Journalism group accuses Obama of politically-driven censorship

In a letter to President Obama, the Society of Professional Journalists, a nonpartisan group that represents 38 journalism organizations, has accused the Obama Administration of politically-driven censorship. Many of us in the blogoshere have been writing about this for several years while our detractors tell us we are over-reacting.

This is a snippet from the letter:

You recently expressed concern that frustration in the country is breeding cynicism about democratic government. You need look no further than your own administration for a major source of that frustration – politically driven suppression of news and information about federal agencies. We call on you to take a stand to stop the spin and let the sunshine in.

Over the past two decades, public agencies have increasingly prohibited staff from communicating with journalists unless they go through public affairs offices or through political appointees. This trend has been especially pronounced in the federal government. We consider these restrictions a form of censorship -- an attempt to control what the public is allowed to see and hear.

So we have an administration that this group believes is keeping its activities hidden from the American people. We have a National Security Agency that most Americans agree has overstepped its constitutional authority. We have an administration that uses intimidation tactics to keep its own people from speaking out. We have a group of VA whistle-blowers that have finally emerged to talk about how they have been attacked for disclosing abuses of veterans at that agency. We have an IRS that is being accused of a cover-up. We have a sympathetic portion of media that has been slobbering all over President Obama since he announced his candidacy (thus not holding him accountable). We have well-placed local community activists that throw virtual bombs at anyone who speaks out about the tyranny. All Obama criticism is characterized as racism.

No wonder so many people appear to be in denial. There is a lot of political capital being spent to hide the truth.

This is the stuff of police states folks. Wake up. The truth will set us free.