FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION?

When I say that I have been put off by the glorification of the shoe-hurling incident at the US President George Bush, I know that I then belong to a minority.On flipping through the news-channels and turning the pages of the newspapers, I find that almost everyone has reacted to the incident with amusement and seized this as an opportunity to vent their haterd towards Bush.Labelling the act of journalist as courageous and as an expression of freedom and opinion might just set off a dangerous precedent.

Iraq is a democracy and in a democracy one is entitled to have his/her opinion.He can criticise and condemn anybody and any policices as much as he likes.But trying to force your views by physically assaulting someone simply does not fit as a part of democracy or even as a freedom of expression.Not only this; the journalist also over-stepped and violated the well-understood ethics of journalism. A reporter, is supposed to be free from any kind of biases or allegiances such as of nationality, religion or gender; so that he can give the readers/viewers a chance to form their own opinion on any news article.He is supposed to convey the news and not try and become the NEWS himself.

Media is know as one of the pillars of democracy and such incidents coming from some sections of the media will only weaken the newly formed Iraqi democracy.No matter how unpopular Bush may be but in a civilized world grievances can be expressed in a myriad ways and shoe-hurling incidents surely doesn't figure in them.

Let us hope, young Indian journalists do not take this path else we will have to see more of these unpleasant scenes and I doubt our politicans will be able to deal with them with such dignity and humour just as Bush did.