Today's Theme: John Peter Zenger When I was ten years old, my Dad took us on a family trip to New York City. I got to climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty on a hot, 90 degree, July day. (I remember it was like being inside an oven - being all metal and in the hot summer sun). On the trip there we stopped at Gettysburg to tour the historic Civil War battlefield and on the trip home we stopped in Philadelphia and saw Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. My upbringing was very steeped in traditional American values. My family, the Swezeys, came to America from England in 1629 - we're sort of a "founding family". (I'm not sure how much "founding" we ever did but we were here pretty early :-) Anyway, I remember one of the history museums we went to in New York City had an exhibit about John Peter Zenger. Zenger was a colonial era printer and journalist. He wrote a lot of nasty things about the corruption of the colonial governor of New York and was arrested for it on Nov 2, 1735. It was an early, big deal, "freedom of the press" case. The governor knew when he had Zenger arrested, that a jury would set him free in about 10 minutes (which is what they eventually did), so he simply held him in jail "awaiting trial" for nine months. This case wasn't just about freedom of the press, it also helped lead to our Constitutional right to a speedy trial. It's interesting that most of the major points in our Constitution and Bill of Rights can be tied directly back to specific abuses by the British. They weren't just theoretical "good ideas". (I'm a Third Amendment radical myself :-) Anyway, it disturbs me greatly to hear all this recent talk about the media being the "enemy of the people". That's right out of "Commie" Russia or "Nazi" Germany. How un-American can you get! There are two fundamental parts to our philosophy of self government: a free press, to inform us as to what's going on and free elections so we can direct our government to do what we want it to do about it. Without these two parts working together we're just another "s-hole" country like a lot of the rest of the world. Don't people know that? Don't they teach "Civics" in school any more? There is no - "the media" - there are hundreds of media outlets in this country and they range all over the entire political spectrum. A free press means everybody can get their two cents in. The people then are like a jury that listens to ALL sides and votes, using our best judgment, as to what our government should do. Everybody has a right to be heard. You don't shutdown any viewpoint, you present your alternative to it. Then the public can choose the best ideas from either side. It's called competition in a free market of ideas. It's what America has always been all about. Sure, the America haters have the right to espouse their belief that the media is "the enemy" and that we should destroy our traditional values about freedom of the press, stifle dissent and move toward being a totalitarian state. They have the right to hate America if they want to - and to say so. I just hope the American people will reject that. It scares me that so many seem okay with it. This isn't just haggling over a particular issue, it is an assault on the very taproot of our democracy. I usually try to listen at least a little to every side of an issue. People on the "other side" aren't "stupid" or "evil" because they believe something different, they just see things from a different angle and sometimes, like the proverbial broken clock that shows the correct time twice a day, they actually make a good point once in a while. Let the best ideas win out - where ever they come from. It's the American way to do things. Louis D. Brandeis: "Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman." "The most important political office is that of the private citizen." In case you've forgotten: U.S. Constitution - Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. John Peter Zenger From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Peter_Zenger Lots more about Zenger: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/zenger/zenger.html **************************************************************** **************************************************************** Last week, if you recall, I commented on the attacks on our freedom of the press. Today, Aug. 16, over three hundred newspapers nation wide ran similar editorials. It's nice to know America's newspapers are only running a week behind a free musical newsletter that promotes old phonograph recordings :-) Maybe I should get a job at a "think-tank". I can think, I think :-) "I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of old ones." More than 300 US newspapers run editorials promoting press freedom after Trump attacks on media https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/16/us-newspapers-promote-press-freedom-after-trump-attacks-on-media.html **************************************************************** ****************************************************************