Frequent readers of this journal will remember an entry from last month in which I brought your attention to the plight of one Katherine Gun, a linguist working for the British government who was facing charges of violating the official secrets act for leaking a memo from the United States in which British intelligence officers were being asked to spy on members of the United Nations Security Council in order to obtain information which would be useful in directing a desired vote from said council in reguards to the invasion of Iraq.

Yesterday, in a sudden reversal of position, the British government announced that it would not prosecute Ms. Gun on said charges. Any trial would have been lengthy and called sharply into focus the British Governments actions leading upto their entrance into the war.

In a statement from the governement, prosecutors said that they no longer held a reasonable expectation of obtaining a conviction of Ms. Gun and were therefore dropping the charges against her.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I call bullshit.

On the facts alone, this was an open and shut case. Ms. Gun was being charged with leaking official government secrets to the press. Not once during this entire ordeal did Ms. Gun deny those facts. She was prepared to testify to this effect in court. Ms. Gun stated that she acted, "only from her conscious," in releasing the information which was directing British Intellegence officers to perform illegal activities for the United States government.

This case was a slam dunk on the facts.

Pure and simple, the government didn't want to deal with their activities prior to the war becoming the subject of lengthy, intense scrutiny in the public eye. End of story.

Once again, the truth proves to be its own best defense. Never, ever let anyone tell you, whether they be dressed in kingly guise or the rags of a pauper, that speaking out against your own government's misconduct is anything less than the ultimate patriotic act.

Squeak like a wheel that's ready to fly off. Yell. Scream. But don't just sit there and let it happen. Whatever you do, don't let them implicate you in their murder by your complacency.

We have a duty to call bullshit, and to call it where it can be heard as loudly as we can. Do not let yourself be herded into "free-speech," pens five miles from the President's motorcade route like heffer to slaughter. Do not let your government murder in the name of business-as-usual.

Ms. Gun, we all owe you a debt of gratitude for your courage and your convictions. Could we all be like you . . .

Joseph Haines, signing off from The Edge of the Abyss.