“How in the world can this happen? How in the world can citizens remain ensconced in their homes watching “American Idol” when a true American, who should be idolized, is getting arrested for nothing more than asking a few questions?

Amy Goodman, who hosts one of the rare alternative news programs in the country, “Democracy Now,” is not known for attracting attention to herself.

She is not a Bill O’Reilly, shouting and screaming at anyone who disagrees. She is a journalist who loves diverse voices and putting events into perspective – helping American citizens get the information they need to make informed decisions.

Yesterday, Goodman witnessed and experienced something very frightening that likely was not mentioned on your local news.

During the opening of the Republican National Convention, she was arrested for asking police where her two producers were. They had been arrested, and because SHE asked a question police did not like, she was arrested too. ”

Read all of Leslie Griffith at Truthout.org

And

This morning, local advocates and independent journalists delivered more that 60,000 letters to St. Paul City Hall calling on Mayor Chris Coleman and local law enforcement officials to drop all charges against journalists arrested while covering protests outside the Republican National Convention.

The signatures were garnered in less than two days as people expressed their outrage over St. Paul’s attempts to stifle independent journalists documenting what’s happening outside the highly orchestrated activities and speeches in the Xcel Center.

60,000 letters at StopBigMedia.com

[thx Jack Kaplan]