by Gary Allen

Created on: February 09, 2009

One Fall evening, during the war of 1812, Francis Scott Key stood on the deck of the HMS Surprise. Key was being held a prisoner because he and his associate had overheard details about the pending attack on the city of Baltimore.

As Francis kept his vigil that rainy night in September, the British maintained their steady bombardment of Baltimore. Because of the rain, Key's only method of gauging the battle throughout the night, was by watching the storm flag that flew over Fort McHenry. With each bomb blast and "red rockets glare," Francis watched the storm flag wave and sputter. The next morning, he observed that the storm flag had been lowered, and in its place, the full size American flag now waved triumphantly in the morning breeze.

Two hundred years later, it's not only one man who stands on the deck, watching an attack on the ideals of freedom, but millions. We stand by as the bombs of apathy and indifference bursts all around us. The red glares of voracious greed, rocketing out of sight, lights a torn and wasted battlefield. Even though the storm flag still waves valiantly in the wind, sometimes, the wind leaves its furls, and our flag seems in danger of sliding silently to the ground.

The difference in this battle is the enemy. We now fight a whisper. Small breezes softly caressing the ear. An ever-present breath, implies treason if a person dare question the God given authority to Govern. This is a battle of ideas. We the Government, or, We the People.
Shall we completely trust our government to tell us what we need to know, when we need to know it? Should ignorance of government excess rule the day? Is it appropriate that a few hundred people make decisions for millions, without even inquiring if it is a direction we want to go?

The behavior of our government has made our case for the causes of Transparency and Freedom of Information. Governments have a tendency toward sweeping their trash into the dark, damp and moldy places. If a president doesn't want the country to know the motives behind his actions, he is let off the hook when he says "National security, it's a secret."

Based on their own actions, it's time to inform our government that if information will ultimately lead to a government decision, it needs to be online. Any decision that requires a vote requires access to the information about who is affected by the vote. What company gets the money after an earmark is passed? Which political districts get the bulk of the jobs after passage? It would

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