Harry the Hero vs Drudge the D***head

Yet again we see another week of web anarchy. Amid the throes of war one thing a concerned family would hope is that the media would not stoop so low as to put their family members in danger.

It seems, however, if you have a web site, a greed for more traffic and the moral standards of a crack junky stealing for his latest fix, then you can do what you like in the name of free speech.

I was appalled to see that it was a tacky web based squeeler site, that broke the story on Prince Harry being in Afghanistan. The immense bravery of a young man who recognised that he was a 'bullet magnet' was brushed aside by the online 'journalist' in what can only be described as a deplorable traffic garnering excercise.

I ask myself what would have happened if, becuase of this information, the young Prince would have been hurt or worse killed. Would there have been repurcussions for this site or would it have been put down to freedom of the press?

In an unprecendented move, certainly for the UK press, this secret was kept under a media blanket for 10 weeks allowing the Prince to go about his business of serving his country. Because of one greedy and morally vacant person his tour came to an end and his life was put in danger.

The world mourned Harry's mother's death and for a moment we thought the excesses of the press might be curbed and individuals would have some sort of potential to protect themselves from the gutter journalist and paparazzi, but that faded and no one was held accountable.

Is it any wonder that the Prince has a healthy dislike of the press? Wouldn't you?

The very fact that I can write here what I think may be at odds with my sentiments, after all I am able to write my opinion because of the freedom of the press, safe in the knowledge that it is unlikely that anyone will sue me for my thoughts on the matter. Those previleges and freedoms, however, are the very freedoms that are being fought for by every brave and selfless military person putting their lives at risk in far off shores.

It appears however, that herding people to your Adsense adds or boosting your online reputation and profile is far more important that honouring those who are doing the actual fighting and not sitting at home writing about it. Is it a story that Prince Harry is a Roya? Yes it is, but he was not there sitting in an air conditioned room miles from the action surrounding by special forces guys, he was living the life and fighting for ours.

Nothing, in my opinion, is more cowardly than putting our troops, regardless of who they are, in harms way to earn a little more money.

The problem is, however, that the Internet allows cowards, the morally corrupt and the plain stupid to peddle their rhetoric for thirty pieces of Google silver.

I can't bring myslef to mention the site concerned but the thought of them all sitting around and having a drink to congratulate themselves on increasing their site traffic is hurl enducing.

Free speech my arse...its all about the dollar...no matter who gets hurt.