Doing Time part 2

From the Gulf News, 3/1/08
Dubai: The Journalists Association has decided to celebrate UAE Press Freedom Day on September 25, following a high-level decision made on this day not to jail journalists doing their job.

Journalists now can do their job without the fear of being jailed, said the outgoing chairman of the association, adding that this a major development for the media in the UAE.

"We have every right to be proud to have reached this point in our professional lives," Mohammad Yousuf, the association's outgoing chairman told media persons who attended Thursday's election of the new board.

In America, we are so used to free speech that maybe we don't realize that in the rest of the world it is a very rare commodity. I just hope the new UAE no-jail policy includes bloggers too.

Here is a note to my family in case this space goes dark and I get hauled off. It is up to you, o' loved ones, to spring me from jail. When you plan the world wide "Free Blue-eyesight - the Desert Diamond that no longer sparkles" campaign use whatever means possible....tv, internet, radio. Martha Stewart had t-shirts...I thought that was a nice touch.

Stay tuned for 100th Blog gala posting next.