In this age of information technology and fast-paced news there arises new fears and dangers. Whether it be political or market based new, it fires across the internet at ever faster rates, with very little or no verification necessary. This leads many to call for stricter controls and verification processes, but this would be a huge mistake and violation of our First Amendment rights as Americans.
On April 22nd, 2013 the Associated Press had their twitter feed hacked as a criminal sent out the false report that their had been explosions at the White House and that the President had been injured. This terrible act caused the market to plummet briefly and then within a few minutes it corrected itself. Many on Wall Street, and in America, began to question the security of our news sources and call for a tighter regulations and security measures, but this is a huge mistake! We, as Americans, need to fight for our right to let our voices be heard, because the moment we allow one of our freedoms to be gradually taken away the government will slowly take site at others. Is it some sinister plot to enslave us as Americans? It may not be that at all, but rather there may be a genuine fear in Washington for the safety of the American people, but you know what they say about 'best intentions'.
Another recent episode that is a great example of our free press was the coverage of the Saudi 'student' that was mysteriously ushered out of the country after the Boston bombings. This news was broken by Glen Beck and The Blaze with information that was provided by firsthand sources. This student was originally listed as 'A Person of Interest' and was put on the terrorist watch list, but the government immediately tried to bury and change this information. But even with the damage control that has been attempted, Janet Napolitano admitted that the Saudi was indeed on the previously mentioned watch list. So why did we try and ship him out of the country in the middle of the night?
America has long been considered a bastion of freedom where people are able to freely express their viewpoints without the fear of government reprisal, but with the constant misinformation out of Washington, sadly we may lose these rights. Whether it is Benghazi or the Boston bombing, we don't seem to be getting a straight answer out of our government, and it is for this very reason that we must keep pressing for transparency and for our right to voice our opinion. It hasn't started with this administration, or with this system of government, but rather throughout history. Whenever power becomes too concentrated at the top there is a natural tendency to do whatever possible to protect that power, as it is natural to fight against that protection of power. I hope that our fears for safety don't lead us down a path to slavery! God bless.
By Jeffrey Brandon Lee
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