Freedom of the press

Colleagues and scholars from coast to coast, across Bass Strait and all the ships at sea.

Dateline: Australia, Federal Politics, 2014.

Two quotes regarding freedom of the press that should be displayed prominently, in large type, in every newsroom and every office of every politician.

The first is from President John F. Kennedy in 1962:

Mr. Vanocur: You once said that you were reading more and enjoying it less. Are you still as avid a newspaper reader, magazine......I remember those of us who travelled with you on the campaign, a magazine wasn't safe around you.

THE PRESIDENT. Oh, it is. No, no, I think it's invaluable, even though it may cause you some.......it's never pleasant to be reading things frequently that are not agreeable news, but I would say that it's an invaluable arm of the Presidency, as a check really on what's going on in administration, and more things come to my attention that cause me the concern or give me information, so......I would think that Mr. Khrushchev operating a totalitarian system which has many advantages as far as being able to move in secret, and all the rest, there's a terrific disadvantage not having the abrasive quality of the press applied to you daily, to an administration. Even though we never like it, and even though we wish they didn't write it, and even though we disapprove, there still is......there isn't any doubt that we couldn't do the job at all in a free society without a very, very active press.

Now, on the other hand, the press has the responsibility not to distort things for political purposes, not to just take some news in order to prove a political point. Seems to me their obligation is to be as tough as they can on the administration but do it in a way which is directed towards getting as close to the truth as they can get and not merely because of some political motivation.

You can view him speaking those words on YouTube here. 

The second is from Thomas Jefferson in 1786:

"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost."

Long after the temporary power of ISIS is gone and the term once again refers to an Egyptian goddess, the permanent power of these quotes will remain. 

Together we shall save our planet

Colleagues and scholars from coast to coast, across Bass Strait and all the ships at sea.

On September 25, 1961 (53 years ago today) President John F. Kennedy addressed the United Nations General Assembly.

He ended his address with these words:

Ladies and gentlemen of this Assembly, the decision is ours. Never have the nations of the world had so much to lose, or so much to gain. Together we shall save our planet, or together we shall perish in its flames. Save it we can--and save it we must--and then shall we earn the eternal thanks of mankind and, as peacemakers, the eternal blessing of God.

You can view him saying those words on YouTube here: 

President Kennedy was referring to avoiding nuclear annihilation. A very real threat at that time, as the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was to prove.

His words are just as applicable today to addressing the ravages of another human created crisis - climate change.

Will our actions in addressing this crisis earn us the eternal thanks of mankind? Or, as seems most likely given our current behaviour, will they earn us eternal condemnation?

In 53 years from today will this be typical of the response from Gen Then? 

"We finally, really did it. You maniacs! You blew it up! Ah damn you! God damn you all to Hell!"

You can view that haunting final scene from the 1968 film Planet of the Apes on YouTube here: 

Sand between the toes

Colleagues and scholars from coast to coast, across Bass Strait and all the ships at sea.

Something to contemplate as we wade through today's 'important' issues.

There are more stars in the Universe than there are grains of sand on all the beaches of all the world; and there are more atoms in one grain of sand than there are stars in the Universe.