THE WIKILEAKS CONTROVERSY

This Thanksgiving weekend, the website Wikileaks released eighty thousand documents regarding the U.S State Departments policies to foreign nations across the world. The release of the documents have brought about deep embarrassment to the U.S State Department. Various Politicians/pundits have called for the source of the leak to be investigated and the leaker charged with treason and executed. Some pundits also admonished news organizations who published the information leaked on their websites/newspapers/news channel.

I am of the opinion that the leaks deserve to be published and newspapers/website owners should not be prosecuted for publishing information that was leaked to them. The New York Times was one of the newspapers which published information contained in the leaks and the constitution makes safe guarantees for the press and I believe that the New York Times as a newspaper falls under the protection of those guarantees.
As long as what the newspaper publishes is the truth, the information no matter how damaging to the government should never be censored. It may be put on hold or postponed but it should never be censored in my opinion.

The Wikileaks website has been able to maneuver  the situation to their advantage as the documents released has piqued the interest of many Americans regarding the policies employed by their government.

THE UPROAR OVER TSA SCREENINGS

I have found it amusing that the some of the same people who are so quick to accuse the federal government for playing 'catch up' to terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda are firmly against the new installed screeners at major airports across the U.S.  The Transportation Security Administration have installed new screeners at airports to counter potential terrorists such as the under wear bomber last December who bypassed air port security in Amsterdam and almost succeeded in blowing up a plane destined to U.S shores.

Opponents of the new full body scanners have cited invasion of privacy as one of the reasons why they are against the installment of the scanners.

I personally have no problem with the Full Body Scanners as I believe that they are put there solely for the purpose of protecting Americans from potential terrorists. It is only a minor inconvenience I feel that Americans all over should be willing to bear just to guarantee flight safety.

Some opponents of the Full Body Scanners claim that America should not be "cowering" to the fear brought about by potential terrorist attacks. The TSA should ignore the criticisms of those who are opposed to the Full Body Scanners, afterall the very same people are quick to label the TSA as lacklustre in their approach to air port security whenever an aspiring terrorist gets through air port security.

HOW TO BE A GOOD HOUSEWIFE..

I came across this American High School Home Economics textbook written in the 1950s. It advised younger women on how to be a good wife. It reads in part:

Taken from a 1950's American High School Home Economics textbook, the essay is entitled "How to be a Good Wife." It reads in part:
Have dinner ready. Prepare yourself. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. Clear away the clutter -- run a dust cloth over the tables.
Prepare the children: Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces, comb their hair, and if necessary change their clothes. They are God's creatures and he would like to see them playing the part.
Minimize all noise…eliminate the noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.
Some Don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he is late for dinner. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice.
Listen to him: You may have dozens of things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first. Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or other pleasant entertainments.


Reading this amused me to no end because it reminded me of how far we had come as a culture. Most women in America today would rather be caught dead than to adhere to all of these rules, and it made me ponder on whether our cultural values have diminished with time or whether we have changed for the better.

GEORGE W. BUSH ON OPRAH

I watched former President George Bush get interviewed on Oprah today at 4pm. Oprah quizzed Bush about certain decisions he had made during his eight year presidency.
Bush noted that he was really hurt when some people accused him of being a racist and not caring about 'black people' during the New Orleans/Katrina disaster. Musical Hip-Hop artiste Kanye West famously accused George Bush of not 'caring about black people' on MTV's fund-raising telethon for Katrina.

Watching the Interview, allowed me to view the former President in a new light as I came to realize that most people are wont to judge a man in his position without truly knowing the burdens that the job places on a man.

Bush also admitted that he never lost his soul to the politics in Washington. He emphasized that he did not give in to the polls and the popularity contests being conducted within the Washington political circle. Bush stated "Many people chase popularity not realizing that it's a fleeting moment. Popularity does not last forever, but your principles do. I didn't sell my soul for the sake of politics or popularity."
That quote by the President really spoke to me as a person who plans to enter politics sometime in the future, most of the people who do enter politics lose their souls and are never the same. I never want to be the person who loses his soul just to attain power.