The Holy Grail of Security

Oklahoma State Senator Charles Wyrick (D-Fairland) has proposed legislation that would exempt the Office of Homeland Security from Oklahoma's Open Meetings and Open Records acts. Wyrick says he's proposing the legislation specifically at the request of DHS.

Mark Thomas, of the Oklahoma Press Association, takes a dim view of the proceedings:

I don't know why all of a sudden the holy grail of security and safety is now closing records," Thomas said. "It seems to me we would be more secure if we knew what was going on around us. Apparently there are those in government who want to close all these records and say, 'we'll keep you safe, trust us.'"

Apparently so. Here's an earlier example of the same sort of thinking.

Just FYI, Oklahoma's Open Meetings Act was enacted in 1959, as "an attempt to regularize and monitor the actions of elected and appointed officials and prevent the abuse of power." But of course, those were more innocent times.

(Link courtesy of Behind the Homefront.)