REC is very disturbed by today's assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) which also resulted in the death of US federal judge John Roll as well as the death of 5 other citizens including one of Giffords' staffers and a 9-year old girl.
In the aftermath of today's shooting, many have stated that the media may have inspired the suspect to take this action. Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik during a press conference expressed similar concerns.
No matter where you are on the political spectrum and no matter where you are in the media spectrum, we need to remember that words, whether spoken or written can have an impact on people. We need to assure that differing opinions are accessible to the public on a level playing field and to as many people as possible.
The new LPFM stations that will be created by recently passed Local Community Radio Act will bring some new voices and new opinions to an accessible medium called the FM radio dial. With that license though, comes responsibility. While it is important to maintain a level of free speech, it's just as important to maintain a level of discretion in your broadcasts.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ms. Giffords and the families of Judge Roll and the others who were injured or killed today. Ms. Giffords is an ally and we wish her a speedy recovery.
