Congress, Media, and More on the First Amendment

Some in Congress would have us Americans believe that the source of all evil is the media. However, we citizens must be wary to protect our First Amendment freedoms. Media, one would argue, probes into government abuse; and, if that probe is not there, then "secret" government programs can become too intrusive. One might then argue that government would want such programs to become too intrusive; and, it is therefore in the government's best interest to force media to stop probing into government affairs. A too intrusive government is a government that has too much power over its citizenry, which government is a tyranny. It is media's duty to prevent tyranny's onset by exposing it. To probe into government affairs, therefore, is the media's duty. Hence, legislation to stop media's probing is legislation to stop media's duty to expose tyranny and therefore to prevent tyranny. It is not a giant leap, then, to conclude that our government's desire to hamper media is a desire to perpetuate its own tyranny, quelling American freedom as it does. We Americans cannot allow our government to perpetuate tyranny. We, therefore, cannot allow government to hamper media's duty to probe into government affairs.

The Pit that is Somalia

I want to play a thought game concerning Somalia. First, I was in the Ranger Indoctrination Program at Fort Benning, GA, in October 1993. The incident in Mogadishu occurred. I was, afterward, part of a detail that actually lined B CO's rucksacks on the basketball court in their quad for IG inspection when they returned. Then, I attended the memorial at Building 4 on Fort Benning's main post for the fallen Rangers when I was assigned to C CO., 3/75. Consequently, I am somewhat familiar with events. We are getting involved with Somalia again: supporting one rival over another and transfering arms and equipment as it appears to suit our interests. We seem to only know that over there we do not want a Taliban-like regime. We cannot purport to want stability there since there is no stability to be had. A regime of any caliber must have the capacity to instill and maintain stability for there to be stability. No such regime in Somalia exists. Somalia is, then, a containment problem. It is like the issue that should not even be discussed; like a bad taste in everyone's mouth that noone wants to admit is there. It would be nice to saturate the place with half a million soldiers but no such manpower or public will exists, and there are more important things going on in the world. The place might as well have walls. It is a closed society. The United States could not get human sources past generations of families growing up together, sharing tribal traditions. Who speaks the language anyway? Half a million soldiers seems to overcome all these obstacles... or other African nations that might be willing to interfere for the price of American arms and money. The Chinese, growing wealthy off the African continent, will not even bother with Somalia. Although our interest is geo-political where the Chinese is economic, we might follow the dragon's tail just this once. We might keep our predator drones in the sky and the occasional missile on the ground, but our Americans out of Somalia.

On the First Amendment

Freedom is an uncomfortable privilege. To be sure of this, one only need know how the U.S. Senate only failed by one vote this Tuesday to Constitutionally ban the burning of the United States flag. While some would call it uncomfortable because the measure failed, others would say that it is because freedom itself hangs on the balance. It is a freedom of speech, of expression, that deserves serious consideration especially when politicians urge us citizens to honor the sacrifice of our fighting forces in Iraq and in Afghanistan. It is for the freedom of speech and of expression for which they fight: to win it for others on foreign soil and to defend what past fighters have achieved for us. How then shall we dishonor them in this manner by discarding the very freedom for which they have vowed to even die? Some say that if Congress can legislate protection for currency, then it can legislate protection for our own flag, but this is a red herring. Congress should legislate what it must to protect and defend order and stability to maintain a perpetual safeguard from imminent threat. One such safeguard is protecting currency. Where freedom does not imminently threaten order and stability, no such safeguard is needed. Demonstrations may be utterly distasteful. However, we the people must be ware; for, it is far more threatening and therefore more offensive to needlessly forego freedoms than to forego the distasteful.