Michigan Senator Bruce Patterson To License Journalists?
by: warner todd huston | published: 05 29, 2010
This is the face of tyranny.
A Michigan State Senator has introduced an Orwellian bill that would provide for the licensing of journalists. There is no doubt that this thing is aimed squarely at delegitimizing the New Media, silencing bloggers, and creating a protected class of state approved "journalists."
State Senator Bruce Patterson is the braintrust behind this flouting of the U.S. Constitution and outrageously enough, this Patterson fellow claims to be a "constitutional lawyer." Pair him with the "constitutional scholar" we have as president and we have a matched set of revisionists out to steal as much power for themselves as one can find in any tinpot dictatorship! Even more ridiculously, this mustachioed villain is a Michigan Republican, proving that this sort of megalomania infests both sides of the aisle.
So what is this licensing deal supposed to do for we, the stupid people not able to figure out what end is up with current events, anyway? According to Patterson we can't get "good information" any more because of the proliferation of new sources of info. But not to worry, granny Patterson is here to save the day and he'll selflessly take it upon himself to determine what news source is a "legitimate media source." What could possibly go wrong, eh?
“Legitimate media sources are critically important to our government,” he told Fox News. “We have to be able to get good information. We have to be able to rely on the source and to understand the credentials of the source.” Big Brother Patterson is trying on those iron boots and he thinks he looks good in them apparently.
Prospectively approved "journalists" -- read news folks that will say kind things about Patterson -- will have to provide our caring and concerned Wolverine State government with the following:
- "Good moral character” and demonstrate they have industry “ethics standards acceptable to the board.”
- Possession of a degree in journalism or other degree substantially equivalent.
- Not less than 3 years experience as a reporter or any other relevant background information.
- Awards or recognition related to being a reporter.
- Three or more writing samples.
This bill makes perfect sense, of course. If you're Fidel Castro.
Fortunately, the rest of the Michigan Senate thinks Patterson is an idiot because not one other Senator of either party is willing to co-sponsor Fidel Patterson's un-American attempt at state control of the media.
Even if the tubby retiring Senator was sane, nice as pie, and completely trustworthy to be the sole adjudicator of just what constitutes a "legitimate media source," we as a free people could never trust the next political hack that might step into Patterson's iron booties in order to decide what sort of journalism will be "allowed" by the state.
Imagine if Bill Clinton, he of laments about the "great right wing conspiracy," was the man responsible to decide what is “legitimate” under a Patterson-like media licensing law? Do you think Drudge would have ever been able to break the Monica Lewinski story in such a climate? Or do you think, rather, that Drudge would currently be sitting next to some al Qaieda terrorists in some dark hole in the foreign camp he was "rendered" to by Mr. "I fell your pain"? In fact, one rather imagines that Drudge would be in a Democrat provided for cell right next to Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity even as William F. Buckley had become a long ago forgotten victim of the "journalist licensing" gulag!
In any case, we will be seeing this sort of nonsense more and more as the new media gets stronger and more vital. Government thugs like Bruce Patterson will continue to try and find ways to destroy the new media and will continue to dream of the day when they can control every word that we hear from the media, new or old.
We as Americans need to keep a constant vigil against these sort of anti-American, tyrannical usurpations of our right to free political speech. Regardless of what party label this sort of menace hides behind, we must always defeat it lest we lose our God-given liberty.
But I have to say, this is almost like a backhanded compliment. After all, if the new media is vexing comrade Pattersoninski this much, we must be having an effect. Right folks?
comments
-
Polly P.
-
Gary M.
Anyone think to send Sen. Patterson a copy of John Milton’s Areopagitica or On the Freedom of Printing (1644)? Could he read it. It wasn’t written by Dr. Seuss.
Best wishes.
Gary J. Mallast
add a comment
TOP TEN MOST LEFT-BIASED AMERICAN JOURNALISTS
By:
Warner Todd Huston
10:
NEIL STEINBERG
Chicago Sun-Times
9:
LIZ SIDOTI
Associated Press
8:
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR
CNN
7:
HOWARD FINEMAN
Newsweek
6:
RICK SANCHEZ
CNN
5:
Cynthia Tucker
Atlanta Journal Constitution
4:
Chuck Todd
NBC
3:
Paul Krugman
The New York Times
2:
Joe Klein
Time Magazine
1:
Helen Thomas
UPI / Independent
Warner Todd Huston
Warner Todd Huston's thoughtful commentary, sometimes irreverent often historically based, is featured on many websites such as renewamerica.us, townhall.com, opinioneditorials.com, and americandaily.com, among many, many others. He has also written for several history magazines, and appears in the new book "Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture," which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of Publius' Forum. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions at igcolonel@hotmail.com
action items!
Help Get Out the Vote for Sharron Angle!
10 01, 2010
Stop Foreign Bank Taxypayer Bailouts
08 21, 2010
ACORN: New Project - Hold Them Accountable
08 05, 2010
force liberal Rangel to resign
07 29, 2010
Cut Off Obama's Arizona Immigration Lawsuit Funding
07 21, 2010
recent articles
As We Lose Our Jobs, Unionized CA College Profs Want More
by: warner todd huston | 01 29, 2011
Losing Egypt
by: alan caruba | 01 29, 2011
Radical Muslim imam captured at US-Mexico border
by: jim kouri | 01 29, 2011
Egyptian unrest: 'Muslim Sisterhood' takes to the streets
by: jim kouri | 01 29, 2011
Class Warfare—Then and Now
Part 2: Evils of Free-Enterprise Capitalism
by: debra rae | 01 29, 2011
popular articles
Citizen, Class Warrior, Florida School Board Gunman…and Good Humanist
by: selwyn duke | 12 18, 2010
The Common Thread: A Bird’s Eye View of the TEA Party Movement
by: paul a. ibbetson | 09 04, 2009
Michigan Senator Bruce Patterson To License Journalists?
by: warner todd huston | 05 29, 2010
Damnable heresies invading the Church
by: marsha west | 05 25, 2010
Obama Allows Anti-American Song to be Played at State Dinner for China
by: warner todd huston | 01 24, 2011
Senator Patterson insists that he has no desire to license reporters or journalists but rather wished to create a repository for information, voluntarily submitted by reporters and journalists, so that anyone could go to the repository and find the qualifications of each reporter/journalist in order to facilitate an evaluation of the probable quality of the information emanating from that reporter/journalist.
Silly, probably, but not quite as evil and intrusive as most people have apparently deemed it.
He complains that none of the alarmists have read the actual proposed legislation, else they would realize it merely provided for a voluntary submission of qualifications by those who provide "news" to the public and a place to put the information together and make it available to the public. I haven't read the bill--and won't--but, just sayin'...what, don't getchur panties in a wad?