The Air Force Oversteps Its Bounds - published 9 Feb 2011
Recently, the Air Force announced possible prosecution under the Espionage Act to civilian family members who read Wikileaks on private computers The idea that a USAF wife, child or relative would be prosecuted for reading a public message by private means is both ludicrous and chilling to the bone.
According to Air Force Materiel Command’s legal office, “If a family member of an Air Force employee accesses WikiLeaks on a home computer, the family member may be subject to prosecution for espionage under U.S. Code Title 18 Section 793. The Air Force member would have an obligation to safeguard the information under the general guidance to safeguard classified information." [Air Force Print News Today, “Command Offers Wikileaks Guidance” AFMC Public Affairs report, 3 Feb 2011.]
The still current Espionage Act (also known as the Sedition Act of 1918) made it a crime to be publicly against World War One, and hundreds (some say thousands) of Americans were imprisoned for simply saying so in public. Is it now being used again for odious purposes?
This should make you ask the question, at what point does any citizen become a criminal for simply reading something? Maybe you'll become a criminal for reading this opinion.
Somewhere along the line some military leaders have truly lost their compass.
The Air Force’s reason for being is to assure our liberties, not threaten to throw families in prison for reading.
Pete Blome
Chair,
Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County
USAF Steps Back – published 11 Feb 2011
A few days ago I wrote about how the Air Force had overstepped its bounds by officially threatening to prosecute civilian military family members under the Espionage Act if they read Wikileaks on a privately owned computer at home [Air Force Print News Today, “Command Offers Wikileaks Guidance” AFMC Public Affairs report, 3 Feb 2011].
The Air Force leadership needed to be reminded that their reason for being is to assure our liberties, not threaten to throw families in prison for reading.
Apparently, these men realized what a mess they had made, quickly retracted the threat, and said it “was not actually sanctioned by headquarters and was not in keeping with official policy.”
Thank goodness for that. But this matter not yet over. The threat retraction will not be seen by everyone, and it will chill the free exercise of the first amendment.
The Espionage Act is an especially odious law that led to hundred of Americans being thrown in jail during World War One for expressing in public that they were against the war. That such a law exists, to me, is incredible in a land that values liberty, and it should be eliminated.
So before we breathe easy, know that the stage is set for this to happen all over again.
Pete Blome
Chair
Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County
Recently, the Air Force announced possible prosecution under the Espionage Act to civilian family members who read Wikileaks on private computers The idea that a USAF wife, child or relative would be prosecuted for reading a public message by private means is both ludicrous and chilling to the bone.
According to Air Force Materiel Command’s legal office, “If a family member of an Air Force employee accesses WikiLeaks on a home computer, the family member may be subject to prosecution for espionage under U.S. Code Title 18 Section 793. The Air Force member would have an obligation to safeguard the information under the general guidance to safeguard classified information." [Air Force Print News Today, “Command Offers Wikileaks Guidance” AFMC Public Affairs report, 3 Feb 2011.]
The still current Espionage Act (also known as the Sedition Act of 1918) made it a crime to be publicly against World War One, and hundreds (some say thousands) of Americans were imprisoned for simply saying so in public. Is it now being used again for odious purposes?
This should make you ask the question, at what point does any citizen become a criminal for simply reading something? Maybe you'll become a criminal for reading this opinion.
Somewhere along the line some military leaders have truly lost their compass.
The Air Force’s reason for being is to assure our liberties, not threaten to throw families in prison for reading.
Pete Blome
Chair,
Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County
USAF Steps Back – published 11 Feb 2011
A few days ago I wrote about how the Air Force had overstepped its bounds by officially threatening to prosecute civilian military family members under the Espionage Act if they read Wikileaks on a privately owned computer at home [Air Force Print News Today, “Command Offers Wikileaks Guidance” AFMC Public Affairs report, 3 Feb 2011].
The Air Force leadership needed to be reminded that their reason for being is to assure our liberties, not threaten to throw families in prison for reading.
Apparently, these men realized what a mess they had made, quickly retracted the threat, and said it “was not actually sanctioned by headquarters and was not in keeping with official policy.”
Thank goodness for that. But this matter not yet over. The threat retraction will not be seen by everyone, and it will chill the free exercise of the first amendment.
The Espionage Act is an especially odious law that led to hundred of Americans being thrown in jail during World War One for expressing in public that they were against the war. That such a law exists, to me, is incredible in a land that values liberty, and it should be eliminated.
So before we breathe easy, know that the stage is set for this to happen all over again.
Pete Blome
Chair
Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home