What is going on?
In Washington we have a former first lady AND Secretary of State claiming she just thought it was easier to keep all her emails under one address, which just happens to be her personal email with the secure server safely under her own roof.
And, in Oklahoma we have yet another college fraternity doing something uber stupid and playing the omg we didn’t think something we did in the confines of our fraternity would hurt anyone card.
The connection?
Ignorance is only bliss for those who have the right to claim it, and both politicians and college students should know better.
Let’s take the political view first. Hillary Clinton has virtually grown up in the White House. In fact, part of her job as the Secretary of State was to protect and maintain national security. Whether or not there was a written policy about using government issued email accounts at the time is irrelevant. She should have known better than using a personal email for matters of national security. To say “it was just easier” makes me, and I’m sure many others like me, question her judgment. I know I certainly don’t want a President who takes the easy road out without considering all the consequences.
Her claim to reporters that “I fully complied with every rule that I was governed by,” is true, but open to interpretation. Yes, government rules allow for personal emails, but mandate that any official emails be preserved. Only Hillary knows if the work emails she handed over are all there are. She didn’t break any laws, but she did open herself up to questions and suspicions. Why would she do this? She must have something to gain, like control over which emails become public and which remain private. So yes, Mrs. Clinton complied with the rules, but clearly bent them to fit some unknown need. Hmmm….this reminds me of another Clinton who bent a definition when he had something to hide: “No, I did not have sex with that woman!”
Someone like Hillary Clinton, with years of experience in the public eye, protecting our nation’s security, and with her own political aspirations, should know that her refusal to be completely transparent would open her up to public scrutiny and criticism. In my experience, I don’t come across this kind of “mistake” unless there is something to hide. I guess only time will tell.
Fortunately, time has run out for the SAE fraternity members in Oklahoma. The University expelled two students and the whole chapter has been disbanded and kicked off campus after a video surfaced showing a racist chant. The boys are deeply sorry, and have apologized. Too little too late if you ask me. One, they should have known better from the beginning. And two, the arrogance from thinking they could chant racially loaded songs for a fraternity video and believe it wouldn’t go any further than their Greek walls is astounding! Good for the University! Their reaction was swift, painful, and public, and should be an example to others at the college level or below that group activities are made up of individuals and will be punished at both the individual and group levels – so make smart choices based on your own beliefs. When you don’t, be prepared to pay. No one is immune.
Claiming ignorance once you are caught and the consequences of your actions unfold around you is almost laughable. As far as I know both Hillary and the boys of SAE have lived in a world with the Internet and social media for most, if not all, of their lives. There is no doubt the boys have been told many times to be careful what they post on their Facebook or Instagram accounts, and Hillary has acted as both the teacher and the student on how best to maintain secure communications. Personally, I’m glad that we, both as a nation and in the educational system, are not turning a blind eye but are holding these individuals accountable for their actions. Let’s be realistic, privacy is simply passé, and to think or act otherwise is the only real ignorance.
