Classified

The headline says, "Biden aides find more classified documents."

Although some politicians are quick to make comparisons with Trump, the difference here is that Trump refused to return the documents to the National Archives after repeated requests to do so. Finally, the FBI had to raid Trump's home to retrieve the documents. Whereas, when Biden aides found the documents, they called the National Archives immediately and National Archives personnel retrieved the documents the next day. 

I once had a job where I worked with classified documents. I used to write classified documents. After writing the document, I would stamp the pages with the proper classification such as Confidential or Secret, and I would stamp the first page with the appropriate paragraph of law that enabled the document to have that classification. Then the document would go into a locked file cabinet. I never took documents home, or even out of the office. Even though I wrote the document, once it was stamped it was classified and had to remain at the office in the locked file cabinet.

It seems to me that a lot of people in Washington are playing fast and loose with classified documents, and I'm sure some of the documents contain information that affects our national security to a much greater extent than the documents I wrote. I am surprised at this behavior and at the casual attitude regarding these documents. If I had taken classified documents home, and it was discovered, I would expect to be in hot water right away. I wouldn't have to wait over a year for the FBI to come to my home and retrieve the documents.

I'm just really surprised by this entire "I-found-some-more-classified-documents-in-a-closet" attitude, as if that's completely okay and nobody seems to be responsible. It's a la-de-da attitude that would certainly not be accepted when I was working with classified documents. Of course, now it's a different day and attitudes do change. But sometimes, the change is not for the better. That last statement could apply to a lot of things today.