News & Commentary

"The first messenger that gave notice of Lucullus' coming was so far from pleasing Tigranes that he had his head cut off for his pains; and no man dared to bring further information. Without any intelligence at all, Tigranes sat while war was already blazing around him, giving ear only to those who flattered him."
The Founders were eminently wise to enshrine a free press in the Constitution. For many, the 24 hour news cycle may be exhausting in its insatiability and in its love for scandal and in its relentless pursuit of ratings. At its core, however, the press performs an invaluable, irreplaceable public service. Thomas Jefferson spoke often about the importance of the press, but one quote particularly resonates:
"The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure."
The more information a government controls, the greater its capacity to mold public opinion against its own interests, and the greater its capacity to quell dissent. Reporters act as guardians of truth, rooting out corruption and incompetence. Regardless of the political leanings of individual journalists and news outlets, independent news media as a whole works without regard to partisan interests, and a robust press is the only source of unbiased information that can help ensure the public is informed about our government. If that government is permitted to operate in the shadows, then greed, nepotism, waste, cronyism, and oppression are inevitable.
While an independent news media is critical to American democracy, we must stay on our guard for hoaxes, lies, omissions, biases, and agendas. We the people must “watch the watchmen.”
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Several well-established nonprofit organizations in Michigan found their longstanding holiday fundraising drives put on ice this year by Bill Schuette, Michigan’s Attorney General. Media reports that several planned fundraisers—such as fire fighters’ “fill the boot” drive for Muscular Dystrophy Association or the Old Newsboys annual fundraiser—have already been shut down based on Schuette’s aggressive (and potentially unconstitutional) interpretation of a traffic law. Other organizations are worried about the potential consequences, while some cities in Ohio use the same approach to silence charitable speech in violation of the First Amendment. Michigan’s War Against Charitable Solicitation In a formal opinion, Schuette concluded that a state statute prohibiting the disruption of traffic prohibited solicitation of donations in or near roadways. In car-dependent Michigan, this could make it harder for many nonprofits to reach donors using decades-old methods.

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"What if someone were to kill you!” This is one of the more common threats yelled at me and my fellow clinic escorts when we volunteer at Cleveland’s Preterm Abortion Clinic. Such terrorizing phrases come from a group of self-identified “pro-life” protesters, who wait outside the clinic daily to voice their dissension towards and disrespect for the clinic’s staff, volunteers, security guards, patients and women in general. They tell us that anyone associated with a clinic that provides abortions is evil. They are not interested in a discussion about what is constitutional, what promotes women’s health, or what is scientifically accurate. We have seen them celebrate when they see they make a patient cry. But as long as they do not occupy private property or physically harm anyone, they have a right to protest. Their judgmental protests – often crude and vulgar -- are protected under our county’s Constitution, the charter of our nation that the ACLU defends. The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled repeatedly that the First Amendment guarantees freedom of expression, which means the government cannot interfere with the right to protest, the freedom of the press, or religious liberty.

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