There he goes again. Our opinionated neighbor on The Plains road continues to demonstrate that his view is more myopic than prescient. In April Mr. Wells put forth his treatise that freedom of speech is an important right and then proceeded to conflate historical events with events happening in our country today. Of course, free speech is a critical element for a free people, few would disagree, but then Wells flies off the rails and reveals his real intent. The President of the United States is evil and he alone is trying to destroy the free press and therefore free speech in our country.

I would like to remind Dr. Wells of a few things. The first amendment to our Constitution is important but does not stand alone as our most important amendment, certainly no more important or cherished than the other nine amendments comprising the Bill of Rights or for that matter any of the other twenty-six amendments that with the original document make up the guiding principles for our government. Our President is not attacking nor destroying those principles. He is, from the stature of his bully pulpit alerting the citizens of the potential damage a dishonest press can inflict upon our country. The media is a for-profit business, it relies on income to remain in business. Half-truths and stories made from whole cloth generate public interest and therefore revenue. It is not un-American to challenge the veracity of today's press. Several of today's media outlets are wholly owned by wealthy and politically motivated interest groups. It is wise to be skeptical in our news, our politics and our personal lives. Those who have studied history will remember that W.R. Hearst told his on the scene print reporters "You provide the pictures and I will provide the war" thus egging the US into the unnecessary Spanish-American war. A public opinion is a powerful tool that can greatly influence public policy. As Ben Franklin rightly said democracy can easily deteriorate into mob rule. History is full of such events and a responsible free press can always help society determine truth.

Free speech is far more extensive in life than just the written word. Our President is doing nothing to inhibit the exchange of ideas. He is not spying on journalists like the Obama Administration did nor locking up journalists for not revealing sources like others have or intimidating them like the FBI's J.Edgar Hoover once did several decades ago. His Administration is not muffling speech or communication. He is publicly voicing his opinion for the American people so they can assess both sides of this important issue. So fear not the loss of the first amendment, while you can legitimately fear the potential loss of other Constitutional freedoms.

Finally, Mr. Wells tries to win his point by evoking the words of a respected military leader Bill McRaven. Whatever his military experiences are, when he veers out of his professional swim lane and enters politics, McRaven's personal opinion is no more valuable or correct than any other citizen, in fact, such opinion can harm the reputation of the military community as Lt General Clapper, Gen Hayden and VADM Poindexter have proven. So, Tony, we know you dislike our President, you try to remind us every month and yes our first amendment gives you the right to do so but a responsible man would cherish the truth and not attempt to spin half-truths as gospel.