WIKILeaks

I'm torn over Wikileaks. I don't like that they may have compromised this countries reputation, and possibly even hurt it at the negotiating table. HOWEVER, I fully support them in their pursuit of the truth wherever it leads. Reporters (in the classic, Radio, TV, Newspaper sense) used to do that. Lately I see mouthpieces for both sides of the political agenda and very little investigative reporting being done by the "professionals."

"The freedom of the press" isn't just a catchy slogan, what is being done to shut down a whole website because of what amounts to a series of articles being released is equal to if Nixon tried to shut down every newspaper that reported on Watergate. Investigate the leaker, not the messenger. Ask yourself, how would Stalin, Hitler, Castro, or Napolean have responded to someone printing something that reflected their governments in a poor light, do we really want to emulate them?

The Spec 4 that released this current bout of information could have gone to a newspaper, started his own website, written a book, or taken it directly to a foreign government. He would have gotten in trouble if caught, but only the website would have been shut down or stopped.

Months after the first round of leaks (remember we've been here before and survived?) Defense Secretary Gates, who originally said informants were being killed in Afganistan, stated "There has not been a single case of Afghans needing protection or to be moved because of the leak."

So can we all please calm down with wanting the government to violate that whole pesky first amendment thing for a website and maybe remember that we are paying good money to go to the airport and get our fourth amendment violated? The latest there is agents are now being told to tell kids that the groping is a "game"