Information should be free

Many aspects of American life have changed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks of 2001. Security is tighter at the nation's air and seaports, patriotism is at an all-time high, and the U.S. military is hoping to assert its dominance in the Middle East once again.\nIn the interest of security, some national monuments were closed to the public for some time, and people entering major sports venues were searched, one by one. To all of this, the American people consented, for it was in the interest of security.\n Now, it has been discovered that the government is witholding documents from university researchers and other qualified minds in an attempt to re-classify or re-sensitize certain information. According to The Washington Post, certain internet links are being de-activated, whole Web sites are being taken off line, access to previously free information has been wrapped in red tape and librarians nationwide were advised to destroy a CD-Rom containing public water supply data.\n The IDS welcomes the idea of national security but bristles at the thought of censorship. We understand that some concessions are necessary in this new age of fear, but at the same time we cannot let ourselves, and our country, get so locked down that we become victims of our own system. At that point, the terrorists will have accomplished what they set out to do -- disrupt the American lifestyle and value system of freedom. Al Qaeda would love it if important research was stifled due to our government's fear of misuse. Granted, things such as the blueprints to the White House or schematics of nuclear reactors should be guarded carefully, but there has to be a solid line of conscience as to what information is truly potentially dangerous and what information would truly benefit academic research. \nUnder the Freedom of Information Act, any American citizen can petition the government for unclassified information, and the government must release it. However, since Sept. 11, Freedom of Information requests have taken longer and longer to be processed for some information. The USA Patriot Act, passed after the attacks to grant broader powers to the justice department, was also classified. The American Civil Liberties Union has criticized this action. \nThe more information that is cut off from the public, the less the public can keep a watch on their government, and it lessens the press' ability to obtain information vital to news stories and exposing government wrongdoing. \nThe United States is currently exploring options to disarm Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and North Korea has recently confessed to having a secret nuclear weapons program in spite of a treaty they signed to the contrary. These are the times for keeping the public aware of what's going on so they can support or dissent their country's decisions. \nIf information is not free, we are not free, and democracy will have suffered a hit it may not be able to recover from.\n -George Lyle IV for the Editorial Board