Edward Snowden has become the face of whistleblowers. He has also become the face for treasonous activity. Let me tell you why I admire him. First, he has a pole dancer for a girl friend. That says a lot about this guy. Second, he decided to leave everything behind and risk his freedom to do what he felt was right. Not many of us are willing to go that far with our beliefs. Third, he's smart enough to do what he did, skip the country, and find ways to hide. Hard to do in today's world. Now, remember, one can be against someone and still admire them.
So what is he? Other than being a young man with a good eye for the ladies, we don't know much else about him. What we do know is that he poked a burning stick into the eye of the Obama administration and the NSA. And, it hurt. As Lucy back in the '50's, Clapper has a lot of s'plaining to do.
Boehner has come out and declared Snowden a traitor. My question is, a traitor to whom? A traitor to this administration that has done more to harm the fabric of the Constitution than any other president before Obama? He can't be considered a traitor to the American people because he let us know that our government has shattered the fourth amendment and blanketed us all with a general warrant to collect data without probable cause. That's a biggie, if you ask me. I heard on the news where a senator likened it to one of the reasons why our Revolution took place. The British issued general warrants that allowed their soldiers to come into anyone's home and conduct searches and seizures on mere whims of impropriety. Why do you think the fourth amendment exists in the first place?
Then, there are many around this country that refer to Snowden's actions as patriotic. I also think that is a stretch. While it did 'out' the NSA's un-Constitutional actions, and allow all of us to know what the hell has been going on, Snowden could have taken another route that wouldn't have put his freedom in jeopardy. Snowden signed a document where he promised he would not divulge classified information or he could be punished with the fullest extent of the law. If he wanted the truth to come out, he could have claimed 'whistleblower' status/protection and taken his findings to the appropriate, Congressional committee. I know there was a chance he would have disappeared and the whole matter swept under the rug, but it would have been the right course. If he's so interested in doing the right thing, he should have gone all the way with that line of thinking. The risk to himself, his citizenship, his reputation and his freedom would have been a lot less. I appreciate the knowledge we now have about this activity, but the method Snowden chose leaves a black mark on his record.
What Snowden is, in my mind, is a criminal for having divulged classified information to a UK news source. The Washington Post refused his demands in publishing all forty-plus images he wanted. The Guardian had no problem with it. Now, if he had given the information to the Tehran Daily, that would have made it much more serious. Giving classified info to our enemies is a big no-no. In a roundabout way, that's what he ended up doing. I'm sure the Iranians read the Guardian. If not, they are now. He broke the law by taking the info to the press, first. Now, had he gone to Congress and they did nothing, then that changes the whole spectrum of the situation.
He was a traitor to the NSA, but not the American people. His 'patriot' status is in question because he exposed the activity without the courage to face the music. He doesn't quite stand up to Patrick Henry's 'Give me Liberty or give me death.' Henry stayed and faced the British music. Snowden ran like a chicken from the butcher's hatchet. He ran because he knew he hadn't done what he did in the right way and there would be serious consequences to follow. No, Snowden is nothing more than a common criminal on the run. I'm grateful he exposed the heinous action. He just went about it the wrong and unlawful way. There's never an excuse for that, no matter how 'right' the outcome.
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