All rights guaranteed by the Constitution come with responsibilities, and if we don’t remember that we could end up losing those very same rights or having them controlled.
The Dec. 20 paper is a prime example of not acting responsible with the First Amendment. On the front page there is a picture of a Marine at the airport in Kandahar. The caption gives the Marine’s full name, his hometown, his unit and where that unit is from. I know the editors will think that they have the right to publish this, but remember that there is responsibility with that right. Are we so certain that Al-Qaida or their sympathizers can’t read English, or read a map? What will the editors say if an act of terrorism occurs in this Marine’s hometown, to a member of his family or at the base where he is stationed? It would have been just as effective if you had used his first name only and the state he was from.
The terrorists have a long reach and we all must remember that. Times have changed and we have to change with them or we will end up losing what makes this country so appealing for those who wish to escape totalitarian regimes throughout the world.
Arlington
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