I once again gasped as I read “The Right Way,” a piece of journalism so interesting I read it weekly. While the things he said were interesting, I believe Mr. Eller may be illuminating one side of the story: The patriotic side. I never understood this argument, you are either with us or against us. I never realized that exposing someone breaking the law was such a shameful act. I never realized that when someone saw something wrong they should just forget about it because it would be “unpatriotic” to expose it. I may not speak for all Americans, because I am not a Bible-carrying Christian, but I don’t want secret prisons abroad, I don’t even want Guantanamo. Mr. Eller says that in order to “earn an award in journalism, one would have to do work … that benefits society in a meaningful way.” I didn’t realize that reporting crimes people have committed didn’t benefit society. If I ever see Mr. Eller get into a precarious situation I will be sure to do an about turn and forget everything I just saw. I don’t see why Mr. Eller thinks that every attack against the Bush administration and their accomplices is an attack against America. Maybe people just want them to play by the rules, instead of making them up as they go. Last time I checked, certain people close to Bush are under investigation for leaking classified information, and I don’t see Mr. Eller calling for prosecution to “the fullest extent of the law.” It’s odd how he leaves things out that counter his arguments that are just as current and just as relevant. But hey, that’s unpatriotic. Bush is great.
David Hansen
Environmental horticultural sciences freshman