Another Hero

Undaunted: The Associate Press

Stand up to bullies, and you just might win

...the Associated Press (AP) refused to capitulate in the face of authoritarian bullying. Rather than accept its “punishment”—exclusion from key venues at the White House and daily access to Donald Trump, simply because it had the galling temerity to call the Gulf of Mexico…“the Gulf of Mexico”—it took the Trump censoring regime to federal court. This week, it won at the district court level.

Three lessons from this confrontation should not be lost on us: 

1) Democracy does not defend itself; 

2) An attack on one person/entity or one tactic never stops there; 

3) If you stand up to bullies, who often are unprepared or unqualified to defend their position, your chances of winning are high.

The defense of democracy requires courage and selflessness. 

The A.P. was stalwart, unafraid, and undaunted. 

This week, we salute the courageous wire service, its employees, and its lawyers.