WikiLeaks & Governmental Secrecy

When I entered the United States Air Force in 1983 I underwent a security background investigation performed by the FBI and the US Government. This was done because I would be exposed to certain military secrets and the military and government wanted to be assured that I could be trusted with that information. As time passed, my security clearance was upgraded, especially after I applied to be assigned to Air Force One.

Back then the media in the US were respectful of the need for certain matters to remain secret and they didn't try to discover certain avenues of information due to the understanding that there were some things the public is better off not knowing and with the understanding that if that information were made available to the American public it would also be available to the enemies of the Republic. Today, that respect and understanding is sorely lacking. The media, along with many of the citizens of this nation believe nothing should be kept confidential or secret; that every scrap of information and data held by the US military and government should be broadcast to every corner of the country. Journalists even brag about going after sensitive, confidential information.

The release of some half-million documents on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by WikiLeaks put the lives of our military service members at risk. While Mr. Assange may claim that the world has a right to know, the fact of the matter is by releasing those documents he gave the enemies of the United States information that compromised not only the safety of our troops, but our ability to fight the wars in those countries efficiently and effectively. Whether you agree with the wars or not, the safety and security of our military personnel must, and should, be our utmost priority.

Yes, there have been those in government who have abused the rules for confidentially and security to perpetrate frauds and hide ethical violations, and in those cases, the ones responsible should be found and punished, but you cannot justify doing away with the secrecy needed within the government and the military because a few people have abused the system. That would be tantamount to dismantling the New York City Police Department because there have been some corrupt cops in the ranks. Chaos, lawlessness and anarchy would be the end result.

WikiLeaks, unfortunately, hasn't bothered to be selective in the information it has released. They simply release every bit of information regardless of whom it hurts or whom it puts in danger. If they had chosen to only release information that shed light on abuses of power while withholding information that shed no such light or information that could cause a citizen or a service member of this nation to be killed, I would applaud them! I cannot, however, condone the actions of these dangerous people when men and women who were trying to protect this nation lost their lives because this organization wanted to make a name for itself and did so at the expense and peril of those who fought and died to give them the right to express their opinions.