Why do the American people need to know if someone is putting a book on a toilet? Why is this such vital information?
I can understand if its friggin Watergate or even Abu Ghruaib.... but sheesh, this is ridiculous.
There was a time in this country when the media did actually look out for the public's best interest. Just look at how the media treated FDR and JFK. If the public had known that FDR was a "cripple" or JFK was a "womanizer", their leadership would have been compromised during some very difficult times in this country's history. Worse yet, their ability to operate on international affairs would have been compromised.
And yes, the same can be said about the way that talk radio and the media hit Bill Clinton upside the head. We had men and women in harms way in other countries while the media was going on and on about a consensual blow job.
People died because of rioting due to this story. Do you personally believe it is better to publish stories like this, knowing people will die, or not to publish stories like this to prevent such deaths?
No, I don't think it's good to publish a story knowing people will die because of it. But I do think it's important that the American people are informed of what our own government is doing overseas. As well as the truth of what's going on overseas in general. I think we as a society realized that on Sept. 11, 2001. And there is a dangerous slippery slope we are on here. If you were to restrict any news story from being published just because it might possibly lead to bad future results in some manner, that would affect a heck of a lot of stories. Supposedly, this public, while not meant to be the direct rulers of the country, are supposed to have the final say on political affairs. It is therefore imperative that a free press does not feel compelled to make editorial decisions based on utility, but on its own judgment as to what it is in the public's interest-- the American public's interest-- to know. Unfortunately, that is not what is happening.
