April 23, 2004

Information Should Be Free! No, I don't mean free like free beer. I mean free as in uncontrolled. The importance of history and accurate and full reporting of events is perhaps one of the most important freedoms that we have in this country. Free speech, free press, the basic ground rules of the U.S. Constitution, are being stepped upon. In The Washington Post this morning :Photos of Soldiers' Coffins Revive Controversy (washingtonpost.com). The article is not so much about the dead soldiers who are giving their lives, but the irony of the fact that the freedoms they are fighting for, the freedom from repression, is taking more and more hold here in their home country. As a veteran and a citizen, it just makes me sick when our well-meaning government places unnecessary controls on the dissemination of imagery and information that will help the American people make informed decisions. Death is a part of war, and placing restrictions on the dissemination of these images and facts is nothing short of criminal!

No comments: