We are now 18 days away from the 4th of July. The Declaration of Independence was adopted on this day. Typically, there is a lot of good food, music, family-time, and fireworks. It is a day in which many take a few moments to think about the concept of Freedom as we define it here in the United States. Well, along with freedom comes associated rights and responsibilities.
One of those rights involves something called the Freedom of Information Act. Ironically, it shares a birthday with Independence Day, the 4th of July. It was in 1966 that, somewhat begrudgingly, President Johnson signed the first version of this Act.
The National Security Archive website hosts an article from July 4th, 2006, when FOIA turned 40 years old. This article, Freedom of Information at 40, gives some information on the process of the ‘birth’ of the FOIA of which you may not be aware. There was a certain degree of hesitancy in getting the ‘ball rolling’ on this Act as noted by the fact that it took 11 years of ‘pushing’ to get the FOIA enacted. Interestingly, one finds that one of the biggest proponents of the FOIA was one Donald Rumsfeld, while a major opponent was (initially only) one Bill Moyer.
Over the course of time, FOIA has endured changes that are almost peristaltic in nature (that is the wave like constriction and relaxation of the muscles of part of the human digestive system). As political parties, events, and pressure by the press worked within the political-social environment, one sees FOIA constrict and then expand in a repetitive pattern. Many of these changes, particularly the restrictions, have tended to occur outside of public view.
We currently appear to be entering an era of expansion of FOIA. However, this time there is something different. More people are asking questions and the internet is often found to have those answers. Many governmental agencies are going the extra mile by publishing all of the documents that they are legal able to release on the internet. The press AND the public can now have quick and easy access.
Where government is choosing not to do it voluntarily, citizens are helping them out. More and more people are making sure that the documents they receive through FOIA requests are being made public. (Shock! And, you thought I was the only one:) For decades, this process has been used by corporations/businesses because they knew where to look and what to ask for. They would obtain the information through FOIA requests, then take the information and make it available for resale. Now, it is just average citizens, universities, and concerned groups who are doing it and making those documents available for free. (For one simple example, check out http://www.myvaresources.com.)
Between now and July 4th, I will be focusing my blog on FOIA as a happy birthday salute to a ‘friend’. One of the things that I will be looking at are some of the things that would have remained ‘hidden from public sight’ had it not been for FOIA….things like…..Agent Orange!
The easiest way to keep truth hidden is to keep people ignorant of what their rights are and/or what information is available. For more information on your FOIA rights go to the Citizen Initiative for Transparency hosted by the Montgomery County League of Women Voters or the Virginia Coalition for Open Government.
