Recognition Cont'd

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The first amendment has been suspended in the gulf – Anderson Cooper, CNN

July 9th, 2010 Royce

Anderson Cooper, one of CNN’s best reporters, has a great video on how the first amendment has been suspended in the gulf.

A user called Sharky734 posted Anderson’s recent CNN editorial on YouTube…


No reporters or photography allowed within 65 feet of any “response vessel or boom” in the gulf? That’s a very broad restriction. Since the booms surround the shoreline, 65 feet away in both directions means there is actually a 130 foot “dark zone” on the area most affected by the spill.

This is completely unacceptable.

This isn’t a warzone. This isn’t a foreign country. Nobody’s life is in imminent danger. Why the hell can’t the press take photos of what is going on in the gulf whenever they want to? Why the hell can’t the press take photos of the shorelines? Who, exactly, is going to get hurt if they do so?

And since when does the coast guard bend over and say thank you to BP?

Most important of all, why the hell has the “new and improved” Obama administration condoned this egregious restriction on the press?

Of all the things for the Democrats to copy from the Republicans, restricting the press under the pretense of “safety” and then creating laws out of thin air to help cover a corporation’s error are the most despicable.

The first amendment applies on American waters as well as is does on American land. There is no compromise on this. With modern technology and “live” streaming capabilities available to virtually everyone, there is no reason to let corporations, and especially our own government, restrict the truth in any way, shape or form to further their own agenda.