The controversy surrounding WikiLeaks is enormous. It’s the first website of its kind, one that reveals top-secret government documents to the public. WikiLeaks’ concept is a noble one, and I value the freedom of speech and expression that they strive to promote. In my opinion however, WikiLeaks is like a ticking time bomb in the stomach of democracy.

WikiLeaks’ main objective is to create “an uncensorable Wikipedia for untraceable mass document leaking and analysis.”Any submitted report could look like a direct attack against the U.S. government, causing a negative reaction from them. Threatening a person who has a lot of power in the government and access to all types of resources is asking for conflict.

If WikiLeaks gains massive public support from revealing scandalous and ugly truths about the government, I believe that the people of America could look like a threat to national security in the government’s eyes.

WikiLeaks create nation wide scandal. In a democracy, members of society are supposed to collaborate with those in power to carry out the wishes of the people. If those in power feel attacked by the ones they’re supposed to be advocating for, they will have no reason to want to collaborate with them. In order for this collaboration to occur, the citizens and the people in power need to trust and respect one another. WikiLeaks has the potential of destroying that trust.

When WikiLeaks exposes top-secret government documents to the masses, the organization is only causing damage to itself and the people who support it because ultimately, the government has the final say. It will always have the final say if it is unable to cooperate with its citizens. Citizen-government cooperation is impossible if the government doesn’t trust its citizens to make decisions.

The government won’t value public opinion if they feel threatened by it. The government will then begin to horde its power and regulate freedom of speech. Although the Constitution is in place to protect democracy, it’s also susceptible to change. When the founding fathers wrote it, they knew it wasn’t perfect and gave future generations the chance to change it as the times changed. If the times change dramatically because of the effects WikiLeaks, the government could make a dramatic change to the Constitution, causing true democracy to vaporize before our eyes.

Today, WikiLeaks seems harmless enough; but in the future, it could potentially be the destroyer of our freedom.

by Aurora Blanchard