Governments in democratic societies should not restrict the public s access to information even if it is of a sensitive or classified nature Write a response in which you examine your own position on the statement Explore the extent to which you either ag

Information is king. With the internet at our fingertips, it is no longer difficult to look up anything and to enhance our understanding of various complex issues and situations. That being said, there is still a lot of sensitive and classified information out there that benefits from staying inaccessible to the public. As such, governments in democratic societies should continue to restrict public access to information that is of sensitive or classified nature.

The most important reason for keeping certain information out of the public’s hand is for national security. Governments currently have vast amounts of information that are extremely sensitive and classified, and this information is vital to the success of various military and political strategies. For example, if the identities of CIA and FBI agents were leaked to the public, hostile foreign forces could also get their hands on this information. This will not only put the lives of our agents in danger, but can hinder various intelligence and security operations being carried out around the world. Similarly, if the locations of military bases were readily made available, foreign military powers or terrorist organizations would benefit from targeting these locations. As such, there is a lot of sensitive and classified nature that is vital for national security and should not be made accessible to the public.

Another good reason for restricting public access to sensitive and classified information is to keep citizens safe. There is a vast amount of information out in the world that is directly tied to individual citizens and consumers. Such information include Social Security Numbers (SSN), banking and financial information, as well as health information. By restricting public access to such sensitive and private information, the government is protecting citizens’ privacy and ensuring their lives are being kept safe. For example, if SSNs were publicly accessible, the amount of identity theft and fraud would undoubtedly skyrocket, leading to more harm than good to the public. Thus, governments should continue to strive to keep such sensitive and private information safe for the overall benefit of the public.

In some extreme cases, restricting public access to certain information can help prevent chaos. In general, most citizens live idyllic lives where the complexities of military operations or the malevolence of foreign threat doesn’t cross their minds on a daily basis. While the news still report tragedies day after day, there are likely enormous incidents that the government is actively trying to prevent or or have obviated that we are still not aware of. For example, the government has probably prevented similar 9/11 terrorist attacks but choose not to disclose this information to the public to prevent public hysteria and chaos. In a similar way that parents shield children from the worst of the world, the government is also shielding its citizens by restricting access to certain classified and distressing information.

Opponents argue that governments that operate in democratic societies should not restrict the public’s access to information regardless of the nature of such information. They will argue that soceity benefits more by being informed than by being in the dark. The largest flaw in this argument is that most information that would benefit the public but not harm any ongoing operations or populations due to its sensitive or classified nature are already being made available to the public. For example, transcripts of political inquiries or papers of publically funded scientific discoveries can be accessed online, and such information not only benefits the public but also puts no one at risk. Thus, opponents who argue that all information should be made accessible to the public are overreaching, as there is no need for all information to be made public as long as important and beneficial information is being made accessible. It is also important to stress that this overreaching would cause more harm than good to society.

In conclusion, the government is the gate between public safety and choas. There is still very important, sensitive and classified information out there that needs to be protected to ensure national security, public safety and the individual safety of citizens. Thus, governments in democratic societies should continue to discern information by nature and continue to restrict the public’s access to sensitive and classified information.