Déjà vu Again

Now that former Vice President Pence has been found to have classified documents at home, a huge question comes to mind. Are government officials brain dead or just too enamored with their own position once they reach such impressive posts as president, vice president, or chair of the Senate Committee on Intelligence? I’m not suggesting that Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-VA) or Vice Chair Marco Rubio (R-FL) will be next on the list of high government officials to be found with classified documents in a shoe box at home, that once contained their favorite slippers, but you must admit that it’s kinda’ lookin’ that way.

This appears to be the classic in-box exercise. You take the top page from your in-box and discover that it’s a letter from your mother. Place it in pile A to be answered immediately, on pain of death. The second document is a highly classified item that could begin World War III if not handled well. That goes in pile B to be handled as time permits.

This is not difficult. It’s basic stuff. Then, when it comes to your filing system, you do not put the two documents in the same file folder. One goes in a red folder for extremely critical items. That would be your mother’s letter. The other goes into a green folder for items that can go into a shoe box in your closet at home, once you leave office. Then, when you get booted out of office, it becomes simple. Red folders to the National Archives and green folders to your shoe box. No problem.

The next investigation needs to be aimed at every government official and former government official with access to classified documents. One search warrant should cover all of them. You just list all the names and addresses. The language in the warrant can be the same for everyone. Not an issue.

Lord knows my home filing system is lacking, but then I don’t handle classified documents and my mother is gone from this earthly plane, God rest her soul. We all have our faults. But we don’t all occupy high government positions that could lead us into World War III.

Stan Conger Bishop