Several weeks ago, an emergency room doctor named Nathan Fairman made contact with our pages. He inquired if we might publish his essay about how cuts in county mental health programs were filling his ER with people in desperate need of psychiatric treatment.

His essay required some slight editing, but it was packed with a powerful descriptions.

Patients with severe mental illnesses, wrote Fairman, were waiting on gurneys at the UC Davis Medical Center for days before being treated.

"One woman with schizophrenia was discharged with her doctors fully aware that there was some danger she might hurt herself or deteriorate further," he wrote. "The doctors' only other option, though, was to keep her on a gurney in the hallway."

We published Fairman's article, "ERs bear brunt of cuts to mental health," on the Viewpoints page on Oct. 10. I mention it because it represents a type of commentary, and a standard of writing, that we want to bring to these pages more frequently.

A doctor at UC Davis Medical Center, Fairman had not written for The Bee before. He wasn't a professional journalist. But he was angered by what he believed was an injustice that was overlooked in our community. As an ER doctor, he was in a unique position to chronicle what was happening.

As an editorial page editor, I wish I could find more Nathan Fairmans. No, I am not looking for doctors to fill our pages. I'm looking for unexpected voices. I'm looking for people of various occupations and backgrounds who can write with passion and personal knowledge of what they know best.

Are you one of those? If you are not sure, you should find out.

Writing commentary is tougher than writing a letter. Your piece must have a structure and must command a reader's attention from the opening sentence. It must be honest. It must be accurate. It can't be filled with paragraphs of figures that are difficult to verify.

Op-ed columns take various forms. Some are funny. Some are indignant. Some are explanatory.

The best ones share a common trait: They tell you something you didn't already know, and they tell it from the heart.

Is it easy to write for our pages? Hardly. The volume of submissions means that many don't get published. Others show promise but can't easily be reworked for publication.

But we make our best effort to closely read every one, and we publish the unexpected gifts. We also work to solicit op-eds from people who can add fresh perspectives to our Sunday "California Forum" section or who can offer a contrasting perspective on a timely issue.

A few weeks ago, we were planning a Sunday package on proposals to revamp the state's tax system. This is an important but inherently wonky topic. I had worries about readers being overwhelmed.

To enhance our package, we sought out commentary from Elizabeth and Don Maddy, who own a pair of child care centers in Rocklin and Citrus Heights. The Maddys had been paying attention to a tax proposal embraced by the governor. They detailed how certain elements of the tax plan would eat into their revenues, forcing them to raise rates and serve fewer families.

Over the last decade, the term "citizen journalist" has crept into our vocabulary. As an old-school reporter, I was initially dubious about this concept.

Journalism is a profession, and to do it well you need a certain amount of training and experience. Just as you wouldn't want a "citizen dentist" pulling your teeth, you wouldn't want citizen journalists to be your only source of news.

I still feel strongly about the need for professional journalists, but I've also come to appreciate what empowered citizens can contribute. The technological revolution that has brought us blogs, Twitter and YouTube has inspired millions of people to tell stories, and engage in fierce arguments, in ways we never could have imagined a decade ago.

People in professions such as Dr. Fairman need outlets for their thoughts that can reach a general audience. Our pages – both in print and online – can give them a voice.

So are you one of those rare few who have a compelling story to tell, and can tell it in about 800 words?

If so, put your fingers to the keyboard and submit your original commentary to sacbee.com/sendoped.

Here's my promise: We read each one of them, and if they achieve the standard we are seeking, we will publish them.