Wikileaks
It is their right and it is most definitely legal, but the exposure of government documents and the publishing of secrets and comments is no doubt harmful.
With the 1971 Supreme Court decision in the trial of the New York Times Co. v. United States, commonly referred to as the Pentagon Papers case, the right of news sources to publish leaked information and leaked documents was upheld.
Nowadays, however, in a world transformed and controlled by the internet, it is the website known as WikiLeaks that has taken advantage of these leaks.
The webpage has been wreaking havoc upon U.S. foreign relations due to various secrets and unfavorable comments made about some of the United States’ closest allies and those countries leadership positions.
It is well within their rights as the president has been set by the Pentagon Papers court case, virtually allowing the publishing of almost any information collected by news organizations, however, a blurred line has appeared within laws dealing with leaking information. Potentially harmful information to the United States’s military positions is not allowed to be published, whereas other leaked documents are still on the fence.
In fact, Wikileaks and founder Julian Assange are reportedly being looked at for prosecution on terms of espionage based on the terms outlined within the Espionage Act.
His fate remains unclear, however in my opinion, new actions must be taken.
It is up to the government and Congress to reform the security of these documents and other important information from leaks, from heftier action taken against leak sources, to a greater attempt at the prosecution of officials involved in the act of espionage.
The fact is our military and political relations are in jeopardy thanks to Assange.
Our soldiers could be targeted, our relations could drop off.
These questionable activities are unacceptable.
I am a firm believer in first amendment rights, specifically the freedom of the press, as a reporter I hold that right especially dear. However, when leaked documents jeopardize the United States in any way, when they put a strain on relations, when they hurt the public, when they unnecessarily expose the government’s plans and actions in any harmful manner, action must be taken.
Assange should be ashamed for what he’s done. As an American, it should be his civil duty to stand behind his nation, instead, he ratted it out.
I believe wholeheartedly in the right of everyone to knowledge and specifically to knowledge in the government. I believe that people need to know about conspiracies for the safety of our United States. I believe that leaks like that of Deep Throat during the Watergate scandal are necessary to this safety and in that respect I do respect the rights of Assange to release these documents.
However, what good did that do?
At least during Watergate there was a reason to Deep Throat’s actions as our president was seemingly untrustworthy. During the Pentagon papers case, the world needed to know the history of Vietnam and the truth about the Johnson administration.
Here, Assange just acts out of self-interest, there was no action for the good of the public or the good of America. Instead, he only acted to hurt.
There is no spirit there. No loyalty. No reasoning. That’s where I find a flaw.
In this economy, in this world we live in today, it is important for unity to sweep over our nation. It is time that the American people stood beside their government and led the way out of our pitiful state.
But with stragglers like Assange keeping us from this unity, from this perfection, from this new world, we will never be able to return America to its natural state.
As Langston Hughes once said, “Let America be America again.”
Please, Assange, let us be America again.
