Editor’s note: This commentary is by Bob Stannard, an author, musician and former lobbyist. This piece first appeared in the Bennington Banner.
[I]t is common for leaders to not want to be questioned on their leadership. That goes back a long ways. However, without the ability to question our leaders, which is constitutionally guaranteed, our leaders may very well cease listening to their good angels and pay slightly more attention to their bad angels.
We have two glaring examples from which we can learn. The first instance has to do with Donald Trump, recently implicated in not one, but two felony charges. Trump threw CNN’s Bob Acosta out of the daily press briefings, because he, Trump, didn’t like being questioned about the caravan coming to America. Of course, the caravan, like many other distractions put up by this president, has since lost all importance now that the midterms are over. That hasn’t stopped the president from doubling down on his disdain for Acosta and for the press (with the possible exception of Fox News, a network that has proven to be complimentary towards the president). It’s not surprising that those who have something to hide wouldn’t like to be asked hard questions.
The problem of our leaders not wanting to talk to reporters has hit home thanks to VTDigger’s Jasper Craven, a reporter who has done a miraculous job of exposing what goes on behind the scenes at our own Vermont National Guard. If you have not yet had a chance to read his series on this matter, I’d highly suggest that you do so.
In short, it appears as though we have issues of sexual assault, abuse, drinking, carousing and overall bad behavior running throughout our Vermont National Guard. To compile this series VTDigger did exhaustive research into hundreds of files and dozens of interviews to get to the truth about the corruption; or as much of the corruption they were able to expose, that has been occurring at the Vermont Guard.
What was the Guard’s response? They removed VTDigger from their press list. They held a press conference with our governor, Phil Scott, who declared that he has complete confidence that the Guard has handled all allegations splendidly, and that going forward everything will be just fine. I guess that means that things will be fine as long as VTDigger’s Jasper Craven is silenced.
I’m not going to get into the details of the alleged actions of the members and leaders of the Vermont National Guard. Instead I would suggest that you read the series and decide for yourself if what has happened is acceptable to you.
The greater concern is the threat on our media to do the job that they are constitutionally allowed to do, which is to hold our leaders accountable and ask the hard, and, yes, oftentimes uncomfortable questions. Those in power want the press to be their puppet, their mouthpiece. They sure don’t want the press to question, or worse, expose their less than admirable activities.
In Russia, an aggressive reporter trying to get to the truth of the level of corruption of Vladimir Putin most likely will end up dead. Putin has zero tolerance for criticism and cannot afford to have his corruption exposed.
Here we have a president who daily discredits our media as “fake news” (with the exception of Fox News that says nice things about him). Reporting that holds this president accountable is not well received. Sadly, it appears as though there is going to be more bad news coming his way.
It’s important to note that were it not for dedicated reporters we would never know the truth. The truth is the enemy of those doing wrong. Discrediting and/or banning the press is what those who want to bury the truth do. It’s bad enough that this is happening at the federal level. It’s particularly disturbing that it is now happening right here in Vermont. Perhaps it’s time that we supported our free press just a little bit more, don’t you think?
