Journalist's Shield Up Project
Sign Now
TO: President George W. Bush
United States Members of Congress
U.S. Senators and U.S. Members of the House of Representatives
Journalist's SHIELD UP Project
The United States Congress must enact a federal law to protect constitutional journalists from the shadows of impunity.
The Journalist ... Dying to tell the story ... Please sign Ally's "SHIELD UP" PROJECT Petition if you believe in making a strong commitment to a free press for a free people on free soil.
Sign "Shield Up" only if you believe that American journalists, as well as all international journalists living among us, are the constitutional protectors "of the people" and therefore investigate "for the people". All good journalists need to be shielded from the shadows of impunity.
United States Congress needs to enact a federal Shield Up law that will shield all working constitutional journalists and their families from such government or other impunity. American Journalism needs to go back to representing ordinary citizens and reject representing the agendas of any government or special interest group.
The essence of American journalism is being stripped away. Independent journalists take chances for the greater good of mankind. Oftentimes, investigative journalists risk their lives, career, freedom and their families to shed light into unthinkable and unconscionable human rights oppressions; government corruption; organized crime; drug cartels; warlords; war and other unflattering subject matter that needs to be investigated and exposed for the greater good of the people.
Investigative news reveals what people need to know so they can make
informed decisions based upon facts. Journalists protect the quality of life for all citizens.
By signing this petition you are keeping good journalists out of the direct line of fire and providing them the opportunity to investigate fairly, act independently and report accurately on any noteworthy news story that would impact the well-being and welfare of ordinary citizens.
Bring back a free press; bring back the American Journalist ... Shield Up!
It is mandatory that Congress pass a federal law that prevents the impunity of all journalists and their families from retribution. A law that only protects a journalists sources is no good if the messenger is murdered, persecuted and/or prosecuted.
The safety of every journalist needs to be addressed by a powerful federal law in order to secure their safety and the safety of their family. Hard news investigations and reportage is never congenial; always adversarial.
In 1976, Arizona Republic investigative reporter, Don Bolles, shed light into organized crime in Arizona. Bolles was murdered for what he knew and the investigative stories he wrote. Even with a team of investigative journalists forming an alliance called the Arizona Project to complete his investigative work, Bolles murder was never vindicated and took years to get to court via local government authorities.
It is imperative that Congress place the impunity of a journalist under the jurisdiction of the federal government. Leaving even one journalist unprotected is asking for the messenger to be persecuted, prosecuted or maybe murdered for doing their work.
A federal law protecting journalists, especially investigative journalists, would override the parochial nature of state and local authorities to investigate such crimes against journalists in a local venue. It thrusts the protection of all constitutional journalists in any media under federal law and federal venue.
And only when such a federal law is enacted by Congress and enforced by federal officers will all constitutional journalists be shielded from such impunity.
We propose a federal law aimed directly at protecting every working American journalist from being targeted for their investigative work into, and their reportage of corruption and criminal activity that may adversely impact the well-being and welfare of a free people; or where their independent journalism, as is the implied and mandated right given to each journalist by the U.S. Constitution, is either hindered or halted so as to prevent them from keeping all government units transparent and telling the story.
The only exception for any government to withhold information from its people is to preserve the democracy for its people. And when such crisis is no longer a valid threat; all information both positive and negative must also be quickly disseminated to the American people.
This proposed law is specific and narrowly construed so that it effectively addresses the impunity of all journalists by any governmental unit, its elected or appointed public officials, any affiliated associated group or any individual(s) or political group.
This federal law will, in effect, finally provide all constitutional journalists immediate protection and swift reaction from the federal government and its law enforcement agencies whenever a direct link is established showing the use of impunity by the above named group (s) or individual(s) so as to kill the messenger by physical force and/or retribution to stop a story from being told.
Public corruption or other criminal acts would be both federally and criminally prosecuted, and if the group or individual is found guilty of such crime(s) they would receive the maximum penalties as would be established by federal law. If a public official, they would be immediately removed from any public office held; stripped of the right to vote and from ever holding another position of public trust; both compensatory and punitive damages would be awarded to the journalist and/or journalist's family.
Both personal and public assets would be immediately frozen and only unfrozen through a federal release through a federal court.
The direct involvement of any government, county, city, town or village in the impunity of a journalist would result in such municipality being placed under federal authorities until such time new public officials would be safely elected into such offices.
And if a publisher, journalist or member of their family is endangered physically, kidnapped, tortured, or murdered the penalty for such an egregious act against a journalist would result in a lengthy federal prison term, or depending upon the circumstances surrounding the situation and if the journalist or a family member is murdered, the death penalty would be applicable.
There is currently no U.S. law or state law that actually uses implicit and detailed language to protect the messenger. There are no foreign or international governmental laws that explicitly places a working constitutional journalist and their family into a protected class that will at least provide such journalist and family some protection from impunity.
Such a law enacted by the United States Congress to protect its free press and all free-thinking journalists would send a significant beacon of light out for democracy. It would encourage other world governments to embrace similar laws that allows journalists to simply do their job without fear of being punished for reporting the truth.
John Donne, 17th century English poet, wrote: Any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, city and town hall bells and church chimes ring out daily across America and are heard by a free people.
Journalists are entrusted to protect a free people from the tyranny of their government; therefore government must protect its journalists by enacting Allys Shield Up law.
A distant church bell tolling even one time for a murdered town journalist shedding light into local corruption would be an American travesty and would send a chilling message to all American journalists and those contemplating careers as journalists.
Please sign the petition and tell others.
It is the eventual uncovering of truth that prints the "Final Edition" of any news story.
Es el destapar eventual de la verdad que imprime la "Ediciуn Final" de cualquier cuento de las noticia.
Thank you. ... Mucho Gracias
This Shield Up petition is being posted on Mothers Day, 10 May 2005 by Ally, an 8th grade student at Liberty Benton Middle School, Findlay, OH, USA and her mother. Allys Shield Up Project began on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2005 and will conclude on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2006.
The Shield Up Project creation is due to the direct result of local government impunity against a small independent press and the failure to protect the journalists and family by local authorities.
You can link directly to www.protectajournalist.com for more information about the project and why this project was created; or you can send e-mail to: [email protected]
It is of particular importance that this message to protect journalists is heard. It is equally important that high school students; college and university students and school newspaper advisors, working journalists, media groups, freedom organizations, publishers, legal entities, and other interested parties see this online petition and sign such petition.
Hopefully, the success of this project will allow other student journalists and working journalists to take an active role and begin a similar project in their own country.
Please note if you wish a packet of information regarding how your local school or organization can get involved, please contact us at: [email protected]
The official kick-off for the Shield Up Project for USA schools will be Summer/Fall 2005.
_____________________________________________________________________________
United States Members of Congress
U.S. Senators and U.S. Members of the House of Representatives
Journalist's SHIELD UP Project
The United States Congress must enact a federal law to protect constitutional journalists from the shadows of impunity.
The Journalist ... Dying to tell the story ... Please sign Ally's "SHIELD UP" PROJECT Petition if you believe in making a strong commitment to a free press for a free people on free soil.
Sign "Shield Up" only if you believe that American journalists, as well as all international journalists living among us, are the constitutional protectors "of the people" and therefore investigate "for the people". All good journalists need to be shielded from the shadows of impunity.
United States Congress needs to enact a federal Shield Up law that will shield all working constitutional journalists and their families from such government or other impunity. American Journalism needs to go back to representing ordinary citizens and reject representing the agendas of any government or special interest group.
The essence of American journalism is being stripped away. Independent journalists take chances for the greater good of mankind. Oftentimes, investigative journalists risk their lives, career, freedom and their families to shed light into unthinkable and unconscionable human rights oppressions; government corruption; organized crime; drug cartels; warlords; war and other unflattering subject matter that needs to be investigated and exposed for the greater good of the people.
Investigative news reveals what people need to know so they can make
informed decisions based upon facts. Journalists protect the quality of life for all citizens.
By signing this petition you are keeping good journalists out of the direct line of fire and providing them the opportunity to investigate fairly, act independently and report accurately on any noteworthy news story that would impact the well-being and welfare of ordinary citizens.
Bring back a free press; bring back the American Journalist ... Shield Up!
It is mandatory that Congress pass a federal law that prevents the impunity of all journalists and their families from retribution. A law that only protects a journalists sources is no good if the messenger is murdered, persecuted and/or prosecuted.
The safety of every journalist needs to be addressed by a powerful federal law in order to secure their safety and the safety of their family. Hard news investigations and reportage is never congenial; always adversarial.
In 1976, Arizona Republic investigative reporter, Don Bolles, shed light into organized crime in Arizona. Bolles was murdered for what he knew and the investigative stories he wrote. Even with a team of investigative journalists forming an alliance called the Arizona Project to complete his investigative work, Bolles murder was never vindicated and took years to get to court via local government authorities.
It is imperative that Congress place the impunity of a journalist under the jurisdiction of the federal government. Leaving even one journalist unprotected is asking for the messenger to be persecuted, prosecuted or maybe murdered for doing their work.
A federal law protecting journalists, especially investigative journalists, would override the parochial nature of state and local authorities to investigate such crimes against journalists in a local venue. It thrusts the protection of all constitutional journalists in any media under federal law and federal venue.
And only when such a federal law is enacted by Congress and enforced by federal officers will all constitutional journalists be shielded from such impunity.
We propose a federal law aimed directly at protecting every working American journalist from being targeted for their investigative work into, and their reportage of corruption and criminal activity that may adversely impact the well-being and welfare of a free people; or where their independent journalism, as is the implied and mandated right given to each journalist by the U.S. Constitution, is either hindered or halted so as to prevent them from keeping all government units transparent and telling the story.
The only exception for any government to withhold information from its people is to preserve the democracy for its people. And when such crisis is no longer a valid threat; all information both positive and negative must also be quickly disseminated to the American people.
This proposed law is specific and narrowly construed so that it effectively addresses the impunity of all journalists by any governmental unit, its elected or appointed public officials, any affiliated associated group or any individual(s) or political group.
This federal law will, in effect, finally provide all constitutional journalists immediate protection and swift reaction from the federal government and its law enforcement agencies whenever a direct link is established showing the use of impunity by the above named group (s) or individual(s) so as to kill the messenger by physical force and/or retribution to stop a story from being told.
Public corruption or other criminal acts would be both federally and criminally prosecuted, and if the group or individual is found guilty of such crime(s) they would receive the maximum penalties as would be established by federal law. If a public official, they would be immediately removed from any public office held; stripped of the right to vote and from ever holding another position of public trust; both compensatory and punitive damages would be awarded to the journalist and/or journalist's family.
Both personal and public assets would be immediately frozen and only unfrozen through a federal release through a federal court.
The direct involvement of any government, county, city, town or village in the impunity of a journalist would result in such municipality being placed under federal authorities until such time new public officials would be safely elected into such offices.
And if a publisher, journalist or member of their family is endangered physically, kidnapped, tortured, or murdered the penalty for such an egregious act against a journalist would result in a lengthy federal prison term, or depending upon the circumstances surrounding the situation and if the journalist or a family member is murdered, the death penalty would be applicable.
There is currently no U.S. law or state law that actually uses implicit and detailed language to protect the messenger. There are no foreign or international governmental laws that explicitly places a working constitutional journalist and their family into a protected class that will at least provide such journalist and family some protection from impunity.
Such a law enacted by the United States Congress to protect its free press and all free-thinking journalists would send a significant beacon of light out for democracy. It would encourage other world governments to embrace similar laws that allows journalists to simply do their job without fear of being punished for reporting the truth.
John Donne, 17th century English poet, wrote: Any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, city and town hall bells and church chimes ring out daily across America and are heard by a free people.
Journalists are entrusted to protect a free people from the tyranny of their government; therefore government must protect its journalists by enacting Allys Shield Up law.
A distant church bell tolling even one time for a murdered town journalist shedding light into local corruption would be an American travesty and would send a chilling message to all American journalists and those contemplating careers as journalists.
Please sign the petition and tell others.
It is the eventual uncovering of truth that prints the "Final Edition" of any news story.
Es el destapar eventual de la verdad que imprime la "Ediciуn Final" de cualquier cuento de las noticia.
Thank you. ... Mucho Gracias
This Shield Up petition is being posted on Mothers Day, 10 May 2005 by Ally, an 8th grade student at Liberty Benton Middle School, Findlay, OH, USA and her mother. Allys Shield Up Project began on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2005 and will conclude on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2006.
The Shield Up Project creation is due to the direct result of local government impunity against a small independent press and the failure to protect the journalists and family by local authorities.
You can link directly to www.protectajournalist.com for more information about the project and why this project was created; or you can send e-mail to: [email protected]
It is of particular importance that this message to protect journalists is heard. It is equally important that high school students; college and university students and school newspaper advisors, working journalists, media groups, freedom organizations, publishers, legal entities, and other interested parties see this online petition and sign such petition.
Hopefully, the success of this project will allow other student journalists and working journalists to take an active role and begin a similar project in their own country.
Please note if you wish a packet of information regarding how your local school or organization can get involved, please contact us at: [email protected]
The official kick-off for the Shield Up Project for USA schools will be Summer/Fall 2005.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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