Today, I'm Embracing Our Freedoms

I read an article today on the International Freedom of Expression eXchange web site that made me pause and think about the freedoms we have in the United States that some other countries don't.

The article brings to our attention the harassment journalists from Hong Kong are experiencing. In multiple reports, journalists covering pre-Olympic ticket purchase incidents were harrassed, detained and had their film confiscated.

A second article tells of a reporter who was intercepted by police and forced to turn over all photos taken during a protest by investors in Beijing over alleged embezzlement by the President of the China Commodity Spot Exchange.

These articles reminded me of the stories coming out of Tibet and Burma where the government did everything possible to suppress the people's protests and information getting out to the rest of the world.

I can't imagine being a journalist working in those environments. More importantly, I don't want to find out. For me, this was another small glimpse into another government that I'm happy we don't have.

Our freedoms are precious. The negative feelings I have when journalists error in publishing information is miniscule compared to what I'd feel if we didn't have the freedom to report, read and watch what we feel is important and newsworthy.

I have a button that reads, "Ignore your rights and they'll go away." After reading these articles I not ignoring, I'm embracing.