It was bad enough that Rumsfeld’s Defense Department created the “America Supports You Freedom Walk” to exploit 9/11. It added insult to injury when those who wished to participate in the government-sponsored “Freedom Walk” on public property were told they had to endure Pentagon “screening.”
But now Rumsfeld & Co. have quietly gone back and covered up some of the more alarming pronouncements — apparently hoping no one will notice.
For example, the official Freedom Walk website used to say:
Participants are encouraged to arrive at the Pentagon South parking lot between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. for screening to avoid long lines. (emphasis added)
Now it says:
Participants are encouraged to arrive at the Pentagon South parking lot between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.
And as DCDL noted, the Freedom Walk website has also been touched up to reflect a change in the motivation for the event. Among other changes, the festivities were originally described as a “celebration of freedom” — now it’s a chance to “commemorate our freedom.” (As Keith asked, doesn’t the use of “commemorate” mean our freedom is dead?)
In theory, it might be tempting to congratulate the Pentagon for cleaning up its mess. After all, if Defense Department officials made a mistake in some of its more heavy-handed pronouncements, editing out troublesome language is a step in the right direction, right?
There is, however, an overarching problem.
First, it’s typical of the way the entire Bush gang operates. If reality starts to pose a political problem, just edit it, paper over the controversy, and hope no one notices. This wasn’t a harmless typo, this is an attempt by the government to regulate who takes part in a government-sponsored “Freedom Walk” on public streets past public monuments, from one outdoor public landmark to another.
There’s nothing wrong with the government correcting its mistakes, but part of political accountability is acknowledging the mistakes in the first place. By editing out controversial language, the Pentagon is hiding its error, not owning up to it.
Second, the Pentagon has changed the Q-and-A on its website, but it hasn’t changed its policies. At least until it starts a second round of editing, the Defense Department is still mandating that participants provide detailed personal information — and without it, they can’t be a part of the Freedom Walk.
Maybe the “commemorate our freedom” was the right choice of words for the Pentagon, after all.