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Showing Original Post only (View all)President Obama should pardon Edward Snowden [View all]
President Obama should pardon Edward SnowdenDean Takahashi
VentureBeat
They say that the holidays make us feel charitable, and I hope that is the case. I believe that President Obama should pardon Edward Snowden, the man who blew the whistle on the National Security Agencys global surveillance programs and revealed that the government was spying on all of us.
Once Donald Trump comes into office, no such pardon will be possible. In fact, Trump has suggested Snowden should be executed. Snowden can be viewed by patriotic Americans as a fellow patriot, a whistleblower, a dissident, or as a traitor. I see this as an easy one. He did us all a service, and, by and large, we are better off for it. We now know that we have to be more vigilant about protecting our data, our privacy, and our freedoms. He exposed illegal activities and started a public debate that led to a crackdown on the NSAs sweeping powers and led to efforts to curb spying on U.S. citizens.
Snowden did this at great personal risk and with no obvious gain. If he complained about the spying through appropriate channels, he would have gotten nowhere. Congressional oversight committees knew about the activities, but they did nothing until there was a leak and a public outcry. They were supposed to be watch dogs on our behalf, but it was Snowden who forced them into action.
Ive listened to Snowden offer stark and cogent warnings about the risks we face, and he speaks like a patriot. I would love to see him return and run for public office or be assigned to protecting our freedoms. He has demonstrated he has the expertise and commitment to help protect all our rights. I would rather have him back home, doing something on a behalf of American freedom, than leave him in Russia, where his asylum puts Vladimir Putin in the odd position of having a moral upper hand over the U.S. Our political system is strong enough to withstand any harm that could come from allowing someone like Snowden to walk free. Our democracy is big enough to tolerate the challenges that someone like Snowden can create.
Once Donald Trump comes into office, no such pardon will be possible. In fact, Trump has suggested Snowden should be executed. Snowden can be viewed by patriotic Americans as a fellow patriot, a whistleblower, a dissident, or as a traitor. I see this as an easy one. He did us all a service, and, by and large, we are better off for it. We now know that we have to be more vigilant about protecting our data, our privacy, and our freedoms. He exposed illegal activities and started a public debate that led to a crackdown on the NSAs sweeping powers and led to efforts to curb spying on U.S. citizens.
Snowden did this at great personal risk and with no obvious gain. If he complained about the spying through appropriate channels, he would have gotten nowhere. Congressional oversight committees knew about the activities, but they did nothing until there was a leak and a public outcry. They were supposed to be watch dogs on our behalf, but it was Snowden who forced them into action.
Ive listened to Snowden offer stark and cogent warnings about the risks we face, and he speaks like a patriot. I would love to see him return and run for public office or be assigned to protecting our freedoms. He has demonstrated he has the expertise and commitment to help protect all our rights. I would rather have him back home, doing something on a behalf of American freedom, than leave him in Russia, where his asylum puts Vladimir Putin in the odd position of having a moral upper hand over the U.S. Our political system is strong enough to withstand any harm that could come from allowing someone like Snowden to walk free. Our democracy is big enough to tolerate the challenges that someone like Snowden can create.
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I strongly disagree. Snowden did not steal targeted classified info to share with a reporter.
Trust Buster
Dec 2016
#4
It is definitely true. China and Russia did not host this man for humanity's sake. It is naive to
Trust Buster
Dec 2016
#6
If you actually believe China didn't get info from Snowen and Greenwald I feel for you
brush
Dec 2016
#7
And what about China? They didn't let Snowden in without getting something in return
brush
Dec 2016
#31
+1, then after sharing such information the Russians were involved in a US election...
uponit7771
Dec 2016
#14
He high-tailed it to the Russian embassy in China and THEN moved to Russia.
KittyWampus
Dec 2016
#21
Snowden doesn't care where he lives as long as he has a toilet, heat and an Internet connection
BeyondGeography
Dec 2016
#8
YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!11%(#%*@!. Fuck Takahashi, Snowden and the Putin those fuckers rode in on. nt
JTFrog
Dec 2016
#18
He is a Russian asset. How could anyone be this simple-minded at this late date?
KittyWampus
Dec 2016
#20
Both the ACLU and Amnesty International are spear heading efforts to get a pardon for Snowden
think
Dec 2016
#26
Here are a couple of the Whlstletblowers the main stream TV media choose to ignore:
think
Dec 2016
#30
Vladimir Putin? "The moral upper hand"? WTF wrote this shit? And why you disseminate it?
Tarheel_Dem
Dec 2016
#36