When contemplating nearly impossible feats, hacking the CIA database and successfully outwitting the Secret Service may come to mind. Recently however, the latter has been accomplished by the least likely of individuals: "socialites." Tareq and Michaele Salahi astonishingly managed to get into the president's first state dinner without being on the guest list. Whether it was due to miscommunication within the Secret Service or to the Salahi's being extremely convincing, Tareq and Michaele successfully outfoxed the Secret Service and "crashed" the state dinner. Following the debacle at the state dinner and the ensuing media coverage, most of the blame has been put on the Secret Service for allowing people who were not on the guest list to get into the dinner with relative ease. While I acknowledge that blame must be put on the Secret Service for allowing this instance to occur, the individuals involved and our society should be seen as the main causes of the situation. These so called "socialites" went to perhaps the furthest extreme to simply get attention. It is pathetic that people will go to such extreme lengths to have their names recognized and to socialize with the "right" people. Unfortunately, our society is the creator of such people. Americans laud celebrities and fame, so is it any surprise that people will do anything for notoriety? Televisions shows like "Real Housewives of Orange Country," provide "socialites" with the attention they so desperately seek, and quite frankly it is despicable. The Salahi's should be embarrassed about their pathetic actions. Regrettably, the White House and the Secret Service now has to face the same embarrassment, whether justified or not.\n\nDaniel Benckart\nCLAS III
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