
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 26, 1991                   TAG: 9102260400
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CENSORSHIP HIDES THE REALITY OF WAR

CAL THOMAS reports (column, Feb. 13) that 83 percent of the people who responded to the "Good Morning America" phone poll answered no to the question: "Is the media doing a responsible and fair job of covering the Gulf War?"

How does this relate to another poll he cites, indicating eight of 10 Americans support Pentagon restrictions on journalists covering the war? I would have to say no to the first question because of the restrictions, as well as the self-censorship many major papers have imposed on themselves.

While the U.S. government has condemned the Vietnam War coverage, some of those very images and stories make the idea of war unacceptable to me.

I believe we must get beyond using military force in the face of conflict. If we're going to have a war, maybe we should be made to see the reality of it and accept responsibility for that.

We must not suppress questioning the ethics of this war for fear that this shows lack of support for the troops - a polarity that the government uses to make it so unpopular to question its motives and actions.

While I don't support this war, I support all the people involved, and I care about their well-being and safe return home. I appreciate the few brave journalists who persevere in giving us a larger perspective in this war - who don't merely report or mimic everything the Pentagon has already said - and I comb the papers looking for their work. CHRIS FARRELL FLOYD

by CNB