“If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make any noise?”
Fort Bragg officials intent on protecting the installation from becoming the scene of a political free-for-all have taken a lesson from that chestnut.
GOP vice-presidential nominee and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin plans to stop at Fort Bragg on a promotional tour for her book, “Going Rogue.”
In order to keep Palin’s stop from becoming a forum to express political opinions against the Obama administration, Fort Bragg officials have banned the media from Palin’s public appearance.
Excluding the media is unconstitutional considering the event is open to the public.
It’s also counterproductive. The controversy following the media ban will draw far more attention than anything Palin might say in the stop at Fort Bragg, providing the 2012 presidential hopeful with a readymade spotlight. Bragg officials will have created exactly what they intended to prevent.
The best approach to ensuring a military installation from becoming a political stumping ground is to refrain from giving politicians a forum.
If a politician “goes rogue” and no one is there to report it, does she make any noise?
Indeed she does.
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