2008-12-27 - GNN Call for Transparency

Submitted by Pesiro
After the anchor transitions to Sullust for the speech, viewers are presented with the face of the Sullust President stares directly toward the holovid screen as he sits in his office behind his desk.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the galaxy. I call you today to urge the entire Republic to start meeting some bare minimum standards toward transparency. For to long have Senators, world leaders, jurists, and other beauracrats used the veil of secrecy and need-to-know to commit atrocities upon the galaxy. It is time for this to end.
"The recent Motion 232 passed the Republic Senate submitted by Senator Bail Organa and amended by Supreme Justice Sho'lar Vreeth is a bad law that will only allow for corruption and disenfranchisement that is strangling the Republic. While it grants Senators access to unspecified documents in the Republic Library, it does not allow anyone else access to these same documents. In fact, this law could be interpreted to restrict access to any non-Senator to ALL documents in the ENTIRE Republic Library. If this becomes the case, lawyers will be unable to defend their clients from potential false accusation by Republic agencies as they will label EVERYTHING secret.
"This law should be repealed and a far new, more concrete law should be put in its stead. The new law should provide access to EVERYONE in the galaxy to documents in the Republic library not deemed a secret of the state. The Republic should define specifically what is and isn't a state secret so there will be ZERO chance of misinterpretation by a judge or Republic official. It should also determine whom should have access to secret documents and provide a period of time and/or circumstances those documents have their secret status revoked.
"Now, why should the entire galaxy have access to the Republic Library? That is quite simple. The Republic has decided that IT is the entire galaxy. Laws and judicial precedent has allowed the Republic Navy, the Jedi and a number of other agencies to take hostile actions against legitimate governments on the Rim without any requirement to come forward to provide proof of their accusations. If it plans to act as the conscience of the galaxy, it needs to start acting that it has a conscience and the best intentions for everyone... and not the selfish desires of beauracrats or businessmen.
"Also, I am dismayed to continue to watch the Republic expand its armed forces. There is no longer a war being conducted by the Republic. The Black Imperium is virtually a part of the Republic and in all likelihood will act in a similar manner once a peace treaty is conducted. The Hutts have been sufficiently pacified and will likely never build a navy to threaten the galaxy ever again. And as for Graf von Mourn and his 'Rebellion', that is a joke. A small force could soundly defeat his rabble, especially as he continues to suffer defeat after defeat, sapping whatever resources might exist for his use.
"Thus, I charge the Senate to either enforce or come up with new policies to offer transparency to the accounts of the Republic. The taxes of Republic and Rim citizens go to the Republic treasury and we do not know where our credits are spent. Rather than being spent on building needed infrastructure for less developed worlds or working on providing more jobs to the poor, it is used to build an enormously unnecessary armed force that, if properly lead, would destroy all the non-Republic forces in the galaxy.
"Citizens of the galaxy, join me in calling on the Senate of the Republic to show it wants to act in the galaxy in good faith. Write your Senator to make the change to make EVERYONE'S life better. They owe it to the galaxy... and if they ignore you, vote them out and elect someone knew. That is how democracy works."
The Sullust President leans back in his chair after speaking and the holovid screen returns to the primary anchor.
Category:December 08 GNN Posts