A blow for freedom

With the indulgence of my editors I'm taking on the U.S. government and possibly jeopardizing the existence of the United States. Read on to witness my heinous abuse of the freedom of the press.\nOur government, in its effort to monitor the activities of terrorists at home and abroad, has engaged in a variety of programs of dubious constitutionality.\nThe New York Times said the same thing last week in a story detailing a U.S. government program that monitored bank transactions around the world, including ones involving U.S. citizens. Following past Bush administration practice, this surveillance was conducted without warrants. \nAccording to the Bush administration, the New York Times story, and my simple sentence, are threats to national security. Bush himself said that for a newspaper to publish the story "does great harm to the United States of America." Personally, I find that idea preposterous, but even more troubling is the administration's complete disregard for the First Amendment. Who needs this silly "freedom of the press" thing? Just trust Uncle Sam.\nIt's clear now that the Bush administration is willing to potentially tread on U.S. citizens' rights while monitoring terrorist activity. I'm willing to concede that there is a debate to be had about whether these violations make us safer. There is a limit to the amount of government intervention that I'll tolerate -- but I'm willing to discuss whether the loss of some of my rights is worth the potential gains in security. I'll have that conversation.\nBut not the Bush administration. They'd rather compound their constitutional violations by trampling on the First Amendment, too. From the start, their contention that leaking the existence of a program to monitor terrorists' finances makes it less effective is preposterous. The terrorists know we're watching their finances. There are multiple United Nations resolutions ordering all countries to do so! We're dealing with terrorists, not morons.\nBeyond this, what's most disturbing is the administration's dismissal of freedom of the press. They are essentially saying that the press shouldn't report on any secret programs because the government knows what's best. Did the Nazi government know best when it blocked reports about concentration camps to protect the nation? Does China know better in continuing to block reporting about the 1989 events at Tiananmen Square?\nFreedom of the press is one of the foundations of democracy because it provides a check on potential government abuses. The second we allow the government to do whatever it wants without fear of public reprisal, we've given away a key part of our freedom. If the press can't report on a financial monitoring program, can they report on a program that detains U.S. citizens illegally? Not if it protects us from terrorists, according to the Bush administration's logic. \nThat's pretty scary logic. Which is why, as we celebrate the Fourth of July, we should all be thankful that the press continues to report on what our government is doing. Freedom of the press is one of our fundamental values, and you can't protect our values by taking them away.