Think:
When someone inside the White House (or inside the Honolulu vital records office) leaks the smoking gun that brings Barry 0 down, do we really want the reporter who breaks the story to face jailtime for protecting his source??
Careful what you wish for.
Freedom of the press works both ways, and the Founders protected it for a reason.
The difference would be that in Risen’s case, we’re talking classified military intelligence, whereas for whoever leaks the stuff that brings Zer0 down would only be releasing information that is supposed to be public knowledge. It’s not the source itself that is the concern, it’s what they got from the source. In this case, whoever leaked the info could be endangering American soldiers’ lives.
In December 2005 Risen published details of the National Security Agency's electronic surveillance of al Qaeda-related communications.
Then, in 2006, Risen blew the SWIFT program used by the Treasury to track terrorist financing.
Then, the details of these Iranian operations, which were apparently so sensitive that even the Slimes wouldn't publish them.
As American citizens, we are ALL duty bound to protect this information. Releasing information that poses a threat to the life and liberty of others is a crime. No one has the right to put another's life needlessly in jeopardy for profit. Likewise, the person that leaked the information was charged with the protection of said information; leaking it is a crime. Covering it up is a crime.
Let me ask you this.... Suppose, I post an ad in the paper that says you are rich, keep $2 million in cash in the house, are on vacation, only your sick defenseless mother is in the house, she never locks the doors, and that a person could enter/exit the rear of the property undetected; I provide pictures of the property layout and information you hold most sacred to life and property. Then suppose your house is raided, your money and belongings are stolen; everyone in the house (in this instance your mother) is killed. Am I liable? How so; do I not have freedom of the press/speech?
By releasing classified information this reporter and his accomplice did exactly the same as me in the scenario. It isn't the "government" that is compromised; it is you and me. It is our security. It is the lives of our intellignece operatives at stake here. If any of our agents are killed because of this the reporter and his accomplice(s) should be tried as accesories to murder. This isn't sacraficing liberty in the name of security. The 1st Amendment is not intended to be a suicide pact for the people (contrary to what some libs would have us believe). All of our rights and freedoms come with resonsibilities. At the time the 1st Amendment was written, duels were still legal.
If Risen thinks this is an act of free speech/freedom of the press..... then I call him out he can arrange the time and place to meet; I won't miss. That's how our Founders would have settled it.