Nov 12 2009
Defense Secretary Robert Gates: “Everybody ought to shut up”
Responding rather angrily to questions about the recent Fort Hood shooting and the United States military in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates made his feelings more than clear to reporters in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
“I have been appalled by the amount of leaking that has been going on,” said Gates, adding that it would likely cost someone at the Pentagon their career if he found out they had leaked anything.
“Everybody ought to shut up” said Gates.
You see to Gates, when journalists find out about what the country is doing, it “doesn’t serve the country” or the military’s interest.
I would beg to differ, Mr. Gates. I think it’s a good thing. It’s one of the reasons that I blog, and will continue to blog. So when government officials do stupid things, like tell everyone to shut up, I can make a post like this one and label it under “stupid politicians.”
I once had a chance to visit the Newseum in Washington D.C. and there was a quote I read on the wall that really hit home with me. Since I was pretty young at the time I don’t remember who the quote was from, but it also happens to be the motto of the Aspen Daily News.
“If You Don’t Want It Printed, Don’t Let It Happen”
Sources:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091112/pl_afp/usafghanistanmilitarycrimeshooting
http://www.hcn.org/issues/177/5757
People need to remember that Gates is a Bush holdover. Just like the Bush administration, Obama’s administration is doing everything they can to suppress free speech and freedom of the press. Again, where is this “change” we were promised?
I don’t know - some things are on a need to know basis and some things should not be “leaked” during a criminal investigations because those “leaks” can affect the outcome of the case.
Yet there has been an extremely large amount of leaks during this presidency as well as the Fort Hood criminal investigation and truly I have to question WHY?