There is no longer the ability for a small group of people to control the truth.

Andy Carvin, NPR Social Media

Andy is at the Personal Democracy Forum in NY too and posting notes on his website andycarvin.com. Here are Andy's notes on a presentation by GOP Strategist Chuck DeFeo, in which he invokes John Adams' writings on freedom of the press and how his words are more true than ever before.

In 1765, John Adams entered political life by writing a dissertation on feudal law. Those in power are regularly trying to shake off the limits. It's the people's responsibility to place limits on those people.

None of the means are more sacred and cherished than the press. "It should be easy, cheap and safe for any person to communicate their thoughts to the public."

It wasn't until today that we were truly able to fulfill that ideal.

The birth of the big media political campaign. Candidates looked at the public as an audience to be talked at, not to be interacted with. Led to a decline in voter participation.

Someone once described democracy as a hard core of common ideas surrounded by rich diversity of thought.

Democracy is not clean, it is not pretty, but it is the best thing that we have.

There is no longer the ability for a small group of people to control the truth.


8:35 - June 24, 2008

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