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[Rob <becida AT comcast.net>]

At  7/31/2005 03:00 PM, you wrote:
> "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."
>
> How in the world is Judith Smith protected by the first amendment?  Nothing
> is stopping her from saying anything she wants.  Nor does the first
> amendment say anything about protecting sources.

Without sources how are we going to find out about things the govt 
shouldn't be doing? All it takes is one involved person with a guilty 
conscious. One person who feels what they are involved in is wrong.
It's a fine thing to say we have a free press but we will hang anyone 
who tells them anything. Right now we are locking up reports who 
won't tell who they heard things from.

I am not a big fan of this modern corporate media but the "idea' of a 
free press is a good one


> This is no different than the anonymous callers to CPS or the folks who
> turned people in to the McCarthy/Red List, all because of spite or
> vindictiveness.

That's people using the govt to even scores. It's been happening as 
long as there have been people and some type of govt to get them.
In theory the news source gets the reporter pointed in a direction 
then the reporter has to back up the story with facts. I did say theory.




Rob
becida AT comcast.net