It's the soldier . . .

It's the soldier, not the reporter who has given us Freedom of the Press.

It's the soldier, not the poet, who has given us Freedom of Speech.

It's the soldier, not the militant who knows his rights, who has given us the Freedom to Demonstrate.

It's the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the Right to a Fair Trial.

It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves under the flag and whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who gives the protestor the right to burn that same flag.

New of the world - giving what we want?

The News of the World (NotW) debacle has, trite and pseudo-intellectual blogs aside, brought some terrible truths to the light. It has also provided us with a platform for moral indignation and allowed us to bemoan the closure of a newspaper in allegorical splendour! But my issues and concerns lie on the general populace who fund the journo's wrong behaviour!

An interview with shoppers regarding the story brought many similar comments along the lines of:

"I always wondered how they got their information!"

When asked if they would stop buying the paper each and every person said they wouldn't because it was 'interesting' and 'they enjoyed it'!

Not one person approved of the acts or means used to garner the information but none were willing to stop funding them. The height of hypocrisy and yet they don't stand alone for, and call me a cynic if you will, I get the feeling that the crime that separates the NotW and the other
Newspapers who report on this story is that of having been caught! If one hack hits on a means of getting its stories then others are usually not far behind!

Then, maintaining our 'what's in it for me' society we have people in possession of information, the police officers, who see themselves as selling that information as a legitimate 'perk' and by so doing provide means of damaging and influencing the case before them and cause further pain to those afflicted by the crime before them.

We need to see a few things:

1. the newspapers dealt with regarding the criminal acts,

2. The Police investigated and individuals brought to book whilst the institutional ills are remedied,

3. The newspapers brought under some form of control (which is odd because I've always baulked at this) regarding the way the operate and get their news, and

4. Society (in general and NOW readers and the like in particular) are made to realise that they promoted and funded the excesses that they now tut at and continue to sponsor.

Not clever, eloquent of wonderfully allegorical stuff I know, but valid all the same (I hope).

Pax

ps. Seems the NotW will give way to a Sun on Sunday - cynicism just keeps on going and growing, doesn't it?