by Dawna Dees

Created on: November 20, 2008   Last Updated: June 06, 2010

It is obvious that there should always be an agreed upon level of withheld information that must remain classified, for the sake of our nation's safety. Our government has the responsibility of keeping its people out of harms way. Terrorists would have free reign to information that could empower their vengeance enough to destroy America, if we were left unprotected.

However, the type of information that is being protected and at what level the government's protection is needed appears to be flexible, by definition. The level of censorship that government currently maintains, on public information availability, is dangerously excessive. The secrecy that is being exercised does not deem as safety issues but does however, wreak of greed. Integrity appears nonexistent with power, money and politics. Therefor, trust in these areas will continue to be a fairytale for us. We are living on decisions by faith, by which we have no choice. We are hopeful but helpless. Our electoral voting is based on 'the less of two evils'. How can we believe our government will protect us if we can't trust in them? How can we trust them if they aren't truly protecting us. One problem seems to be feeding another, giving birth to others.

Protection is not an issue that would be argued but labeling secrecy as such, is an attempt to hide the intent behind what is being withheld. Then, they are creating a defense using manipulative tactics against citizens to make these actions appear valid. It's a psychological game they like to play with us. If the true purpose of keeping information classified was for safety reasons, it would not develop into a debatable subject. The problem that the public has with government secrecy is that, we do not have the privilege of knowing a lot of the important and sometimes critical issues that we should. That is, until someone is fired or retires and decides to speak out.

Keeping too much information from us, as citizens, can become hazardous. Leaving us unprepared and unadjusted for possible realities that are or could happen is also cruel. This could impact the seriousness that decisions we make in our everyday lives are chosen. Americans are often called 'lazy'. Well, withheld information could be attributing to our 'eyes wide shut' views and creating a naive sense of awareness. If we were truly educated and informed, as much as we should be, choices like where we live, who we work for and how we handle our finances could empower us with the ability to make a positive difference in our environment and how we are living today. We are a fearful society and fear is created by the unknown. So, I believe governmental secrecy could make us safer but may not be.

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