Power of the American Free Press
The United States is fortunate to have a tradition of a free press. This right is set forth in the Bill of Rights which consists of Amendments 1-10 of the Constitution.
Amendment 1 sets forth the protection under the Constitution given to the press. Amendment 1 is quoted below. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
These are rights of the American people that must be vigorously defended. These rights are worth fighting for. It is troublesome that recently members of the press have been required by court order, following a request from the executive branch, to reveal their sources of information. This is being accomplished under catch all “War on Terror” authority seized by the Bush administration in it’s ongoing effort to gain additional powers for the executive branch of government.
Fortunately, the US press is still able to build a fire under the bureaucracy in Washington on many issues. The “Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed Hospital “ story was first published by the Washington Post. It is such a disgraceful story that it hit a nerve with the American public and I expect, many bloggers, including myself. The following story about Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates reaction to the story is proof that quick action is still possible in Washington if there is enough public outcry and the issue is embarrassing enough to the Washington bureaucrats.
The sad part of Gate’s concern is that while Walter Reed is located only a few blocks from the White House there would have been no corrective action taken without the Washington Post story. It is also sad that so far the corrective action has been to establish a committee to review the conditions at Walter Reed.
Has it occurred to anyone in our government that perhaps hiring a few painters, carpenters, and plumbers would bring a quick fix to at least the substandard living quarters?
Do top administration officials, including President Bush, visit Walter Reed with their eyes shut or they there only to hand out a few Purple Hearts and for a photo opp? Does it ever occur to them that wounded warriors in the out patient facility may have partially recouped from their physical wounds but that many have mental challenges and need additional assistance now and for many years to come?
The free press, especially the Washington Post, is to be thanked for breaking this story. Let’s hope that they will follow up to see what is actually done to improve wounded warrior out patient living conditions at Walter Reed.
In addition, Americans should be thankful that our founding fathers were enlightened men who worried about the abuses of power that can over time occur in any government. They wrote the Bill of Rights to guarantee rights to Americans and to preserve important freedoms. These protections have made America unique and great.
If Americans want to continue to live in a great country the Constitution and the Bill of Rights must be protected from the actions of a present overly aggressive executive branch. The Bush government seems to be able to justify in their minds that it is OK to do whatever they deem expedient to carry out their own largely secret agenda.
The power of the American press must be vigorously defended and preserved as a counter balance to this thirst for unlimited power.
