We’re now at the close of Sunshine Week and celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act. “Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public’s right to know.”
Government has extraordinary powers, up to and including the power to legally use lethal force in a context no other person or body does. That combined with the massive amount of wealth it confiscates on a regular basis from those it governs, requires a large and healthy skepticism surrounding its actions. Only by monitoring the actions of those in power can we be sure to correct unacceptable behaviors and policies. Sunshine laws and the FOIA while imperfect are some of the best tools we have and conspire to produce a government more just and honest than without.
One Generation Away joins all those who celebrate open government and the right of the citizenry to be informed of what is done in their name, and with their money. Happy Sunshine Week!
