I'm feeling pretty disgusted with everything today. As most of my friends know, I lean a little to the right on the political spectrum. I'm pretty conservative on some things, and have some libertarian views on others. As far as the upcoming election goes, I don't think either candidate is the best either party could have produced, but Hillary wasn't my last choice, and Trump wasn't my first. After all is said and done, they are the two we are going to choose between.
I've worked for the government in one capacity or another for all of my adult life, with a security clearance to match. Every year we are required to take refresher training on multiple subjects pertaining to our clearances, and are reminded of the importance of safeguarding our nation's secrets. There are lots of reasons for classifying information, too many to list on an open forum, but very good reasons to not let others know what we know or don't know, or how we know what we do. Safeguarding that information is as important as the information itself.
I listened to the FBI Director's press conference, and to all the details he laid out pertaining to the email issues surrounding Hillary. He listed many of the violations of the law she and her staff committed, whether knowingly or unknowingly, intentional or not, and concluded that charges would not be recommended to DOJ. Whether you support Hillary, Trump, or none of the above, you too should be disgusted with our government today.
A former Cabinet level official has been investigated for criminal activity related to the mishandling of classified information, multiple violations have been discovered and verified, yet no charges will be recommended. Had any of us 'little people' working in the trenches done 1/1000th of the violations the FBI admitted she had done, we would at the least have lost our clearance and most likely our job.
The rules surrounding the classified world do not differentiate between intention or neglect, and knowledge of the rules is required before a clearance is granted. There is no level of excuse that can forgive these transgressions.
As for her politics, I don't like those either, but I could live with that. We have a political system in this country that allows for a difference of opinion, and in my opinion we need the differing viewpoints to be debated and compromised to arrive at a mutually agreed upon solution. It's not always the best solution, and not everyone gets what they want all the time, but it's the way things work. We can all be civil even though we don't agree on things, and even still be friends if we have differing opinions and thoughts on how things should be. But I have a very hard time forgiving someone who violates the rules put in place to protect methods, and ultimately real live people who dedicate their lives and safety to protect this great country we call home.
For a decade I put myself in harm’s way, knowing that my very life was no longer my own should the need come to defend us. For someone to get a pass after being caught just because they are/were in a great position of trust and responsibility is disgusting. There is one set of rules, and they apply to everyone, and this makes me want to question everything that I believe in and everything I stand for. If she is elected President, my faith in the system will be reduced to absolute zero.