Sony’s production, The Interview, directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, is a comedy about two reporters who organize an interview with North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong-un. The CIA recruits the reporters and instead sends them on a mission to assassinate Kim Jong-un.

Before the movie was released into US theaters on December 25, 2014, a top North Korean defense committee threatened attacks on the “United States, White House, and Pentagon,” claiming that if the movie played, it would be an “act of war.”

Freedom of Press. The first Amendment to the United States Constitution. As citizens, this Amendment secures the right to print and voice our own personal opinions. Not only is this Amendment applicable to newspapers and books, but also to websites, social media, and motion pictures.

Not only did North Korea violate our Bill of Rights, but they also proceeded further, hacking confidential Sony emails and causing one of the most expensive corporate hacks in history.

The United States and Sony responded by cancelling the movie’s release. Although this action evaded war with North Korea, it also gave Kim Jong-un power over the United States. He knows that he has the ability to manipulate our country as long as he threatens us incessantly with terrorist attacks.

So, how far will this go? If the Taliban threatened the United States, would we submit to them too? What about ISIS? Will our government be overthrown by the Middle East and Asia? Who are we, as Americans, to take orders from foreign leaders? Who are we, to allow them to violate our Constitution? If the United States government brushes off this international affair, the future may hold inevitable political destruction not only for our country, but for many others. The dictators and terrorist groups could control many countries across the entire globe instantaneously.

This is not an innocuous issue that can be forgotten or overlooked. It needs attention. We have the potential to continue to achieve greatness, but we can not attain our goals if North Korea is dictating our every move. We are the home of the free and the land of the brave. We are The United States of America.