What happened to the First Amendment?

By Tim Gibbons: Published by High Plains View, September 12, 2008.

Excluding those who are dead or have been living off-world for the last few weeks, pretty much all of us in the United States have seen the media circus surrounding the new Vice President nomination for the Republican Party, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
The swirl of questions and inquires around the newly minted Palin is only natural, after all we've already seen Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama make history this year and it seems that the Republicans are doing their part to keep the historians busy in the coming years with the first ever nomination of a woman to the Vice President position.
What isn't quite in keeping with tradition is the firm rebuke from the political camp of John McCain telling reporters and the media to, “back off” VP nominee Palin and stop attacking her lack of experience, family and politics...this coming from the party that has long condemned Obama for his lack of experience, use of family and political orientation.
“It used to be that a lot of those smears and the crap on the Internet stayed out of the newsrooms of serious journalists,” said Steve Schmidt, McCain's campaign manager in response to reports on questionable aspects of Palin's character.
Speaking of smears, here's a good one written by Palin shortly after accepting the VP nomination: “I cannot tell you how special last night was for me and how enthused I am to be John McCain's running mate,” Palin wrote in a campaign e-mail, “Unfortunately, as you've seen this week, the Obama/Biden Democrats have been vicious in their attacks directed toward me, my family and John McCain. The misinformation and flat-out lies must be corrected.”
In point of fact, Barack Obama's campaign did not issue any such attacks and Palin's statement was later found to be false. When asked about Palin's pregnant daughter during an interview, Obama was quite adamant that, “Let me be as clear as possible: I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off limits and people's children are especially off limits.”
He went on later and stated that, “Our people were not involved in any way [with the alleged smear campaign against Palin] in this and they will not be. And if I ever thought that it was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that, they'd be fired.” (Here's an interesting question, why didn't McCain issue a similar statement when Obama's family was being scrutinized?)
Now, let's look at the flip side: Despite the McCain camps denouncing of the media for probing into Palin's personal life, they themselves have taken virtually every opportunity to show Palin's family off, be it through photo ops, a heart warming scene with Palin's pregnant daughter and the boy who got her that way shaking hands with McCain or Palin's seven-year-old daughter telling people to vote, “for my mommy and John McCain,” on the web.
So it would seem that it's wrong to ask questions about Palin's family, politics and experience, but it's okay to bash Obama for everything, including an innocent fist bump with his wife on television.
All of this begs the question, since when did a Vice President nominee become immune to questioning?
We human beings are curious creatures and want to know about those in authority over us. Considering the relative newness of Palin to the national stage we, as the American people, want to know more. Not just about who she is as a political figure, but what is she like as a person. Is her political persona different from her private one? Does she follow one code in the day and another at night? These are questions we want answers to. And why shouldn't we have those answers?
If McCain and Palin are elected into office, the current Alaskan governor will be the president's right handwoman and the one to take over if he kicks the bucket or is otherwise unable to discharge his duties. Don't the American people have the right to know who they might be trusting to sit at the helm of the most powerful nation on the earth?
If Palin is truly able to handle the strains and requirements of the job than I say, “you go girl.” However, we won't be able to make that determination until we know Palin. And now, we have the McCain camp saying that the press can't ask questions about Palin and that they need to stop with their negative coverage.
Excuse me...I know we press types can be obnoxious, hence my preference for referring to myself as, “the local First Amendment pain in the a**”. But, think about this for a minute, what would happen if the press wasn't allowed to question? How strong would America be if the people were told that they could only believe one thing and not another? That is not liberty, that is tyranny.
“Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.” -Thomas Jefferson
My ancestors came over on the Mayflower, my great grandfathers fought in the American Revolution and in virtually every major conflict our Nation has had. One of my grandfather's served aboard the USS Mississippi during World War II, the other one served with the Reserve Army Corp of Engineers during Korea, my father was a sonar tech aboard an escort destroyer during Vietnam and had it not been for a life-threatening reaction to vaccinations, I, too, would have joined the Armed forces and proudly carried my flag into the midst of battle. So please do not tell me that it is, “unpatriotic” or “inappropriate”, to question those running for office.
Our predecessors, founding fathers and family have earned each of us the right and the grave responsibility to question those in authority over us. If this were not true, we would still be a British colony.
America needs a president who will unite us together in a common cause, who will bring our men and women in uniform safely home and stop sending them into costly conflicts with questionable goals and who will help our economy to get back on it's feet.
The media frenzy surrounding the election of our Commander-in- Chief serves a dual purpose: One, it explores and reveals every aspect of the candidates lives and two, shows us how they handle the pressure of negative press and attention. And quite frankly, if McCain and Palin can't handle the same type of scrutiny that Obama has had to endure, than maybe they need to get out of the kitchen.
“A nation under a well regulated government, should permit none to remain uninstructed. It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support.” -Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1792
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” First Amendment, United States Constitution, ratified 1791