Clowns: Friend or Foe

 Have you ever had something that scares you so much that it will always spark some reaction? Coulrophobia, or the fear of clowns, is something that causes so much fear and anxiety in me. It rooted from when I was around the ripe age of seven. It was an overcast day, perfect for watching movies on T.V. This was before the time of when you could view the titles of shows, so being the innocent seven year old I was, flipped on a movie to channel to a seemingly ordinary film about kids in a suburb, much like McFarland. Things appeared routine until this little boy lost his boat into a storm drain. In the drain resided a clown who lured the child close enough to seize his ankle and wrench him to his doom. You get the main picture that this movie I watched was Steven Kings It.

The fear of clowns goes deeper than just the movie though. You never know what is really lurking under all of that makeup and costumes. Clowns are just so phony and they get right up in your personal space to the point where it is uncomfortable. I don’t think I could put into words why they cause such anxiety in me, but I had to try, it would be the fact that they deceive people with their “happiness” and “tricks”. What are they really thinking inside? What are their true intentions? So much is left unanswered that it leaves me feeling helpless and vulnerable.

Fear is something that is implanted so deep inside of everyone that it is hard to overcome. I believe I will always have some fear towards clowns. I don't know if it will be to the extreme of when I was seven, yet it will remain, festering and waiting to resurface when the time is right. So whenever you here the distinctive laugh of a seemingly "friendly" clown, think twice about approaching with an open hand.

WikiLeaks

There has long been the argument on what is too much when it comes to sharing secret knowledge to the world. What is considered acceptable, and what is considered to be truly classified. Julian Assange and his creation, WikiLeaks, have pushed this line to its breaking point, causing U.S. officials to force him to remain entrapped in an embassy, for fear of being arrested. But was what Assange leaked all that bad? Does it deserve to be brought out in the open to the public?

         

 I feel that this question of whether to categorize WikiLeaks as horrible or ingenious is rigged. I think it depends completely on the situation. If it were exposing military secrets, such as what Chelsea Manning did, then I would find that it would need to be stopped. If WikiLeaks exposed a corrupt politician who was for example transferring government funds into his personal bank account, then I feel it was doing justice.

                    

 The problem with sites such as WikiLeaks is the fact that everything has to be put into someone else’s perspective. Someone could find something completely justifiable for being on WikiLeaks, whereas another would find that it is putting our safety at risk. This inconsistency in perspective is the root of all the problems. I don’t think it would be right to shut down WikiLeaks, because it is a form of journalism in a way and it can help our society, however, I feel like there could be a better way sort out what is acceptable and safe to put out there, and what could really cause harm to a country.  

        

 I think that being consistent is the key. In Schoenfeld’s piece, Can the U.S. Bring Assange to Justice? , they mentioned that “No news outlet has ever faced criminal charges for publishing secrets” (pg. 2). I found this interesting because the news is able to broadcast to millions of people every day and share all of these stories, yet they get praised for their insight and courage. Again this goes back to perspective. WikiLeaks is portrayed as a villain, and the news is a martyr. Others might view it opposite. Perspective is all the matters in this tricky situation.

Overall, I've concluded I am very torn on this decision, and have come to the conclusion that there is no simple solution to Assange and his WikiLeaks. We will just have to wait and see what becomes of this controversial site, and if it lives up to our expectations, or burns down in flames. Only time will tell.