Army Tries To Restrict Free Speech

One of the things that makes the Iraq war different from wars in the past is the internet. No longer do people have to depend on the Main-stream Media outlets for their information. The internet has given those on both sides of Bush's war a way to get their opinions out to the people.

One of the most interesting aspects of this, especially as it pertains to the Iraq war, has been the blogging by active duty soldiers and National Guard. For the first time in history, ordinary citizens can hear and read what the soldiers who are fighting the war actually think about it. In the past, the people were only told what government leaders wanted them to hear.

At first, the war was popular with many, including our soldiers, so the U.S. Army didn't mind their soldiers blogging as long as they didn't give away any military operational secrets. For their part, soldiers have been very good about not giving away any secrets. After all, they don't want to do anything to hurt their fellow soldiers.

But as the war began to drag on with no end in sight, and we learned more about Bush's lies to start it in the first place, the American people began to oppose the war more and more. Soldiers also began to question just why we remain in Iraq, and this questioning began to take the form of opposition to the war on many of their blogs.

The soldiers have not given away any military secrets, but evidently the U.S. Army is unhappy with their opposition to Bush's war. As more and more soldier blogs begin to voice this opposition, the army is beginning to crack down on soldier blogs. It looks like the army only supports free speech when you agree with Bush.

In April, the U.S. Army issued new rules regarding blogging by soldiers. According to the new directive, soldiers must now consult with their immediate supervisor AND another officer in charge of "operational security" before they can do any of the following:

*Post anything on a website or blog.

*Enter discussions on information forums or message boards.

*Send e-mail that may be published in a public forum.

In other words, the U.S. Army is trying to shut up those soldiers brave enough to tell the truth about the war. They know that the words of our soldiers are very powerful in shaping public opinion. They also know that the more Americans learn about the truth of Bush's war, the more they oppose that war.

The army is wrong on this issue. Even though Bush would like to restrict our freedoms, we do still live in a free country - and for a country to remain free, it must protect free speech. Just because a soldier dons his uniform and bravely fights as instructed, does not mean that he no longer has a brain or no longer has a right to free speech.

The army has a right to ask soldiers not to reveal military secrets, but a soldier's personal opinion of Bush's war is not a military secret. They should be free to express their views just like any other American.