Letter: There’s no treason in protecting free speech

Thursday, July 6, 2006 | 7:25 a.m.

Gary Conary's July 5 letter says that in times of war, people who leak classified information to The New York Times should be prosecuted "for treason, which during time of war should include the death penalty." His view seems to be extreme on the side of security and chilling toward our First Amendment rights.

The New York Times did not reveal "military secrets" as stated by Conary. No troop movements or invasion plans were revealed. What was revealed in the recent bank monitoring story was known to the enemy and the information was also published in The Wall Street Journal. Conary even includes the Las Vegas Sun in the "anti-America crowd." What the New York Times and the Las Vegas Sun are concerned about is the unchecked administrative power that becomes a threat to our constitutional freedoms.

In his conclusion, Conary asks if "the people's right to know" transcends "the people's right to live in an era of extreme danger ..." That is a valid question the answer to which, hopefully, is not mutually exclusive.

On July 1 The New York Times published a joint commentary written by the executive editors of The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times that was headlined, "When do we publish a secret?" The commentary says the news media have a great personal interest in security, as they are always sending their reporters into harm's way. Yet, the press often withholds stories, and is then criticized for not publishing them.

Our Constitution has survived worse threats than terrorism; and, as the joint commentary states about our First Amendment right, "it is not one we can surrender to the government."

Jerry Bitts, Las Vegas