Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Wikileaks and freedom of press (Post #21)

Last week the non-profit media organization, Wikileaks, published the largest media leak of classified documents in military history. Over 390,000 documents were released to the public outlining many of the events from the Iraq war. Some of the highlights of the information include:
  • Over 60% of deaths in the Iraq war are civilians
  • An average of 31 civilians die each day of the war
  • Use of military contractors added to the chaos in Iraq
  • Neighboring Iran has been sending money into Iraq to support the insurgents
Here is the introduction of the documents from the NY Times.

As media changes so do our politics. Do citizens have a right to these documents? Is it legal for classified documents like this be published? Since these documents show how bad things have been in Iraq will they lower the morale of troops or our citizens? How do these documents make you feel about our two presidents who have implemented policy in Iraq? Will internet sites like wikileaks make traditional media obsolete? Do these documents make a case for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq?

142 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. ShotzgoBOOM said...

    I don't like it when the government keeps secrets from me, stopping me informed decisions and opinions about and for my country. While I can't imagine that it was legal for classified documents to be posted in such a way, I also don't see how it is right, in a democratic society to keep information from the governed.

    I do not think that sites like this will make traditional media obsolete as an increasing number of people hate reading, and we are taught to distrust the internet, while very few people preach distrust of television or paper news, thought it has the potential to be just as misleading.

    Also, if you want to create a reputable site, it should be noted that adding "wiki" at the beginning of the url is not a smart move.

    Sasha Schotzko-Harris
    Bauer
    P.1

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  3. as citizens we have a right to know certain things, but this is a time of war. rights must sometimes be limited for good reasons. a person is smart, people are stupid, mob mentality can cause wonders.

    if it's CLASSIFIED then no, it shouldn't be published.

    lower moral=protest, violence, anti war and American sentiments, possible terrorist sympathizers ect. its not good.

    wiki-leaks might make traditional media lose popularity because wiki-leaks might post the "nitty gritty" violent and grotesque news that traditional news casters would not care to broadcast. being a society that loves violence in many cases, this could cause a power change.

    cause for withdrawal? i thought we were already withdrawing?

    Bryan Jenks
    Bauer AP Gov p1

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  4. The government shouldn't keep things like this hidden because it just shows what idiots they make of the people to do whatever they want. Not only that, who knows if they only let the "best" news leak out and keep the true secrets hidden. I for one don't believe they have the right to do it but i'm positive they will continue to do it anyways and i'm sure there is tons of information they still have sealed away from the public.

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  5. Josh Agans, Bauer P.5October 26, 2010 at 10:42 PM

    the government should not be able to keep things from us. we have a right to know about the war and what is going on. even if things arent as expected or are really bad over there, they still need to tell us. i do not think these websites will make traditional media obsolete. not a lot of people try looking for news like this. i mean if we happen to come across it we'll read it if it is interesting, but we dont go around looking for it. i dont think alot of people would even believe this stuff.

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  6. Steven Reichmuth, Bauer, period 2October 26, 2010 at 10:48 PM

    Who said war was supposed to be fair and clean? This whole Wikileaks thing should be shut down. Freedom of speech or not the goverment should not let them get away with this. They are releasing information that is "CLASSIFIED" meaning its not for public eyes or it could get into the wrong hands. Who ever they are getting this information from should be arrested and put on trial. If this wikileaks website wants to do something useful, why don't they get the dirt on the Roswell thing? People are dieing to know what really happened there.

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  7. I believe that wikileaks is definitely allowed to publish as this because if you were to stop them from it... then we would know nothing. i think this will just have us appreciate our troops more.

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  8. If these sites publish CLASSIFIED information who knows what they are going to realse and when they are going to realease them they could release these documents. If they release them at the most inaportune time our enemys could use them. The documents that were public were CLASSIFIED there for they shouldnt have been published it is our militarys job to publish there CLASSIFIED documents as they see fit. I honestly think that they need to leave the CLASSIFIED documents alone because they are CLASSIIED for a reason granted it is nice to no how the war went but not because of a leak of the information. so i think that they should stop leaking our militarys CLASSIFIED information And i have one q. for you to ponder who leaked this information was it someone in the military and if so what else will they leak?

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  9. I think that wikileaks are right to leak this info. If our govt cant do it, than who will? Its wrong for our govt to lie to us, and i dont think this will destroy traditional internet because theres not enough popularity for the topic.

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  10. I think that the posts of these leaks should be viewed to our citizens. They shouldn't be hiding anything from us. If we were about to die and lose a war and we didn't know how would you feel then. This may change the morale of our troops, but they should want to work harder to be better. This may change the way we view our presidents to but, it was there decisions.

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  11. We as citizens should have the right to know what's going on with our country. What if we were about to be nuked? we'd be going about our day one second and dead the next...not even a warning to proceed our deaths..
    Samantha White
    Sloan
    Per. 5

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  12. I believe that in a democracy, the people should be aware of the situations in the country and not hidden from things; although too much information may cause distrust in the gov't and what it is doing. It definently lowers the morale of troops and citizens, especially in a war if they don't care for fighting or supporting in.

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  13. Yes of course, I do beleive that our citizens have the right to read about what is going on in our country. Because it is the citizens who are affected and pay taxes for our troops in Iraq wheather we think they should be their or not. These are the people who make up our country. I do not think it is right for our country to keep things from us. We should know what is going on and how it is affecting us so we won't make the same mistakes from our past for a better future, Because we are the future.
    I do not know if the bad documents on Iraq will lower the moral of our troops or citizens because the government has so much control already over Iraq.
    I do not agree with the war that was started by last presedent Bush, Jr. But President Obama was not in office when war was started so I do not have a comment on him.
    I do not know if these media documents will be made absolute but I do believe they should. I do not know if these documents will make a case for withdrawal of troops in Iraq, but if it does then I beleive it would be a good thing.

    Angela Smith
    Mr. phenix
    per.1

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  14. Maria Schmidt, Bauer, Period 5October 27, 2010 at 3:22 PM

    I believe that we all have the right to know what is going on in the war, even if it's bad. Citizens do have the right to view these documents because they affect them. I doubt that these documents were legally published, but now that they have been leaked, I think it's for the better because now citizens know the truth. I don't think websites like wikileaks will make traditional media obsolete because, like Josh said, usually people don't search for information like this, they usually just happen to come across it.

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  15. My opinion is if those documents get into the hands of the media, the media has the right to show and explain those documents. The media has there first amendment right to that.

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  16. Emily Staab Bauer Period 2 :)October 27, 2010 at 3:37 PM

    I think that the ublic does have a right to know this. But once the public knows about this, we will just keep pushing boundaries to get the information that we want. But I think that the government should get a chance to explain themselves. I think i get why the gov't kept these a secret. Who knows whats going to happen if more of these Wikileaks come out. As afr as demoralizing our troops go, I don't think that could happen. Unless they killed innocent bystanders instead of the threating people, then I don't think that the troops could be demoralized.

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  17. i think its terrible that the government keeps these things from us. it is our country and we are in it together until the end. we all need to be informed about what is going on at all times.
    ~~brooke fletcher:)
    mr. bauer
    period 2

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  18. I don't think that the public needs to know things that are classifed. that's why there are CLASSIFIED. when things like that get published to the public we do have access to it but not only us but so do our enimies. these documents show our enimies and potential enimies how we strategize, and it gives them clues of how we think so they can be one step ahead. Do we really want that America? I know i don't. And also i thought we already were getting out of this war.
    Katey Santillan
    Bauer Ap gov Per.1

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  19. Samantha Barragan Mr.Bauer Pd. 3October 27, 2010 at 4:38 PM

    I think that we have every right to have acess to this information, it might not help but we should at least be able to know if we want. It is our country and we as people like knowing what's going on. If we don't we go into a panic, even if it's bad we need to know. It is more american troops going in without knowing what to expect or not knowing it's that brutal. We deserve to know everything about our country, it shouldn't even be classified.

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  20. the world has a right to know certain things going on related to them in some way. if a document is classified then it is only supposed to be viewed by select people. if the media gets ahold of any documents they have a right to publish them. it is up to them whether or not they will publish anything. if certain media groups were against the war they would be more likely to publish such information to try to get people to side with them; while others may only publish certain sections of the information.

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  21. If a document is classified, it is for a good reason.

    Victoria Turney
    Bauer 1st

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  22. I believe that people should have the rights to these documents, they are finally telling americans the truth about our military and our involvement in other countries. I believe that our two presidents created this mess and have done nothing to fix it, we went to iraq for no apperant reason, and the reason that was given was never justifible. I hope that sites like this stop the unnecessary war that is being fought.

    Trista Dowdy
    Sloan per.5

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  23. The government sometimes should have a level of secrecy but not as much as was leaked. That is just wrong for the government to keep things like these from it's citizens especially when the power comes from us. How are citizens supposed to check how government (in regards of doing its job or having too much power) is doing if alot of information is being kept from us? I don't think it is illegal for sites like the one mentioned to publish leaked information because that is the government's job to keep that info confedential. These documents clearly indicate that a withdrawal of troops is needed.

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  24. Bryana Zamarripa Bauer P3October 27, 2010 at 7:00 PM

    I believe that the people have the right to know what is going on in this government. The President shouldn't be able to decide what the people should know about the world.
    Bryana Zamarripa
    Bauer p3

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  25. Citizens have a right to know what is going on in Iraq. I don't believe that these documents will lower the morale of troops or our citizens because their actions were done with good intentions. It is not legal in the U.S. to publish this information because these stats are usually held from the people. Internet sites such as wikileaks will hurt traditional media if they continue to post data that is usually not said because people will want to know more.

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  26. I think the media had no right to confiscate those important documents and could've gave important details to the insurgents.

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  27. I don't like knowing that the government is keeping so many secrets from it's own citizens, but there can be good reasons behind keeping some of the information. In times of war it's important to keep the country united and to keep the morale up. War isn't perfect and fair, that's why it's war, and there are going to be things that we regret but cannot prevent. Also, in some cases the government may keep things secret that are matters of national security, kept secret for the benefit of the people. It may seem like we are living in denial if we simply ignore the fact that we don't know everything about government actions, but maybe it is the only way to keep peace and faith in our nation and those who run it. Bauer/Sloan

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  28. Becker
    bauer
    4th period
    Ap gov
    The government should not keep these things from us. If it is so bad, they should never have done it.we are a country by the people for the people, and the government should respect that .

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  29. I agree with all the previous bloggers. The government should always keep us informed. We should have the right to know of what is going on in Iraq and what our couuntry has chosen to do.

    Christina Luna
    Bauer P.1

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  30. Brian Magina, Sloan P.3October 27, 2010 at 11:33 PM

    In this country we should have the right to know what is going on. There should be nothing that is kept away from us. No matter what the severity is of these documents, we should have the right to view them. The people that think they are "too severe", should just not pay attention to them.

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  31. Even though the documents became available for the public through a leak, we have the rights to know what is going on in the governments and the truth about Iraq war. As long as the media does not publish information that could damage current issues i believe it is good for the public to begin to see the truth of the war. Sloan p3

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  32. Im a curious person so i always want to know what is going on. I think that the government should not have to hide things if they are making good decisions and know what they are doing is right.

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  33. if the documents are out then yeah we do have right to these documents. Yes its legal to publish classified documents only if they're in the hands of media. Yes it could lower the morale of troops our our citizen because its so horrible. Makes me feel I guess betrayed in a way seeing as how they lied.

    Sloan
    Period 1

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  34. I do think the government shouldn't be hiding things from us since we play a part in the government, but i also think somethings are better left unheard. Our government keeps things from us for a reason. if they wanted us to know this then they would have just came out and said it.

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  35. Jackie Douglas Bauer P.2October 28, 2010 at 12:37 PM

    It's scary how much and what kind of information can be found on the internet. It could possibly lower the morale of our people, but we have a right to know what's going on over there. Some people still honestly think the war is about oil... The presidents who have been in power while the war has been going on have both made the right decisions. Bush was right in declaring war and Obama is right for pulling us out.
    The internet will eventually replace traditional types of media but not for a while.

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  36. Danielle Smith, Sloan P1October 28, 2010 at 2:24 PM

    I don't think we should know what these documents entail. They're classified for a reason; so I think the government should force them to remove these leaks from the internet. I'm sure it's legal for them to be published if they were obtained legally, but I just don't think it's something we should be seeing. We're fighting a war. It's not going to be love and rainbows. Of course things are going to be bad in Iraq! I sure hope it won't lower the morale of our troops, I'm not sure why it would. They knew what was going down before these documents were published because they were living it, so it really shouldn't make much of a difference to them. I think Bush was completely right in going to war after the 09/11 attacks. I'm completely against Obama pulling our troops out of the war. I think with how technology is today, traditional media will become pretty much obsolete as time goes on and everything will be internet based. I suppose some people would think these documents make a case for withdrawl out of the war; but the way I see it, we're just getting out with a half done job. The war shouldn't be done with.

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  37. Breana spiro p.4 sloan I believe that the public does have the right to these documents and I believe that we have no reason to be in Iraq and that is just more proof and I hope it does change everybodys mind so they can just come home

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  38. i think that the leak of these documents is in a way good for us to know what is really going on in the war. they should be documented because we the people shouldnt allow this to happen. by letting this happen it makes us look bad and cruel as a country and we support our troops. hterefore i think that it is good that it came out so we all see the truth.
    erika oropeza
    mr. sloan
    p.4

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  39. Danielle Bulmer -- Bauer-- 4October 28, 2010 at 4:18 PM

    I think the old saying of "if you don't want to get caught, then don't do it" comes into play here. If the government did not want these documents to get out then they would either destroy them or lock them up to where it's impossible to obtain them. Simple as that.

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  40. i beleave that if files are classified then they should stay hided from the public till they are ready to come out. whether some people think they have the right to know or if they think others need to know. they might not have thought of everything or they might not know of everything. it could possibly risk others lifes.

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  41. I think that media should not have the right to these confidential papers because only the president and head leaders should know. The media just makes it a big deal and then everyone starts thinking "oh that we did a lot of things wrong". Sometimes what the media says is not true so therefore no one should be allowed the papers.

    Jaskiran Kaur
    Mr Bauer
    Period 2

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  42. I think that citizens have a right to know exactly what the government is doing. If the government knows that we know that they're screwing up, then they're more likely to try and fix it, since they can't hide it anymore. Our right to knowledge should never be abridged. If this is a government "by the people, for the people", then it is the people's rights to know what the government is doing.

    Brian S.
    Per. 4 Sloan

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  43. I think that American citizens have the right to know this type of information from the war. Our tax dollars are being put into the war effort, so we have a right to know what is going on with our troops overseas. One reason why the Vietnam War was such an unpopular war was because the people of America were not aware of all the reasons for fighting. If so many men will be put into combat and risking their lives to help benefit our country, then the people of America should be informed of the specifics of the war front.

    Devin Smith, P.1., Mr. Bauer

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  44. I think that we should know the facts about what goes on in iraq. however, i also think that it is classified information for a reason. Sloan per 1

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  45. The media has the right to publish what they want as secured by the first amendament however I feel they should know when to show constraint. Especially with the dealings of national security and an on going war.

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  46. We can't ban the media from publishing such leaks without majorly infringing on freedom of the press and ultimately all of our first amendment rights. It would be nice of the media could show a little decorum and not publish everything just cause they can. However, it is not the role of the government to step in with prior restraint and tell the media what they can and cannot publish.

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  47. I have been agaainst the war since the begining. I think that these papers should make the people mad because the government does not tell us everything that is going on. Our presidents are suppose to keep us involved with everything especially something like a war. These wikileads are like a new kind of media that should be allowed to inform the public. This information should be a strong basis for the withdrawl of the war. Many civilians are loosing their lives, and we are loosing money. I do not think that this form of media will affect others, but it will be very popular.

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  48. People should have the right to know things in the world and the gov. shouldn't hide thing from us.
    Tori Milligan
    Per.3

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  49. Wikileaks has the right to publish those papers becuase we have the right to know what is going on. If the government has a problem with it then it should blame the source that gave wikileaks the papers in the first place. Knowing that the war is mostly killing civillians will lower the moral of this war, but for this reason the facts about the war should be known. If the government wasn't going to publish those papers, then what other information is it keeping from us?

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  50. Vicente Chavez Per. 5th
    According to this blog i belive that it isn't right for the government to be hiding important things from the citizens. This is because then we don't know what is really going on within our country and what is happening with the war in Iraq. Now that we know it is best for the government to keep the United States citizens informed of what is going on. this is my opinion of the blog and i believe it is wrong for the government to be hiding important news.

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  51. Citizens shouldn't have a right to these documents. Yes they show how bad things are in Iraq, but what do people expect? We are at war. I'm sure people have suspected some things or have heard about some things on the news already.

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  52. i dont think there should be classified documents of this nature in the first place, we should be told about whats happening in the war. i think we as the people definitely have a right to too see these documents because we deserve to know what is happening in the war we are supporting. im glad there are websites like wikileaks so we find out whats happening with our government, because obviously they're not going to tell us.
    Hayley Swearingen
    Sloan Per. 4

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  53. We should be allowed to know what is going on in the war and nothing should be a kept a secret. We all know that there is nothing pretty about the war, so they should not be too suprised with what they find out.

    Melissa Quezada
    Mr. Bauer
    P.2

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  54. i think that these documents are classified for a reason; they are hiding the facts from the citizens. this is unacceptable. we have a right, or should have the right, to know what is happening in the war we have been fighting for so long. the government knows how bad the details are and they know that the public would not support the war and we would probably protest if we knew the gruesome details. even though we are at war, there is no way that the civilians should make up 60% of the death toll. i know why the government was hiding this from us, but it is not okay and if it was leaked then they should have been more careful with such classified information. it should not be taken off of wikileaks.

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  55. I believe the people have the right to know what is going on in this government. The government should always keep us informed. And the President shouldn't be able to decide what the people should know about the world.
    Stephanie A
    Mr.Sloan
    Per.4

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  56. Tyler Glenn Per 3 SloanOctober 28, 2010 at 6:42 PM

    I feel that it is bad they are hiding the documents from us. As citizens we have the right to know these things. This information is harmful to the troops reputation but it will not lower the morale of troops because they are the ones doing it. The media is allowed to post these things due to the first amendment.

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  57. Citizens have a right to the documents as long as the information published won't threaten national security or put troops and citizens in danger. I don't think sites like wikileaks would replace traditional media because websites aren't trusted to research thier informatoin and sources as thoroughly as printed press.

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  58. While leaks like this definitely lower the morale of U.S. citizens and soldiers, the freedom of the press to publish what they want free of government censorship is a vital check on our government by the public. The media is a key factor in keeping government accountable for their actions, and it should be used for criticizing the government. As long as there is no danger or risk in publishing the documents, it is alright in my opinion for the world to see them.
    Caleb Boyd
    Mr. Sloan
    Per. 2

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  59. Cierra Gonsalves, Mr, Bauer, Period 2October 28, 2010 at 7:21 PM

    In one way or another, people are very opinionated about war and probably should have a right to thoes documents, not only because people are interested in facts, but maybe they have loved ones in the military. No, the documents that were published were probably classified for a reason and its not legal for them to be viewd by anyone other then authorized personel. I don't think the troops will lose their lack of dedication to protecting their country... However, citizens might because of the fact that they might know a person in the war. Policy in Iraq was obviously not thought completely through and certain aspects could have probably been avoided.

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  60. viridiana ramirez perr. 2 mr bauerOctober 28, 2010 at 7:30 PM

    i think that the posts of these leaks should be viewed to our citizens. They shouldn't be hiding anything from us. our president should keep us involve with everything especially with war. the wikileads are this things that are made to allow the public about whats going on.

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  61. I personally believe that everyone should know what's going on in the world. The government shouldn't hide stuff from us, so yes the documents getting out is fine. Sure, I understand when the government NEEDS to hide stuff from us because like terrorist might "find out about our plan to get 'um" haha. But after the plan succeeds or fails we should know what has happened. Plus, I think it would be wrong to keep documents like these ones private because it lets the men and women out there have some sort of clue what they might be getting themselves into if they want to join the military. They might not want to be killing insurgents but have no idea what's going on, just want to help our country and then regret having to do things they don't agree with.

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  62. Margarita Flores per.5 Mr.BauerOctober 28, 2010 at 7:38 PM

    That is not good that the government should be keeping secrets like that people deserve to know whet they are getting into when u join the army. Like it shouldn't be any secrets i know they think they know best and they dint want people to find put because then everyone is going to get scared and not want to fight for the country but it is worse if they keep it a secret because people are going to get up set and not trust there own government.

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  63. Ryan Cabrera
    Mr. Bauer
    Economics P.2

    As an optimist I would like to say that I hope that this information is kept from us for a reason. It shouldn't be considered free speech to publish government documents, they contain sensitive information that the public might not react well to. It is sort of like the "What you don't know won't hurt you" concept. What CAN the public do with that information, Protest? It has been revealed that the government has learned how to handle protests and we don't have much say as to what the congress or president decide to do with foreign affairs.

    It is much too easy to publish information on the net, and truth can be difficult to separate from lies. I think the news will always exist due to it being perceived as more legitimate.

    Although I personally disagree with publishing classified information, we DO have the right to free speech and the press; The constitution says nothing about the right to keep or tell a secret. I would like the government to tell us this information straightforward, rather than wait for sites like wikileaks to publish it.

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  64. omar delgado sloan per 4October 28, 2010 at 7:43 PM

    i beleive we do deserve having these files shown to us. since were the ones bing sent out to fight shouldnt we go in knowing the progress of the war? the way the govt is keeping secrets like this is the reason the public might have negative opnions about it. allthough they might be holding something of great value back like maybe the case of the civilians bing killed but then again, theyre doing what they think is best for the public to know. they should thrust the public with these secrets because without trust, how do they expect people to go fight for them.

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  65. I think everyone in the USA should be aware of what's going on in war. The government shouldn't keep any secrets(suchs as these documents)from us. Many people fear of what might happen next and that is why they should have the right to know so one can be prepared. Although documents are classified, the government should still find a time to reveal these documents to the public because a lot of people wish to give their opinion.

    Karen Villasenor
    Mr. Bauer
    Per:2

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  66. I believe there will always be hidden information. No matter how much people believe the govenment is telling us everything we will never know it all. And that is a good thing because information can get in the wrong hands and cause worse problems for our country than if they just keep it secret.
    Spencer Pellandini
    Sloan
    P.1

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  67. Maria Perez
    Sloan
    Period:4
    I believe that the government should not be hiding such secrets about such an important issue in the U.S. like war is. I think that the people have the right to know what goes on around them, especially when there is some of their family members in war fighting.

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  68. I dont beleive that it is right for the government to keep secrets like that away from the public. Citizens have the right to know what the government is doing.

    -Ivan Cardenas
    Mr. Sloan Per. 3

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  69. I dont ike when the gov't keeps secrets but its part of there job. Also the citizens of this country hav a right to know what is going on in Iraq but there should be time limits on when we get to know. Especeally sence we are still over in Iraq right now.

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  70. The governemtn shouldnt keep secrets from people because the people deserve to knoe what is going on at all times in their live. The governmnet should inform the people on what is going on because everyone is a part of this counrty.

    Clarisa Carrillo
    per.4
    Sloan government

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  71. I believe that the citizens have a right to know what the government is doing, but at the same time, there are some things they have to keep secret to protect the men and women who are serving in our military. Obviously someone in the government believes the people should know the truth about the war in Iraq however because they leaked it out to the public.
    Tiapon Bauer 4, Sloan 3

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  72. Janeiry Balderas, Mr. Sloan, P. 4October 28, 2010 at 8:17 PM

    I believe that people have the right to know the truth and often it can be disturbing(but we still should hear it). Even though the truth can be hard to hear it is important that people do not get out of control once they hear the truth. The president and the government are now seen differently by the people because of all that has been told about the war. We should try to realize though that the government may have not done the best choices, but the only thing that we can do is try to vote this November to change the things that we do not agree with.

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  73. people should have the right to be informed obout the reality of war. the gov should not sweet talk people into thinking everithing is ok when documents show diffrent inforation. the midia should be focused on the intrest of the people they are informing and therefor i belive they should have the right to know what is trully going on with the war so the midea had the right to publish the papers.
    Alondra Munoz
    Sloan P.5

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  74. Although I believe citizens have a right to these documents as we should know the truth of what we are actually sacrificing our loved ones for, I am not sure of the legality of the situation. I do believe that these documents will influence the morale of our troops as well as our citizens as they provide so much negativity. Although some may feel less of our two past presidents, I'm not sure I can say that is is justified to give them the blame as I am sure they did not intend for the civilians to be killed, etc. They were just doing what they had to do so to speak. I do not believe these such sites will make traditional media obsolete as there's always a time between the release of such "leaks" where we will look to other sources like the television for such information just as we always have. Indeed these documents make a case for troop withdrawal yet there's probably going to be a strong case against it as well.


    --Sloan
    AP Econ, Period 3

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  75. On one hand, shouldn't we be able to trust that our government is doing what is best, just like a young child trusts their parents?
    On the other hand, does ANYONE really trust the government? Do the people really have the right to know EVERYTHING, even classified documents, no matter the outcome? I personally much prefer knowing what is going on than being kept in the dark.

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  76. Mr. Sloan I should be student of the week, I remind about half of the people on here to do the blog two times every week! Just saying. (:

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  77. richard may per. 4 sloanOctober 28, 2010 at 8:56 PM

    This site just gives more fuel for the original media, newspaper could still investigate the truth behind this news could confront people. it doesn't hinders them at all. There is already a reason to withdraw the troops. I support our troops and what they do but this war now has no point, WHERE IS OSAMA? that says it all. We need to give control over and if they request more help after a year or six months then we send people to help, not troops.

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  78. I think the people have the right to know what is going on. I think that documents like these should be exposed as long as they do not lead to the harm of people. The people in america have relatives fighting overseas so they should be able to know the facts.

    Omar Hoyos

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  79. Us the people have the right to know what is happening documents shouldnt be hiden from us we have the right to know.They do show how bad things are in iraq but the people are going to find out about these things anyways so why hide them.

    *Hinojosa,tania
    P.5 SLOAN

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  80. I believe that we as citizens are allowed to read these documents, and the government shouldn't keep things like this from us. Of course there is a war going on and people shouldn't be surprised by this information.

    Guadalupe Velasquez
    Sloan, Period 1

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  81. The government shouldn't be allowed to keep secrets like this from us. It may be illegal for classified documents to be released, but it shouldn't be. Some people could be very concerned about what's happening overseas, and this particular leak could change many people's opinions on the war that they were blindly supporting before. This shouldn't happen again.

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  82. Emily Geiszler, Bauer, AP Gov Period 4October 28, 2010 at 9:19 PM

    As a citizen, i think that we have a right to the information that is in these papers. If it is classified information it should not be published, but we still have a right to know if there is information in it that would affect us. I don't think internet sites will ever make paper materials obsolete because there are some people who still don't like computers. There are also studies that have shown that it is easier to read things on paper than it is to read on a computer screen. These documents that were released should make people want to act and continue to remove troops from the middle east. So many innocent lives have been taken, it is imperative that something is done before more lives are lost.

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  83. I personally believe that these documents should't have been kept secret. I believe the American people have the right to know the true statistics of the war. I don't believe that these documents will lead to clear and present danger so I think that it is okay.
    Marklin Nixon
    Mr. Sloan Per. 1

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  84. I think the public has the right to know about these facts. the government shouldn't censor these kind of information.

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  85. Wikileaks has compromised the mission of our troops. Not only do we have the liberal communists in the media consistently defaming our military, now we have these losers at Wikileaks portraying our soldiers as murderers- killing innocent civilians.

    This is turning into another Vietnam. Just like the hippies who reported on the My Lai massacre and used it to characterize American troops in 1968, The Times is using the Wikileaks information to demoralize our efforts in counteracting terrorism.

    God Bless America. God Bless Our Troops.
    (Sloan P.3/Bauer P.4)

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  86. the u.s citizens have a right to know what is going on around the world, what is happining to their fellow citizens, and what is happening to the fello countries. its only right to let us know.
    kimberlie hernandez
    sloan
    p.4

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  87. Alejandro Ibarra (Mr. Sloan, P.1)October 28, 2010 at 9:54 PM

    I think that as US citizens we should have the right to know the actions of our military and governments affect no matter the location. To me these documents might seem bad to some but it does give us a reason for why we should stop the war.This only shows how the government hides what they dont want us to see for their benefit or out of fear.

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  88. Sergio Maldonado, Sloan p.3/Bauer p.4October 28, 2010 at 10:14 PM

    Citizens do have the right to know about the government's documents, but some things are classified to protect troops and not reveal information to potential enemy countries. It is legal to do this as long as the information doesn't create a large danger to the U.S. and its operations. As long as the troops are still defending the U.S, these documents should not make case for withdrawal Iraq.

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  89. kayla rodriguez sloan5October 28, 2010 at 10:20 PM

    this is a sticky situation. its classified for a reason, but at the same time we living in the country deserve the right to know what is going on with the troops. who knows what to even believe nowadays. i dont really pay attention to all of these articles. but i would like to know what is going on in the war zones.

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  90. Lourdes Godinez
    Bauer period2

    I think we the people have a right to know what the troops from our country are doing. It is not right that civilians from Iraq are the ones suffering from our attacks. The documents only show us even more of how bad war really is.

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  91. Citizens definitely have the right to see what the government is doing. Especially since we pay taxes that go to fund the war and everything that is happening.

    This will not replace existing media but leaked information is not the only kind of news that we need to hear.
    Sloan Per. 3
    Bauer Per. 4

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  92. i think that the people should know whats going on and what were spending our money on because every one pitches in for the military to be there but the problem with this type of info given out with the public because it could bring more enemies therefor it brings good and bad.

    Richard Manso
    pr2
    mrsloan

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  93. The public in general have the right to know what is actually going one in the war when it comes to the well being of this country. I believe that keeping this from us is uncalled for because we deserve the right to know about the actions of our military at war. & if these so called documents were classified they wouldn't of had been leaked in the first place. Serves them right, in my opinion.

    Sloan P2

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  94. Karina Ramos sloan. p1October 28, 2010 at 10:49 PM

    i think that the people have a right to know whats going on with our troops in iraq and especially if more than 50% of civilians are being killed because of the war. The documents being published hopefully change the minds of many that way they can see the reality of what really is going on. The leaked documents will not replace the media but it will only help persuade the people to a point, just like any other type of media does.

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  95. I believe that citizens do have the right to these documents, although some may overly freak out and cause chaos. But others would try and find a way to fix it,yet others may still support the war. I think, by the freedom of press, these documents were legally published. It was up to the government to keep them hidden, but somehow they leaked out. These documents are a good reason to bring out the troops. I am still confused on why we are in Iraq, because I have been so many different things so I don't know if the military is there for a good reason or not. I do agree that war is necessary at times, but I'm not so sure about this war.

    Melody Morphis
    Mr. Sloan
    Per. 1

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  96. I believe that as citizens of the United States we have every right to know what's going on in our counrty, whether its good or bad. The government has no right to keep anything from us, it could possibly make us appreciate our troops even more.

    Danielle Barros
    Gov.
    P.4

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  97. Mallory lemieux Mr sloan pd.4October 28, 2010 at 11:13 PM

    I think citizens do have the right to those documents. IT could let people really know what's going on over in Iraq and not just know what the government tells us!

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  98. -4th time trying to write this...ok here gos nothing-

    If a document is considered classified there must be a reason as to why it is. U.S citizens for the most part have a say on what goes on in America. Some facts are simply to complex to share with the public. There are people who are able to solve problems we face within our government if everyone tired to fix the same problem it would never get solved.

    Gabby Cello
    p.3
    Mr. Sloan

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  99. I think citizens should have the right to know any information. The government should twist the truth or ignore questions people want answers o like area 51 ;). also secrets dont mek friends.

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  100. governemnt shouldnt**

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  101. Well, I guess the people should have the right to know about the things are going on in Iraq, as well as the other things that the government likes to keep on the down low. But, I don't understand why anyone would want to know any of that information? All it would do is make you sad, because it's not like we can do anything about it. I'm much more content letting the government do there own business, because I honestly couldn't care less. Ignorance is most definately bliss.
    Sloan
    Period 5

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  102. As mostly everyone has already said, it's true, the government should not keep things like this away from us. We as a country should be aware of what kind if trouble or dangers our country is facing. Bottom line, these wikileaks are very important to the people and shall be continued to be used.

    Victor Alvarez 
    Pd5
    Mr.Sloan 

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  103. I believe that the press should not have done that because it can put national security on the line and bring more problems to our country i also think that some things are just better to be forgotten
    ricardo villaloando
    mr.sloan
    pr5

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  104. People should be able to see all records. If they cannot they will just assume that the government is hiding something or trying to cover up for something. If they are not aloud to see these files than it will just lead to speculation of why they are refraining us from seeing them.

    Mr. Bauer
    Economics
    Period 2
    10-28-10

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  105. mirim bejines Mr.Sloan p.5October 29, 2010 at 6:57 AM

    I to think that all citizens should have the right to know were all the money are transfering it to and also as american citizens to know everything that are sending to Iraq.

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  106. Justin Tyler, Bauer, p.3October 29, 2010 at 7:05 AM

    I believe as our government they should not be able to have classified documents because that means they are keeping secrets from the people that look up to them and they are not being loyal to the country. I belive that we do have a right to see these documents because we have a right to know what is going on over at the war. Those are our troops and we should be able to know what is happening, not just go by what the government tells us.

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  107. Although I believe that people have a right to know about what is happenning in their government, these "wikileaks go too far. They are hurting the chances of our current mission to be a success. It would be fine if they were leaking information about something else, but they are basically helping the enemy in the war, and that is not ok. I find their actions to be treasonous, so I find them to be illegal. Bottom line is that although we all want all of the information we can get about our government, when it comes to war, we both cannot, and should not always have it.
    Bauer per. 1
    Sloan per. 3

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  108. Citizens do have a right to these documents. It is their family members who are fighting in the war, so thus they should be able to know what is currently occurring over there. I don't think it is necessarily legal for classified documents like this be published. I don't believe that it will lower the morale of the troops or our citizens even though these documents show how bad things have been in Iraq. I don't believe that there should be hidden documents. It makes me not trust the president because if they are hiding information from the citizens, then it seems as though they can't trust the citizens. Despite this, I believe that these documents will not make a case for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

    Chrissy Vue
    Sloan
    Period 3

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  109. I think citizens should know what's going on the war, however I think that classified documents are classified documents should remain that way. The documents are most likely classified for a reason. Those documents aren't going to seen by just Americans. It's on the inernet. I think the documents may lower the morale of trops and citizens but not by much because we already knew that things were bad and Iraq. Internet sites like wikileaks will not make traditional media obsolete because not everyone has access to the internet and media will always be competing with one another.

    Sloan p.2

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  110. people have the right to know this information however, people will find that alot of stuff is prob better that they didnt know.

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  111. I believe that people should have the right to know about all this information. I don't think it'll lower the morale of the soldiers though. I think it makes it seem like the presidents don't trust their own citizens and that they should try to be more honest about things. Overall, I also don't think that it'll lead to the withdrawal of the troops. Period 2 Sloan

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  112. Faye Roberson, Bauer,Period 5October 29, 2010 at 3:43 PM

    I dont beleive that they should leak anything because they were hidden for a reason in the first place. Though i think that doesnt mean everbody does and they believe that they should know whats going on with the country theyre living in . These highlights do make a case for is to withdraw our troops because the people who are dieing the most are u.s. troops and on average 31 die each day.

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  113. Well I thinkk the media should not lie and show us whats really happening in the war. No serects should be kept from the peaple. I think the Government should reveal those documents. Each day im sure someone dies in the war.. It's sad to see the troops dying n nothing is really being done. the war in Iraq is not needed!. more focus should be here on the economy.
    Sania BAcha
    MR.BAuer.
    Per.3

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  114. Nathalie Trevino; A. Bauer period1October 30, 2010 at 9:51 AM

    The public absolutely should have access to this kind of information. The American people are funding this bloodshed and should not be fed some fabricated story. Just as when the pentagon papers were leaked, we all learned how much faith was lost in our own government.

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  115. Alexis Watson Bauer 3October 30, 2010 at 2:28 PM

    I think things that are classified should stay classified that is why they are classified in the first place. Classified means that the public should not know and that is how it should be.

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  116. Just because you can do something doesn't me you should. In other words I think leaks like this should be illegal, this aids our enemies more than it helps the American public. What can we do with this information? Nothing. However, it gives our enemies an advantage because now they know a lot more intelligence then they knew only a few weeks ago.

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  117. Because i do not have the time, patients, or want for that matter, to go though and read EVERY document, I can't not make an informed opinion about this. I find it hard to believe that four bullet points adequately covers all 390K+ documents.

    The government keeps documents and information secret to protect the war effort.
    You could bet your bottom dollar that some one IS taking the time to read every 390K document. Our enemies. I ponder what they can do with this information. I am sure SOMETHING within those 390k documents should not fall into enemy hands.

    Maybe the government should have released this info, and maybe they should have put tighter security on it. I can not say, because i have never read it. And you could also bet bet your bottom dollar that you have not read them either.

    Caleb Newman

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  118. jacob farrar
    baure 4th

    nothing new to me. this is all old news. they can do anything they want, its not like it will change anything. if people didnt already know then they arnot a big part of the factor that will chang the outcome.

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  119. I think wiki leaks is a terrible thing and should be taken off the internet for good. I further believe that the American soldiers who have given up classified documents to be published should immediately be shot for treason. These documents endanger those in our military and our operations in foreign countries, mostly in the Middle East. It should absolutely be illegal to release these classified documents because it endangers the lives of U.S. citizens. Certain things do not need to be known to the average American but do need to be done. Us knowing what our covert operatives do in foreign countries can do nothing to help them and therefore only hurts their cause. They gave their lives up for us; we should not repay them by exposing them to the enemy.

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  120. i think that the government has justification for hiding information. as a citizen, i do not need want or need to know every atrocity of war that is going on. war is hell, but the worse you make it, the shorter it lasts, and the less of your men will die. i would like to know if my government was dealing unjustly with foreign nations, or killing civilians unnecessarily, but the contents of this angry australian's leak are none of my business. this guy is just as crazy as every other anti-war critic out there, and he should be imprisoned for what he did.

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  121. I definitely believe that we shouldbe able to see whatever we want. Why try to hide it when people are still going to hack the system somehow and still see it. i think that if we see this we will appreciate want our soldiers do for us and how much that do to keep our country where we are.

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  122. helllllllllllo. my post didnt post!

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  123. Victoria Charles
    Bauer Period 2

    I believe our country shouldn't keep information from us. we deserve the right to know as much as every one else. however i also believe it is some what of a smart move, because if we knew absolutely everything then everyone would be running around like mad people. so it is a two sided matter. overall i think we should be kept informed a little more.

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  124. katie frogue; sloan p1November 2, 2010 at 7:38 PM

    i think its terrible that the government keeps these things from us. it is our country and we are in it together until the end. we all need to be informed about what is going on at all times.

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  125. yeah, in a way it does put negative attention on the troops in Iraq and thats not a good thing. People need to belive in their troops and support them with positive attention. and if a document is "classified", then why is it on the internet in the first place?

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  126. Dominique Jimenez, Sloan., 5th PeriodNovember 2, 2010 at 9:42 PM

    Citizens do have the right to be open to these documents because everything involving the war American citizens should be completely aware of. These documents on the other hand do not make a case for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq in my opinion, because these documents do not put an end to the war.

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  127. i think that the citizens should know about this because it will help them realize whats going on in the country they are fighting. it may not be legal to go out and share these documents with the public, but i think it was a good idea to do it anyways. it does show bad things about the army in iraq and shows that its hard for them to take care of themselves.
    Blake Harrison
    Bauer
    Period 3

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  128. i think that they should be allowed ot see these becuase it warns all of our civilians what is going on in the war. yeah i dont believe that the "classified" documents should have been shared because they are supposed to be kept secret,but i think it was a good thing that everyone now knows whats going on in iraq and how bad they have it there.
    Blake Harrison
    Bauer
    Period 3

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  129. i think its terrible that the government keeps these things from us. it is our country and we are in it together until the end. we all need to be informed about what is going on at all times.
    Mr.sloan
    Per4

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  130. If citizens dont have the right to these secret documents, then why dont the have better protection. I mean if they are so "classified" then how did a person from a company than many have never heard of retrieve them ?
    JOrdan Elzie per 2 sloan

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  131. Newspapers should not put as news on the articles stuff that is happening in iraq because it scares our people off. What happends in iraq it should stay in iraq. Stuff should be posted up after a few weeks it has happend other than that it shouldnt be seen. Our presidents have struggle in iraq for years they should just give up already.
    Jonathan Ramos
    Mr. Bauer
    Per.2

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  132. Morgan Woods -----> Bauer Per.1November 16, 2010 at 10:34 PM

    I believe that people have a right to know what's going on in their country. if we don't know whats going on how do we trust our government? and how does our government expect us to make informed decisions on election day if we aren't informed of the reality of our current situation.

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  133. People do have a right to know what is going on in their country, however, this case is in no way justified by that. This man released military documents that uncovered operatives in Pakistan and other countries in the Middle East, some of them citizens of other countries that stood up to terrorism, and has put hundreds of lives in jeopardy, maybe thousands. I cannot express the anger I have toward this man and others like him, if American troops are not already being killed because of his ignorance, they will be. He needs to be convicted of treason, second degree manslaughter, theft, and executed; only the media and the current government is too cowardly to go after him.

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  134. Oops, scratch that haha, he's not an American citizen! But still, if the US media knows enough about him to write newspaper articles, we need to do something about it asap

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  135. enrique salazar sloan per5December 3, 2010 at 7:36 AM

    i believe that wikileaks has the right and freedom of press because people should be able to know whats going on in the world

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  136. yes the civilian have to the right to know what is goin on with the war that were in. they shouldnt keep somthing bad hiding n waiting for us to fing out the hard way years later, with some people saying oh my gosh that happen? secrets dont make friends

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  137. I do not mind information like this to be put on to the media. Info that shows statistics of wars should be allowed. Although i do not believe secret information that involves are nations security should be released to public. That could give oue enemies a chance to learn our secret stuff.

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  138. I think everyone should have the right to know what is going on in the war because we have loved ones and friends fighting and to not know whats going on would freak us out a bit i know it would upset me because i have a cousin and an uncle that fights for us and i would like to stay up to date on whats going on instead of having information hidden form us just be stright forword.

    Aniscia Silva
    sloan
    Per 5

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  139. Michael Freeman Per 5 SloanDecember 13, 2010 at 9:18 PM

    I think that the government does not want us to see some of the lies they tell us, so they are trying to make this person look like the big bad person. We have a right to know everything that are government is doing, but yes, they will hide just about everything from us. This is because it is suppose to keep us "safe". And the government will come out and try to act like they are not hiding anything, and that we are all the same. Then why do you bash on the man that is making your bull come to life? It is because they lie. There is no equal among people and government.

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  140. I think that citizens should know what is going on during war since many peoples friends and families are in there. Hiding things make the U.S. seem like its not loyal or honest to their citizens. It is not illegal doing this because it is freedom of press.

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  141. enrique salazar sloanper5December 15, 2010 at 4:05 PM

    I belive wikileaks has the right to put anything out in the media they want because its freedom of speech

    ReplyDelete

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