[Vision2020] Can We Handle the Truth?

[Tom Hansen]

>From Bob Schieffer's commentary at the end of today's (January 28, 2007)
"Face the Nation" -

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Can We Handle the Truth?
By Bob Schieffer

During the court martial scene in the movie "A Few Good Men," young Navy
prosecutor Tom Cruise put Marine Colonel Jack Nicholson on the stand and
demanded the truth. 

Nicholson replied, "The truth? You can't handle the truth!" 

A memorable line, but we are left to as: Has the government concluded
Nicholson's character was right, that Americans can't handle the truth? 

As the war has grown worse, we have heard government spokesmen from the top
on down tell us "Stuff happens," "Mission accomplished," "Enormous
progress," "The good news is not reported." 

We can't even get a straight story on how our troops die. 

Last week, the Pentagon first reported that four Americans were killed in
Iraq while repelling an enemy attack. Then on Friday we were told they had
actually been kidnapped during a shootout and executed, two of them
handcuffed and shot in the head. 

In the hours after the killings, reporters who had pieced together the real
story were told their version was inaccurate. The new Secretary of Defense
claimed he was unaware of the new information an hour before it was
announced. 

The government argues that public criticism hurts the war effort, but it is
being damaged much more by its own loss of credibility brought on by such
incidents. 

Truth is the foundation of democracy and Americans can handle the truth -
they demand it. History shows that when they fail to get it, they no longer
follow their leaders, no matter the cause. They are more likely to just
change leaders.

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"If not us, who?
If not now, when?"

- Unknown