America: A Nation of Redaction

 

Today, a different kind of Words and Their Stories - an examination of the word redaction.

This week, United States Attorney General William Barr released the long-awaited report by special counsel Robert Mueller. The report presents the findings of Mueller’s investigation¹ into possible collusion between the presidential campaign of Donald Trump² and Russia. It also aimed to answer whether Trump tried to obstruct³ justice during the investigation.

The 400-page report, however, includes “redactions.” And Congress is prepared to fight the administration to get a complete “un-redacted” report released to the public.

Dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster defines the verb “redact” as “to select or adapt (as by…removing sensitive information) for publication or release.”

The publisher said searches for the words “redact, redacted and redaction” increased 4,000 percent on March 29. The rise in searches followed Barr’s letter to Congress on the Mueller report. In the letter, Barr wrote that he was “preparing the report for release, making the redactions that are required.”

Barr said the “redactions” are needed to protect grand jury material, classified intelligence, ongoing⁴ investigations⁵ and the privacy rights of others.

The U.S. government has “redacted” things from the most sensitive information to the most harmless facts throughout history.

Tom Blanton is with the National Security Archive, an organization that calls for open government. He told the Associated Press, “We believe there are real secrets, common-sense secrets, like names of people in the field who would be killed or specifications⁶ of weapons of systems.”

Blanton added, “But redactions are also overused.”

Blanton noted⁷ that the U.S. government “redacted” information on intelligence files for Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, who was accused of human rights abuses. In 2003, the Defense⁸ Intelligence Agency released documents that included Pinochet’s life story. Some information, however, was “redacted” for national security.

Blanton found out that the “redacted” information included Pinochet’s favorite alcoholic⁹ drinks.

David Cole is legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. He said any government official with a security clearance¹⁰ would want to “redact” some information.

Cole said, “If you make a mistake and disclose something you shouldn’t have, that mistake is public. If you decide to keep something secret that doesn’t need to be secret, that mistake is private.”

The need for “redaction” is as old as the country itself.

In 1787, America’s founding fathers met in Pennsylvania to draft the nation’s Constitution behind closed doors. They wanted to speak freely and keep some information from the public.

No official papers were kept on the debate, so there was nothing to “redact.” And James Madison’s personal notes of the meeting did not come out until 1836, after Madison and other delegates were dead.

“I think they are pretty reliable,” historian Gordon Wood said of Madison’s notes. “But they may only account for a fraction of what was said at the convention.”

At the end of World War II, the U.S. became a superpower. The amount of “redacted” documents grew with the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council.

Tim Weiner wrote “Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA.” He said, “In 1947, when you have creation of the CIA and the NSC, you have the production of literally¹¹ billions of papers and billions of secrets contained within them.”

In the years since, U.S. intelligence and other agencies have “redacted” some unlikely information from the public. The list includes:

A method for opening sealed letters without detection and a formula for secret ink from Germany during World War I. The information was “redacted” until 2011.

The “redaction” in 2014 of remarks about the Cuban Missile Crisis made by Soviet¹² leader Nikita Khrushchev. The remarks were made 50 years earlier in a public speech.

FBI files about actor Marilyn Monroe’s reported Communist sympathies were “redacted” until 2012, 50 years after her death.

I'm Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

collusion - n. secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose

fraction - n. a part of something

sympathy - n. a feeling of support for something

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 obstruct   

v.阻隔，阻塞(道路、通道等)；n.阻碍物，障碍物

参考例句：

• He became still more dissatisfied with it and secretly did everything in his power to obstruct it.他对此更不满意，尽在暗里使绊子。
• The fallen trees obstruct the road.倒下的树将路堵住了。

4 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

5 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

6 specifications   

n.规格；载明；详述；（产品等的）说明书；说明书( specification的名词复数 )；详细的计划书；载明；详述

参考例句：

• Our work must answer the specifications laid down. 我们的工作应符合所定的规范。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This sketch does not conform with the specifications. 图文不符。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

10 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

11 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

12 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。