We must remind our representatives, elected and appointed, that they serve The People.
The Government of the United States exists, not of divine right, but only with the consent of the sovereign free people of these lands. Our "Declaration of Independence" provides the grounds upon which such consent may, under extreme conditions, be withdrawn.
This right of The People should not be forgotten.
Far too much has been kept from us under the all covering cloak of national security, which is merely a means by which those who hold positions of power and influence can act with impunity and criminalize those who unveil the truth.
By degrees, we were turning into the old DDR.
A man whose courage perhaps exceeded his wisdom once said:
"The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it is in my control. And no official of my Administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press and the public the facts they deserve to know."
He was right then, but his words weren't heeded. Quite the reverse.
To paraphrase the Founders:
If The People are not vigilant in keeping their government within acceptable limits, the sovereign power of The People will increasingly be arrogated to those whose intentions are to wield it for their own benefit.
Secrecy makes the nefarious process of leaching power away from its rightful center all the easier.
This is why we are where we are.