Help Journalist Fight Army Subpoena

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Help Journalist Fight Army Subpoena

Hi all:

As you may know, I've been subpoenaed by the Army totestify about an interview I did with 1st Lt. EhrenWatada, the first officer to publicly refuse to deployto Iraq.

I have taken the position that it's not a journalist'sjob to participate in the government prosecution ofpersonal, political speech, and that the subpoenaserode the barrier between press and government, chillspeech, stifle debate and subvert the notion of apress free of government meddling.

I've gotten really amazing and diverse support: fromthe National Press Club issuing a release last weekdenouncing the subpoenas, to antiflag posting amessage on their blog doing the same! I'm asking thatyou all do two things, if you are willing to spend afew quick minutes lending a hand.

First, go to the web site http://www.defendthepress.org/ to send a letter to theArmy and the Pentagon asking that they drop thesubpoenas of journalists in the Lt. Watadacourt-martial. Also, you can sign onto the journalistopen letter calling on the Army to "back off." :)

Second, please send an announcement/alert to your ownfriends, colleagues, lists and networks. I would loveto be be able to deliver thousands of emails andletters to the Army by the end of the week, and Ireally need help getting that accomplished! I'vedrafted up a sample alert below. Feel free to edit atwill and send out to whomever you'd like!

Also, free free to call or email off list if you haveany thoughts or questions.Thanks so much for your help with this!

Sarah Olson
http://www.freepresswg.org/
http://www.defendthepress.org/

plantation mentality

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Date:Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:55:46 -0800From:"Rogi Riverstone"Subject:Re: [KUNMIDEAS-L] Fwd: plantation MentalityI just lost my free speech to blog. Google boughtBlogger. Now, I can't access it from my WebTV. I mustuse a computer. I'm privileged; most webtv users don'town and can't afford a computer. Their blogging issilenced.See: http://msntv.blogspot.com/Rogi Riverstonehttp://rriverstone.comDate:Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:42:37 -0800From:"megan kamerick"Subject:Re: [KUNMIDEAS-L] transcript of moyers speechit's herehttp://www.commondreams.org/views03/1112-10.htmMegan--- Halima Christy wrote:>> tried to send this earlier-- hope you are tuned> in to this->> --- the forwarded message follows ---> > From: "Halima Christy" > Subject: plantation Mentality> Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 11:46:44 -0700>> hi-> i just heard a very unusual media speech- on> "Democracy> Now"> (on TV- 10am Ch27 in Abq) by BILL MOYERS at the> Media> Conference in Memphis-->> Moyers passionately spoke- fire in his belly!--> about> --'elite plunder' of the very rich across the boards> in US> --- in everything, including radio, tv , cable,> and they are going after internet more than we> dreamed...> -- conspiracy of the rich> --"The American Dream vs The Gospel of wealth" (a> book)> --Censorship of Knowledge in the Media for last 50> years> -- Oligarchy's 'view from the top' in all media, and> the> effect it has repressing democracy> --Media language concealing reality> -- time to challenge the "Plantation mentality' we> are all> being subjected to by Washington & the corp> media> -- great book called "Digital Destiny"- must read> for> media lovers>> It seems like Moyers really did listen to Jos> Campbell and> to> many of the healers in both of his historic series> in the> 80's> while so many others were opting into the yuppie> dream....> Moyers> talks about salvaging freedom of the press with> digital-> even tho> the corp plundering has started--> R Murdoch bought 'myspace', and Google already> bought> Utube, etc, etc-->> Moyers notes that with digital, 'everyman' has a> pen, is a> Tom> Paine, and corp cannot be the only storywriters...>> Hoping that we all understand the nefarious> ramifications> of> the 'plantation mentality', Moyers said maybe the> civil> rights> movement in media starts when we stand up from our> obsequious> labors and realize " this ain't the product of> intelligent> design">> He spoke of the original goals for radio- "classroom> for> the Air",> and how they were exchanged for commercial> sponsorship> goals in the> 40's and 50's....>> THIS is a GREAT speech, not to be missed by anyone> who> values> Free Speech in any form. As one who worked in the> FSM-> the Free Speech Movement> meetings started in the house next to mine on> Carleton> Street,> and i have never fully recovered from that blast of> intelligence-> listening to Mario Savio, (whom i sometimes think> of as> the> 'last best orator), and the others, being present at>> Sproul Hall Plaza> from the first FSM demonstration on== with all the> police> tear gas> attacks and arrests, etc etc--> i don't get to hear GREAT SPEECHES nearly enough--> most> politicians> and media people seem possessed with serious early> Alzheimer's..> (except for public media, bien sur),> and the ONLY national TV show (are there others?)> worth> attention> seems to be DEMOCRACY NOW-- which helps me> to believe that free speech/democracy is just> temporarily> comatose..>> THIS Bill Moyers speech is GOOD FOR THE INTELLIGENT> HEART....>> TREAT YOURSELF to some sane and brilliant thinking-->> listen today> at 4 pm on www.KUNM.org (Albq time) if you are out> of the> area,> to Bill Moyers on "Will the media foster democracy> or> quench it?">> Health democracy for all,>> Halima