Press must warn public about bills

In the recent past, our country has undergone two catastrophes in addition to the attack on our country and the war we are in.

The Senate passed the McCain-Feingold Bill, for one. The other is the recent passage of an arsenic bill requiring that all water systems in the U.S. meet some very strict limits concerning arsenic content.

The McCain-Feingold bill would severely restrict our freedom of speech. Why hasn’t The Herald printed the entire bill so we can see how our First Amendment rights have been ignored in favor of incumbent politicians?

The Arsenic in Drinking Water Bill has likewise not been mentioned in The Herald. Why are these very important laws not published in full in your paper? One will infringe on our right of free speech, the other will cost each family about $300 per year.

Regarding the arsenic fiasco consider this: Some years ago the scam was the terror of asbestos, especially in schools. The fact that asbestos is still the best for the money insulation available is downplayed. The best way to prevent asbestos from getting in the air is to paint it with a good coat of paint, then leave it alone. Millionaires were made, and billions of dollars, which should have been spent on paying down the national debt and reducing our taxes, was wasted removing asbestos from every nook and cranny in the country, especially in schools.

Now our Congress is doing the same thing to arsenic in drinking water. The fact that the current studies are not complete is being ignored. Who is to say that some arsenic in our water isn’t killing something far more hazardous to us and that removing it will cause other major problems?

The world’s drinking water ranges from zero arsenic to enough to kill those not used to it. Each household can expect to pay thousands of dollars for the installation of arsenic removal equipment at their water source and then about $300 per year additional for the upkeep of the filtration plants.

In my opinion the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press requires that The Herald print all the news so we can determine where our government is leading us, not just the stuff you feel is important. Reread the entire amendment and dwell on the last 10 words: If we don’t know what our government is doing to us, how can we petition for redress?

Camano Island

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