Wiki Leaks

This whole issue of Wiki Leaks in an interesting one, that's for sure. Some people have very strong feelings on the topic, and those go both ways.

Many people see Julian Assange as a heroic figure, as he has helped leak different things that have actually changed the world. The election in Kenya is the best example that comes to mind. Because of that single leak, the election was swung by 10%. That changed the course of the election. For this, Wiki Leaks and Assange are viewed in a glorious and heroic light.

On the flip side, others think of Assange as just some trouble maker who doesn't have the right to leak this information. At times, the info that has been leaked has hurt some people in the process. One example would be Chelsea Manning. In a way, Wiki Leaks basically made her look like a traitor to the United States. That fact has, most likely, ruined the rest of her life.

In addition, some leaks are quite brutal make American soldiers look very heartless in the process. This is not something that most American enjoy seeing, and that makes many people dislike Wiki Leaks.

The main question remains: did Assange have the right to release these documents  Although there are U.S. laws that state that the government has the right to have privacy over documents that have to do with national defense  but according to the article, no news source has ever officially been punished for releasing secrets. I strongly believe that this fact has to do with the First Amendment. That protects our right to free speech, and I simply cannot see any court ruling against this because of the First Amendment.

A ton of people think of Assange as a hero. If he received a really harsh punishment, or if an "accident" happened to him, there would be a lot of anger out there. People would probably start riots and the government would have even more problems on its hands. I think that the government will stick to their current plan and just leave him be where he is. It's a passive strategy, but both the government and Assange are stuck right where they are, and there doesn't appear to be a way that either party would win if they came out of their stalemate.