The Problem With Secrets in the U.S. Government.

  

  Our freedom of speech is one of our most basic and cherished rights because for the most part, it's pretty simple. Anyone can say whatever they want and have the freedom to do so. Though sometimes this gets tricky. Like speech, the freedom of information is also something that usually is pretty easily spelled out, but this too can have some circumstances where things start to get a little murky. 

    In the case of Julian Assange, he tries to make a bold move to demonstrate both of these freedoms when he release the U.S. documents containing dark secrets about the Iraq War. This case really tip toes on the line of both freedom of speech and freedom of information, because though the information here is not life or death (at least for its citizens), the principle that it breaks is something that needs to be kept under control. If all of the information leaked from the government's plans, we would be defenseless against other countries, and there is the devastating truth that there are times where the government has to make some hard calls. Even worse, it can be very hard for the public to accept the fact that their government can sometimes make mistakes.

    All of this puts pressure on the government, and though it doesn't make things easier, it's necessary. It's a constant battle that we have to fight and it's a line that we must cross. We are a democracy, we make decisions as a people, and in order for the right decision to be made, the people must be informed. Our government must have secrets that is a fact. We could not survive if the government told us everything they were doing, but it's our role as a people to keep them in check. Our role in this democracy is to make sure that the government is acting righteously and if it's anyone who finds out their secrets, lets hope it better be us.