Army Spokesman: Injured Vets ‘Can Go To Starbucks’ If They Want To Speak With The Media

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/01/veterans-starbucks/

Army Spokesman: Injured Vets ‘Can Go To Starbucks’ If They Want To Speak With The Media

Yesterday, the Army Times reported that soldiers at Walter Reed say they have been told “they must not speak to the media.” Editor & Publisher reported subsequently that the military press crackdown was more widespread than Walter Reed, and that “many of the denials are apparently in reaction to the potential negativity of a planned story.”

In an interview with ThinkProgress, Army spokesman Paul Boyce insisted that the Army Times report is inaccurate, and that injured vets are “free to exercise their First Amendment right” and speak with the media. But upon further questioning, Boyce acknowledged that if patients at Walter Reed wanted to speak to reporters inside the hospital, they must first receive approval from the hospital’s press relations office.

What if reporters want to speak to a reporter without getting approval from a PR office? “They can go to Starbucks,” Boyce said. Asked whether this was a reasonable solution for patients recuperating from physical and mental trauma, Boyce said yes. “It’s just a short trip, and many of them want to get out anyway.”

Boyce repeatedly justified the restrictions on patients’ activities by citing the fact that Walter Reed hospital is a “government building.” ThinkProgress contacted several legal analysts and none of them could explain why this would justify media restrictions.

Damn them for showing up in the first place.

The Va killed my son,and then they lied to cover it up.He had to have his foot amputated and 6 more surgies before he died from their negligence.
When I called the Va in Boise where he had been I asked for all of his medical records to be sent to me and they first told me they couldnt find his file and when I insisted they said they would find his records and call me back.After I didnt hear from them in several days I called again and they said their attorney had his records so I contacted him and he said that he couldnt send them to me and I told him that if they were not in the mail in 2 days my lawyer would contact him and demand them or supoena them.Since the same lawyer already sued them for negligence and won I recieved his records in 3 days!!!!
They are all so rotten

it is sick.

and on top of it, they aren't "allowed" free speech.....! Unbelievable!

go to Starbucks

anyone bedridden due to junior's felonious war is not entitled to free speech . . .

hmmmm