self-perpetuating feedback loop. If we can’t interdict this flow of information, the very real effects of what at some point will be pure, frenzied fantasy will destroy our economy and our country.”
“There are groups out there right now in the government,” Olivia asked, “searching through all these media sources and censoring them?”
Eric nodded.
“Then they add them to the queue I need to look at?” Olivia asked. “The people I need to identify and locate?”
He nodded again.
“Censorship alone isn’t enough?” she asked.
Eric shook his head.
“What’s going to happen to the people I find? Are they going to be warned, arrested…” Olivia gulped before she continued with her accusing question, “or killed by the CIA?”
He said nothing as Olivia waited for an answer.
She said, “Those weren’t rhetorical questions.”
Eric still said nothing.
“They’re going to be killed?” Olivia asked. “We’re talking about American citizens .”
“Olivia, I’m not saying that’s going to happen.” Eric looked down at his hands on the desk, and seemed to take an intense interest in their inactivity.
Olivia took the opportunity to let her anger run again. “This is censorship in the worst way. We’re taking away information the people might need in order to protect themselves. And I doubt—no—I truly hope that the government isn’t going to harm the people we’ve been directed to find. Either way, this whole thing stinks of the rankest form of censorship. This isn’t who we are. This isn’t the America I grew up in.”
Eric laughed bitterly.
“What?” Olivia was self-conscious. “What?”
“This is exactly the country you grew up in.”
Derisively shaking her head, she replied, “I never took you for part of the tinfoil hat crowd, Eric.”
Shaking his head, Eric responded. “You think all that white-cowboy-hat-wearing-good-guy bullshit you learned about in American History in the third grade is true? Is that why you came to work here, Olivia, because you’re a true patriot?”
“I can love my country without having to suffer your condescension, Eric.”
“Sorry.” He settled back in his chair. “That wasn’t called for.”
“I’m quite aware that America is not perfect. No country is. I do believe we’re closer to perfection than the majority of other countries, though.”
“I don’t disagree with that, Olivia. All I’m saying is censorship has been rampant in this country for a long time. Hell, if you go back and read your history, you’ll know that the Espionage Act passed in World War I damn near took away anyone’s right to say anything remotely derogatory about the government or its policies.”
“I don’t understand exactly what we’re protecting here,” said Olivia, running out of steam.
Eric rubbed his eyes until he renewed the redness. “I’m tired of beating this argument to death.” He rolled his head around to stretch his neck muscles, and then looked at his computer monitor as though something there might be urgent enough to cause him to chase Olivia out of his office. “I don’t know how much of what I’ve heard about Ebola is real or bullshit. I do know things will get worse before they get better. I don’t know if chasing down the people who are spreading these stories is right or wrong. I’m just as pro free speech as anybody, but principles are easy to hold when you’re arguing for them in a college dorm while mommy and daddy pay your tuition. I don’t know what will happen to the people whose names we enter into the system. I’d like to believe they’ll get a stern talking to, and they’ll go back to posting porn pics, selfies, memes, and fart jokes. I have to accept that the ones who persist submit themselves to iteratively more severe punitive remedies.”
Olivia scoffed, “Punitive remedies?”
“I don’t know where this Ebola thing goes. I know what’s happening in Africa better than most. I have two children
“There are groups out there right now in the government,” Olivia asked, “searching through all these media sources and censoring them?”
Eric nodded.
“Then they add them to the queue I need to look at?” Olivia asked. “The people I need to identify and locate?”
He nodded again.
“Censorship alone isn’t enough?” she asked.
Eric shook his head.
“What’s going to happen to the people I find? Are they going to be warned, arrested…” Olivia gulped before she continued with her accusing question, “or killed by the CIA?”
He said nothing as Olivia waited for an answer.
She said, “Those weren’t rhetorical questions.”
Eric still said nothing.
“They’re going to be killed?” Olivia asked. “We’re talking about American citizens .”
“Olivia, I’m not saying that’s going to happen.” Eric looked down at his hands on the desk, and seemed to take an intense interest in their inactivity.
Olivia took the opportunity to let her anger run again. “This is censorship in the worst way. We’re taking away information the people might need in order to protect themselves. And I doubt—no—I truly hope that the government isn’t going to harm the people we’ve been directed to find. Either way, this whole thing stinks of the rankest form of censorship. This isn’t who we are. This isn’t the America I grew up in.”
Eric laughed bitterly.
“What?” Olivia was self-conscious. “What?”
“This is exactly the country you grew up in.”
Derisively shaking her head, she replied, “I never took you for part of the tinfoil hat crowd, Eric.”
Shaking his head, Eric responded. “You think all that white-cowboy-hat-wearing-good-guy bullshit you learned about in American History in the third grade is true? Is that why you came to work here, Olivia, because you’re a true patriot?”
“I can love my country without having to suffer your condescension, Eric.”
“Sorry.” He settled back in his chair. “That wasn’t called for.”
“I’m quite aware that America is not perfect. No country is. I do believe we’re closer to perfection than the majority of other countries, though.”
“I don’t disagree with that, Olivia. All I’m saying is censorship has been rampant in this country for a long time. Hell, if you go back and read your history, you’ll know that the Espionage Act passed in World War I damn near took away anyone’s right to say anything remotely derogatory about the government or its policies.”
“I don’t understand exactly what we’re protecting here,” said Olivia, running out of steam.
Eric rubbed his eyes until he renewed the redness. “I’m tired of beating this argument to death.” He rolled his head around to stretch his neck muscles, and then looked at his computer monitor as though something there might be urgent enough to cause him to chase Olivia out of his office. “I don’t know how much of what I’ve heard about Ebola is real or bullshit. I do know things will get worse before they get better. I don’t know if chasing down the people who are spreading these stories is right or wrong. I’m just as pro free speech as anybody, but principles are easy to hold when you’re arguing for them in a college dorm while mommy and daddy pay your tuition. I don’t know what will happen to the people whose names we enter into the system. I’d like to believe they’ll get a stern talking to, and they’ll go back to posting porn pics, selfies, memes, and fart jokes. I have to accept that the ones who persist submit themselves to iteratively more severe punitive remedies.”
Olivia scoffed, “Punitive remedies?”
“I don’t know where this Ebola thing goes. I know what’s happening in Africa better than most. I have two children
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