to take part in The Independent's Great British Butterfly Hunt this spring. What better way to explore the fabulous natural wealth of our countryside? And, remember, this is not a pursuit which requires expensive equipment or costly training. After all, the butterflies are free.
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