Journalism and the Erosion of our Rights
Thomas Hawk posted an update on Carlos Miller that links to this Category305 article. The update is interesting, but this should chill you right to the bone. Right. to. the. bone.
Last week, Miller received a call from Miami Police Internal Affairs, saying they’d been trying to track him down for two weeks, after someone who saw an account of his arrest sent it to Homeland Security, in an apparent attempt to label him a national security threat of some kind. The feds forwarded the message to Miami PD, but they told Miller they couldn’t get ahold of the blogger who sent it.
Now, the reason that this should chill you is because the hammer of Homeland Security is being wielded against citizens of our own country in an effort to quash free speech.
If this is allowed to stand, it will give free reign to those who have no respect for our Constitution (including those at the top of the governmental food chain) to escape accountability and effectively turn us into a police state.
I received a comment on my Carlos Miller post yesterday essentially making a lot of anonymous claims that Miller wasn’t a “real journalist” and that if he were, he would have known that he shouldn’t have photographed police officers. Commenter “experienced” wrote the following:
More and more web folks who think they can claim they are working
journalists will soon learn the lessons Carlos has. To do the job,
get pics and not get arrested, takes experience. Not just some weak
claim of “I’m a journalist, don’t arrest me”.
My response was predictable — one look at Miller’s resume blows the anonymous commenter’s argument out of the water. I will also note that the IP address of the comment tracked back to a major media outlet. Could it be that some folks within mainstream media are feeling a bit threatened? Of course, there’s also the possibility of a spoofed IP too, so I don’t put a ton of weight on the IP, but still…
Carlos Miller isn’t alone. Josh Wolf is rotting in a California prison and has been for six months because he won’t be bullied by the prosecutors and police who claim that by not turning over his tapes to the court, he is obstructing justice. Nonsense. Whether you think Josh Wolf is or is not a true “journalist”, he should have the right to due process of law and a fair hearing of the facts which landed him there, neither of which has occurred. An attempt at mediation failed last week, and there is no re-attempt scheduled at this time.
Wolf has some powerful words, words we should all consider carefully, when looking at situations like Carlos Miller’s and others, including those fired US Attorneys who wouldn’t bend to political pressure.
On the erosion of our rights:
One night I went to sleep in a free America, but I woke up in a police state. It’s hard to say when this transformation transpired; many would contend that it began shortly after September 11th, some would argue that it wasn’t until lies led us into the War in Iraq, and still others would say we started down this road soon after the American Revolution. I’m not sure who is right, but I do know that the process of waking up to this grim reality has been a painful one.
And on the media, journalism, and ‘web folks’:
The face of the media is changing. This we know for sure. But what remains to be seen is the role professional journalists take in developing this new landscape. Will the battle lines be drawn with two classes of warring voices or will we work together in solidarity to develop a massive chorus as diverse and eclectic as our society itself? As journalists is our commitment to an economic system or is it to the pursuit of the free flow of information? The power is in your hands. Choose wisely.
It’s all fine and good to talk about user-generated content, but we now have newspapers firing their professional reporters in exchange for user-generated reporting. Yet, these same users are at risk, because they will not be protected (as Josh Wolf has discovered) like they would if they were considered “professionals”. Further, we are ALL at risk because of the unbridled power that has been granted to law enforcers at the expense of our civil rights. When citizens cannot exercise their rights without fear of being labeled a terrorist and a threat to national security, we are all at risk.
(crossposted to my personal blog)
Technorati Tags: user-generated content, Josh Wolf, Carlos Miller, journalism, mainstream media
Sphere: Related ContentCareful — Big Brother IS Watching You
Via CNet News, confirmation that those of us who share photos and videos online may be the next target of government scrutiny:
The Bush administration has accelerated its Internet surveillance push by proposing that Web sites must keep records of who uploads photographs or videos in case police determine the content is illegal and choose to investigate, CNET News.com has learned.
That proposal surfaced Wednesday in a private meeting during which U.S. Department of Justice officials, including Assistant Attorney General Rachel Brand, tried to convince industry representatives such as AOL and Comcast that data retention would be valuable in investigating terrorism, child pornography and other crimes. The discussions were described to News.com by several people who attended the meeting.
It makes me angry that a combination of ignorance and the constant whipping of the culture of fear in people, combined with our current administration’s bully tactics and the telcos’ pandering ways mesh together to write the Bush Administration a free ticket to spy on all of us. It should make you angry too, because it’s a waste of taxpayer money.
Keep in mind, they believe this should be a one-way street. They should know everything WE do on the Internet, yet protest when we use our cameras to hold them accountable. No, not just protest, but persecute.
We live in a country governed by a paranoid madman. When George Bush is compared with Richard Nixon, I believe you will see many, many similarities to their personality type, including lots of backchannel payoffs, out-of-control paranoia and megalomania, and an utter disregard for the rule of law.
If you think I’m exaggerating, consider this: The proposals put out by the Justice Department were not in writing and were made in a private meeting with ISP representatives.
I’m all for tracking terrorists and child pornographers, but not with a carte blanche permit, particularly when we have so many non-expert “experts” in law enforcement trying to use this stuff.
Until the DOJ comes out in public, specifies exactly what information they want ISPs to retain, for how long, and under what circumstances it must be disclosed, we should be holding our representatives accountable and expecting public discourse and discussion of how much of our privacy the government and our providers should be keeping and disclosing.
Cross-posted to my personal blog
Technorati Tags: DOJ, Internet privacy, photo sharing, video sharing, data tracking
Sphere: Related ContentGive Democracy and Diplomacy a Chance
George Bush is on one of his biggest propaganda campaign tours yet after his declaration last week that he would proceed with “the surge” of troops into Iraq. He might want to consider selling it to the troops before bringing it to us:
WSJ via Crooks & Liars
A group of more than 50 active-duty military officers will deliver a petition to Congress on Tuesday signed by about 1,000 troops calling for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. “Any troop increase over here will just produce more sitting ducks, more targets,” said Sergeant Ronn Cantu, who is serving in Iraq.
The photographer who gave me permission to use his photo here had this as a comment attached to it:
I feel that we are currently in the shadow of a number of bad decisions (Iraq, Guantánamo, violations of our constitution and civil rights) but the values that underly our democracy are strong and our people do support these values, some are just scared from what they are hearing in the news. I think that we will shine through these dark days…
His comment is the optimistic view. My take is more pessimistic at the moment, colored by the shadow of fallen kids on a battlefield they didn’t choose, barred by a bull-in-a-china-shop President who doesn’t understand the meaning of diplomacy, only escalation and expansion.
Whether Iran is a threat or not, Mr. Bush needs to take a step back and consider other means to the end, including creative ones.
I do believe we will somehow survive this, but at what price?
Sphere: Related ContentWhy I don’t trust them
Selective Service to test the draft, but:
Meanwhile, the secretary for Veterans Affairs said that “society would benefit” if the U.S. were to bring back the draft and that it shouldn’t have any loopholes for anyone who is called to serve. Secretary Jim Nicholson later issued a statement saying he does not support reinstituting a draft.
How exactly society benefits from taking its young men and sending them to Iraq as cannon fodder is a mystery to me.
They cannot have my son for this stupid, ill-conceived war for oil. Make no mistake: I will risk my citizenship in this great country to keep them from demanding my sons for the evil that Bush and his administration has wrought in this world.
Does anyone really believe that they are testing the draft but don’t support it? Just more lies. Damn lies.
Technorati Tags: selective service, draft, military, hypocrisy
Sphere: Related ContentCalifornia Students Vote
There was a mock election yesterday for California students, 7-12th grades. The preliminary returns worry me, particularly those related to the ballot initiatives. I am working on a larger post on these, but in the interim, some food for thought:
- Prop 83: Sex Offenders is not what it seems. SAY NO!
- California Voter Pamphlet: Follow the money and the support. Do people ever read these?
I’m very curious to know what the students were given to evaluate their choices before voting? Was it based on TV ads or other printed material?
Technorati Tags: mock election, california ballot initiatives
Sphere: Related ContentSeven responsibilities of citizens in a democracy
This article by Jerome Yoman was in our local paper today (one-time free registration is required to read it) and I thought it was great. I’m going to give the bullet points here, but it’s worth reading in its entirety:
- Inform yourself beyond the spin doctors and partisan pundits
- Stand up for the ideals this country was founded on.
- Resist totalitarianism.
- Strengthen government as the voice of the people.
- Speak out for separation of church and state
- Hold government officials accountable morally, not just fiscally.
- Vote. Just do it. Register today. Monday is the last day for Californians to register. If you’re not registered, go do it.
Technorati Tags: politics, citizenship, responsibility, Ventura County Star, voter registration
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