We're Bringing the War Back Home

Folks, our fighting boysneed your help. Here's the email we received today from one of them:

Just to let you know, the US Marines have blocked access to "Wonkette" along with numerous other sites such as personal email (i.e. Yahoo, AT&T, Hotmail, etc), blogs that don't agree with the government point of view, personal websites, and some news organizatons. This has taken effect as of the beginning of February. I have no problem with them blocking porn sites (after all it is a government network), but cutting off access to our email and possibly-not-toeing-the-government-line websites is a bit much.

Initially all web blocking was done locally at the hub sites in Iraq. If you wanted a site "unblocked" you just had to email the local administrator with a reason (like, "I'd like to read my email, please."), and if it wasn't porn or offensive, they'd allow it. Now, all blocking is done by desk-weenies at the USMC Network Operations Center in Quantico, VA, who really don't care if we get our email (or gossip) out here, as they get to go to happy hour after working 9 to 5 and go home to a nice clean, warm home with a real bed! (Sorry, I'm a little peeved.)

Apparently, when you try to view, say, Condi Rice doing crunches from Iraq, you get this error message: "Forbidden, this page (http://wonkette.com/) is categorized as: Profanity, Personal Pages."

Profanity? Fuck yeah. Personal?It is now. What is this,Red China? What are we fighting for if not the right of all men and women, Iraqi or American, Insurgent or Marine, Sunni, Kurd, or the other one, to hear minute-by-minute updates of Anna Nicole Smith's appearance before the Supreme Court or read birthday cards to disgraced lobbyists?

Anyone know who we're supposed to appeal to about this? Call our Representatives? Should we all send lengthy emails to Romenesko ?

(Psst, hey Marine -- Tor .)