We Don't Obstruct and Detain Credentialed Reporters in America, Unless We Do, I Guess

I'm finding reports of detaining credentialed reporters at Occupy Wall Street events disturbing. It concerns me. When Bloomberg suggests credentialed reporters are kept away from the protests by police officers "to keep them out of harm's way", it concerns me.

And it's not just ONE. It was TWENTY SIX.

In this country, we do NOT detain or obstruct credentialed reporters who are trying to do their jobs. That's what they do in North Korea. That's what they do in Iran. That's what they do in China. In the United States of America...we do not do that.

I don't take obstruction of justice lightly. And I don't take obstruction of the press lightly.

I know the boys in blue have a tough job. And I know protesters aren't the only ones getting injured at the Occupy Wall Street scuffles between protesters and police. Me...I am a believer in the laws of men. The police officers out there aren't exactly there to enact, question, or interpret laws. Their job is to enforce them. They are law enforcement. And more often than not, they keep the peace and put their lives on the line to do it.

So you haven't seen me doing a lot of blogging or reposting about police brutality at OWS camps.

But THIS...obstructing and detaining reporters? That's not something I can look the other way on. Unless that credentialed reporter was throwing stuff at an officer or knocking the hat off his head, you LEAVE THE REPORTER TO DO HIS JOB.

We do NOT DETAIN or OBSTRUCT credentialed reporters trying to do their JOBs.

The suggestion that it's for their own protection is both creepy and complete nonsense...

"American foreign correspondents routinely put themselves in harm's way to do their jobs, in some of the most brutal dictatorships in the world. And their NYC colleagues deserve the freedom to make the same choice," Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said. "Zuccotti Park is not Tiananmen Square."

Bloomberg's office made a statement that, sure...26 reporters were arrested, but in the City's defense only FIVE of the arrested had NYPD Press Credentials.

Well, gosh. That makes me feel so much better to know that at MINIMUM, five NYPD Credentialed reporters were detained and obstructed from doing their jobs in a free an open society.