Sinclair Broadcasting offered time on its affiliate stations for the Kerry camp to respond to the documentary, but Kerry-Edwards declined the offer, instead resorting to using the federal government to ban Sinclair from asserting its First Amendment rights.

"'The First Amendment is for me, but not for thee' is not a position that a presidential candidate should take," continued Houston. 'Stolen Honor' was produced by a team of Vietnam POWs who have never been able to tell their story. They were tortured and silenced more than 30 years ago, and now John Kerry is attempting to silence them again to keep their story from being told. These war heroes have more than earned the right to speak – and the First Amendment demands that this right be protected."

"Instead of denying these soldiers the right to speak their mind, Senator Kerry should come clean to the American people," continued Houston. "If there is truly nothing to hide, why is the senator afraid of the documentary?

"Furthermore, why has he refused to sign the DD-180 form to authorize release of all his military records - including those that reference his medical history - and shouldn't he explain why his medals were all re-issued on the same day in 1985?"

"The senator is campaigning to be commander in chief, and the American people deserve to know the full story of his Vietnam military experience and the terms of his discharge - including why it was re-issued in 1978, six years after his separation from the Navy."

"Deflecting attention away from his own service by limiting POWs' ability to discuss their own will not sit well with the American people. We hope that Sinclair will stick to its schedule for airing 'Stolen Honor.'"

(US Newswire)

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