It is disheartening to see that the media is questioning a request by our government that is in the best interest of America’s national security. For too long the media has applied the concept that any type of censorship is against the American principle of free press.

For far too long the media has jeopardized the lives of our sailors, soldiers, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen, while as you stated it, they “inform the American public of news, plain and simple.”

You have given away our positions, our strategies and our element of surprise in all of our military campaigns, for the sake of increased readership.

Now you want the green light to put every American’s life in danger.

I, like so many before me and so many after me, took an “Oath of Enlistment” and an “Oath of Commissioning” to defend the land we call home.

For once I think the American people should expect the media to follow the laws established by our government, more specifically, our National Security Advisor and show restraint when there is a possible compromise of our security.

Condeleezza Rice and her department have reason to express concern and we (the media included) should heed their request.

When you say there is no concrete evidence, what you are in fact saying is that the government has not released what they know to the media so that you can cause mass hysteria.

It is time that the media sit back and let the experts do their jobs. I put on the uniform to maintain the freedoms that so many take for granted and am utterly disgusted when viewpoints like yours threaten the lives of my brothers and sisters in uniform along with everyone else.

Kevin E. Triggs

Graduate

Community and regional planning