Public, not government, should decide what's secret

[RC]

Public, not government, should decide what's secret

Paul Berton, Editor-In-Chief 2004-01-24 03:32:32

Uh-oh. That's what most journalists thought when they heard about the RCMP raid on a reporter's house in Ottawa this week. That's what we should all think, journalists or not. Juliet O'Neill, a reporter for the Ottawa Citizen, hadn't even had a morning shower when 10 officers arrived at 8 a.m., surrounded her home and started roping it off with crime scene tape.

They spent the next five hours there, going through desk drawers, her personal effects, her computer's hard drive, her files, her notebooks, her address books. They did the same at her office in the Citizen's city hall bureau.

>snip<

Remember, without leaks and confidential sources, there would have been no Watergate. And understand that reporters are seeking answers and the public deserves the truth about how government spends its money. It is the public -- not the government -- that should decide what is secret and what is not.

Governments will always be uncomfortable with divulging information and the public will always be hungry for it. Ultimately, more information, not less, makes for a healthier society.

Anything else leads to disaster

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2004/01/24/323515.html

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Somewhere along the line I somehow came up with the idea the "We the People..." were in charge of things. That "Public Servents" worked for us, the people, to do OUR bidding.
Oh, where did I go wrong....

[Muddleoftheroad]

1. Not so sure I agree

This is one of those topics where I wish I trusted the Powers That Be more. Yes, we are a free society, but even then, some things must be kept secret. The perpetual question is where to draw the line.

[RC]

2. Where is the trust?

Where is the tolerance? Why do we need so many deep dark secrets in a "free society"? Wrong doing thrives in the dark. And darkness is engulfing this country.

[Nom de Plume]

3. Who told you that you're free?

Where's the freddom?

[Muddleoftheroad]

4. Big government

Brings bigger secrets. Spies, terror, armies, defense, etc. all cry for some degree of secrecy.

[Bandit]

5. So do you believe in "Open Government" or not?

Granted for National Security some things need to remain confidential but records of past presidents or past history of current president. I mean really. How about "Energy meetings"? I also seem to remember someone running for office who said daily "I Trust the People" All I can say to that is he is proved a LIAR