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Show In Our Opinion Press freedom a cornerstone Freedom of the press, especially in time of war, is critical to out system of government and a major cornerstone on which this nation stands. That said, we applaud Rep. Wayne Owens, D-Utah, who with a small coalition of lawmakers has asked for time on the House floor today (Tuesday) to criticize military censorship of news reports coming out of Operation Desert Storm. A member of the House Intelligence Committee that meets behind closed doors, Owens told Utahns during a "town meeting" last week that the briefings he sits through seldom generate anything that hasn't been in the news. Now he is concerned, Owens said, about damage being done to the public's right to know by the strict military censorship of press coverage of the war. "I believe that we're entitled to know what's going on," Owens said. "I don't always like what they say, but I believe it is an absolutely essential component (of our government). ' Noting that Defense Department censors travel with reporters attempting to cover Operation Desert Storm, Owens said the newsmen go only where the gdvemment wants them to go. Reporters should be allowed to move with the troops and tell their stories. The people have a right to know. We are a people that governs itself. If you control the news, you control what we I know. War stirs emotions I Utah's raw manpower contribution to Operation Desert Storm now stands at 2,200, making the emotional impact of I what goes on in the Middle East up front and personal for all of j us. American flags are sprouting in front of homes, yellow I ribbons abound and many business marquees carry patriotic I messages. For better or worse, some car dealerships are on the radio, using their traditional advertising spots to sell America instead of the latest model. Regardless of your stand on the conflict, as the coalition of countries punch it out with Iraq, most of us can't help having strong feelings, for or against the conflict. No one doesn't care, or so it seems. All of a sudden the news from places like Dhahran, Cairo, Tel Aviv and Baghdad has a personal impact. Support groups for moms and dads with young men and women in the military are springing up around the country. The churches are seeing an increase in attendance and retail sales of war surplus gas masks have rocketed. Sales of American flags are unprecedented. We are a nation that cares. No doubt about that. |