Papa had a security clearance as a Judge Advocate many years ago. It was primarily used when in Vietnam for work on various investigations/war crime issues. The classified documents that I accessed were secret and below; mostly below. However, the handling of any classified material was treated very seriously. The documents were stored in a safe. A security officer could get a document that I needed for my work. I had to sign a log/receipt each time the document was in my possession. I kept it in my ofice until I returned it to the security officer for safekeeping. I did not leave the document on my desk if I went to lunch etc. It had to be returned to the safe. Any document was traced to and from me whenever it left or was returned to the safe. Security rules were clearly understood.
A good analogy is one I used when explaining the terms of a mortgage to clients at a real estate closing. Notes and mortgages have lots of clauses. Sign these papers if you want the lender’s money. It’s all weighted in the lender’s favor. If you don’t pay back they can come down on you like a ton of bricks. That is how I viewed the consequences if I mishandled classified material. It is simple,and direct. Yet, it is astounding that folks get sideways when dealing with classified documents. Can’t we expect professionals to be careful?
In the last two months the nation finds itself faced with both supposed lead candidate for President in 2024 under a possible crimminal investigation for classified material related issues. Duh! Papa once expressed a hope that the 2024 candidates not be age eligible for medicare. Now, I add hope for a sliver of common sense responsibility. Be judicious. Follow the rules.
Both potential crimminals are working hard to argue that what the other guy did is worse than what they did. The past President has a for me to know and you to find out what documents I might have defense supplemented by I can do whatever I want with my documents. Our current President’s defense may be that the near six years retention of material ( who knows where and seen by whom) doesn’t matter if, behind closed doors, his team in the last two months has been sorting through stuff and turning over what they deem is important to the proper authorities. Or, I’ve already seen a few media hints that in a hurry clericals may have inadvertently scattered classified material here and there. It’s hard to get decent worker bee help nowadays. One does wonder where the keepers of the classified documents have been for 5-6 years. (Is a document missing if the guys with the keys don’t know it’s missing?) I do know that I’d have had all hell to pay if I didn’t return classified material to the safe; that very day.
It’s all enough to make Papa wonder if we have a shortage of a ton of bricks for all.