Banning ‘Live PD’ is censorship

The City Council president wants to ban a TV show because it might ridicule a few miscreants, drunks and other lawbreakers. Requiring prior written permission before airing from criminals, mentally deficient persons and other malefactors is tantamount to censorship and reminiscent of the regimes in Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.

Is placing the same restrictions on newspapers and TV stations before they can print or air the news about crime next?

I want to know what’s going on in my community. These programs show what our law enforcement officers have to put up with, whether it’s wasting time and resources on frivolous calls, protecting the citizenry from intoxicated and dangerous individuals, or endangering their lives. As an avid viewer of “Live PD” and “COPS,” it’s easy to see the training and restraint cops have. Most of us have no idea what they endure and the crap they take to keep us safe.

Spokane is what it is. Hiding our bad side serves no purpose and highlighting those who serve and protect us gives us pride and comfort. We have men and women who stand unflinchingly between us and the bad guys. Give them their due.

Frank Schoonover

Spokane