And then I wrote...

. . . that law enforcement and school district officials and employees don’t need me to defend them. So, I am not going to do so. Rather, in this era of “gotcha” journalism, I am going to express my apologies for the actions of the alleged members of the group I was a part of for more than three decades, the media, specifically the press.

I do this in the wake of the latest sting operation conducted by a couple of the state’s daily papers and a university journalism class.

Allamakee County, where I plied my trade for most of those years, received one of the lowest grades in the “survey” conducted to test access to official records.

One thing should be made clear at the start. It was not the intention of those newspapers and students to actually seek information for a legitimate purpose. Rather, the intent was to embarrass as many officials and employees as possible for their failure to bow to the often inane requests of young persons who were instructed not to identify themselves in any way except by giving a name. Presumably, real or made up.

In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 disaster and those mass shootings in schools, that fact alone should give a public official pause. Were I a public official, I would want more information than that before I would even give directions to the judge’s chambers in the courthouse or the school superintendent’s private office. Those who caused the 911 disaster were illegal aliens who used false names. Iowa alone has an estimated 85,000 illegal aliens.

But officials and their employees are supposed to throw open their records and offices to everyone who walks in the door and demands access? I think not! But every citizen has a right, right? Is “citizen” an operative word there? Dare an official ask for identification and confirmation of status? Or does anyone off the street with a messy mien, perhaps a nose ring, and a nose and ego problem deserve to be catered do by an often busy staff?

Any citizen deserves to look at certain public records, and there is no doubt in my mind that any citizen who provides proof of identity and a reason for wanting to look at a record will be accommodated. And certainly so will any press representative properly identified. But then, those folks will have a legitimate reason for wanting to know something. It is stupid and arrogant to demand something simply because you can. That is the action of a bully, something those same newspapers have been preaching against as behavior on the part of others.

I checked the list of things covered, some of which were truly inane. For example, what property does the elected sheriff own in the county. Why should anyone off the street need to know that? If you suspect he owns the farm next to one you are considering buying, by all means, say so and ask. You will get your answer.

Waukon’s police department was criticized for not manning the station during daytime hours. The “reporter” could not contact a police officer on two tries. The reporter should be introduced to a telephone book. One call and she would be in touch with an officer in minutes. I know. I did it many times. But she was not interested in information, only in “gotcha” on the hours.

The sheriff’s office was criticized for not providing a list of concealed weapons permits. I am not sure such a “list’ exists. Copies do. But don’t they contain those Social Security numbers we are all told to protect at all costs? Don’t let anyone know your number except some kid who walks in off the street and won’t identify himself? And what’s it to him if my .38 police special is registered or not?

In three decades, I found county, city and school officials and their employees most helpful in my search for news, usually as the only reporter even interested in local news.

But then, that was the secret, wasn’t it? My goal was the legitimate one of news gathering, not the illegitimate one of promoting an individual, occupational or corporate ego.