”Challenging U.S. Human Rights Violations Since 9/11”
A. Basic Rights Of All Peoples Under U.S. Jurisdiction
- Right Not To Be Killed Or Disappeared
- Right Not To Be Tortured
- Right Peaceably To Assemble And Petition The Government
- Right To Equal Protection Regardless Of Race Or National Origin
- Right To Equal Protection For Women
- Right To Free Exercise Of Religion
- Right Of The Media To Report Facts, And Not Be Killed
- Right To Privacy From Surveillance
- Right Of Libraries Not To Report On Readers
- Right Of Universities To Accept Foreign Scholars And Students
- Right To Travel
7. Right Of The Media To Report Facts, And Not Be Killed
Freedom of the press is a basic right to be exercised by the media and by the people: the media to report, the people to read, look, and listen. It was enshrined in the First Amendment, the U.N. Charter and the ICCPR because a free people must be able to hear many versions of “the truth” in order to decide whom to believe, and whom to vote for.
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. § 101) calls for development of “a comprehensive plan” for “securing ... information technology,” seen as a clear violation of the First Amendment.
By Sept. 15, 2001, a few reporters questioned what George Bush did immediately after 9/11. When their questions were published; they were immediately fired in Texas, Oregon and San Francisco.
Media Fired Columnists for Criticizing Bush: Tom Gutting, et al.
(Tom Gutting, "Bush Has Failed to Lead U.S.," Texas City Sun, Sept 22, 2001, http://www.doublestandards.org/gutting1.html accessed August 5, 2004; Matthew Rothschild, "The New McCarthyism," The Progressive, no date, http://www.progressive.org/0901/roth0102.html accessed August 5, 2004; Dan Guthrie, "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tender Turn Tail," Grant's Pass Daily Courier, Sept 15, 2001, http://www.doublestandards.org/lara1.html accessed August 5, 2004; Robert P. Laurence, "Gag Reflex: We've Met the Enemy, and It Is Us," Union Tribune, Oct 2, 2001, http://www.signonsandiego.com/tvradio/gagreflex.html accessed August 5, 2004; Vic, "Columnist Stephanie Salter of the Chronicle May Be Getting Fired," Indymedia, August 12, 2002, http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2002/08/140546_comment.php accessed August 5, 2004; Marge Holland, "San Francisco Newspaper Fires Antiwar Reporter," World Socialist Web Site, May 2, 2003, http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/may2003/norr-m02.shtml accessed August 5, 2004; Sarah Norr, "McCarthyism at the Chronicle?," Beyond Chron, July 29, 2004, http://www.beyondchron.org/print_this_story.asp?sdetail=630 accessed August 13, 2004.)
Customs Seizes FBI Documents Sent to Journalist: John Solomon
(Eric Lichtblau, "FBI Admits Secret Seizure of Documents from Associated Press and Opens an Inquiry," New York Times, April 24, 2003, Section A, Page 20.)
Immigration Officials Detained Resident Journalist: Roger Calero
("Journalist Wins Fight to Remain in United States," The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, May 20, 2003, http://www.rcfp.org/news/2003/0520mediac.html accessed August 8, 2004; Monica Lopez, "INS Nabs Journalist in Houston," KPFT Radio News, Dec. 13, 2002, http://www.kpft.org/news/121302story1.html accessed August 5, 2004.)
U.S. Guards Threatened BBC Journalists on Guantanamo Tour: Vivienne White, et al.
(Vikram Dodd, "American Military Bans BBC Crew From Guantanamo Bay for Talking to Inmates," Guardian, June 23, 2003, http://www.guardian.co.uk/cuba/story/0,11983,982122,00.html accessed July 22, 2004.)
U.S. Fire in Iraq Killed Seven Journalists: Mazen Dana, et al.
("IFJ Calls For Iraq Probe After Palestinian Journalist Shot Dead By US Troops," International Federation of Journalists, August 18, 2003, http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article1828.shtml accessed August 8, 2004.)
U.S. Censored Embedded Journalists
(Peter Phillips, "Corporate Media and Homeland Security Move Towards Total Information Control," Dissident Voice, April 26, 2003, http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Articles4/Phillips_Media-TIPS.htm accessed August 5, 2004.)
U.S. Detains Iranian Journalists 126 Days: Saeed Abu Taleb, et al.
("Freed Iranians Accuse US Of Torture," Agence France Presse, Nov. 4, 2003, http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/04/1067708171880.html accessed July 22, 2004.)