You have read our own Clint Hendler on “The WikiLeaks Equation.” The Nation’s Greg Mitchell has been blogging about it for, oh, who knows now how many days now—check his Twitter. And Jay Rosen and Glenn Greenwald have their thoughts.
What’s missing from that assortment? Miss America of course.
When SFC Chad Momerak asked Miss Nebraska Teresa Scanlan—eventual overall winner of the Miss American pageant on Saturday evening—about WikiLeaks, and balancing “the people’s right to know with the need for government security,” Scanlan responded:
You know, when it came to that situation, it was actually based on espionage, and when it comes to the security of our nation we have to focus on security first, and then people’s right to know. Because it’s so important that everyone in our borders is safe, and so we can’t let things like that happen, and they must be handled properly, and I think that was the case.
Now, now, now. Before you start on her, remember that Scanlan is, until early next month, only seventeen years-old. And, even if it’s pretty clear her prior considerations of WikiLeaks go about as, “OMG that dude is like, so creepy,” we should be partially thankful she knows what WikiLeaks is.
I doubt someone else would… (Yep, used this clip before, but it’s so great).
Joel Meares is a former CJR assistant editor.