Editor’s Notes: Work of freedom continues
Trending
It is worth remembering, as we approach Memorial Day, just how many of those we honor and mourn died in military service fighting fascists, tyrants, book burners, dictators, theocratic zealots, nationalists and nativists, exclusionists, human rights violators and terrorists.
It is worth remembering the men and women who died fighting for this country were often up against foreign leaders who made sure their people received only a carefully curated version of current events -- never with any hint those same leaders might actually be the bad guys.
They fought for a country founded by men who craved knowledge, never stopped learning, valued their Creator AND science … and as the very first amendment in the Bill of Rights sought to ensure "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Those founders whose work some cling to so fervently in defending other amendments made it perfectly clear their priority was that the people be free, no matter their religious beliefs, speech, the causes they chose to peacefully champion or their gripes with the government. Free.
On Memorial Day we will hear "land of the free because of the brave," or some variation thereof --and rightly so. Those who lost their lives were brave enough to know they might be sacrificing themselves in the name of preserving our freedom.
We owe them much more than a moment's gratitude on a single day each year. We owe them the courage to ensure what they fought for lives on. For some, that will continue to mean military service -- and thank you for that, folks. For others it will mean standing up by casting our votes for those who will move us forward "with liberty and justice for ALL," rather than those who wish desperately to drive us backward.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." -- Ronald Reagan
***
It has been brought to my attention that my use of potential copyright issues as an additional reason for removing book excerpts from a guest column last weekend was flimsy and misguided. I got lazy in trying to shore up my reasoning (though I continue to stand by it), and did no research before I mentioned copyright laws.
In reality, the Fair Use doctrine of U.S. copyright law does make it "permissible to use limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting and scholarly report," according to the U.S. Copyright Office.
I should have known better.
Again, it does not change my stance that there is an enormous difference between something printed for a general audience and distributed in a way that limits the publisher's ability to know who might read an item, and something printed in a format that can be sought out by individuals looking to read exactly that content -- who then go to a bookstore or library with the intent to purchase or check it out.
Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com