Patriot or Traitor: Should Edward Snowden be given Amnesty?
In June of last year, articles began appearing in The Guardian and The Washington Post about surveillance programs the government had been enacting against its own citizens for several years. The programs started under the National Security Agency (NSA) and exposed abuse in the organization that many believed went beyond its authority and probably would’ve remain secret if it wasn’t for the whistle blower who worked as a contractor named Edward Snowden.
Working for the agency, Snowden had clearance top secret access to these various programs and had decided what his employers were doing was not only illegal but went against American values which didn’t allow to surreptitiously spy on its own citizens along and people abroad. Taking it upon himself he flew from the states to Hong Kong where he provided journalists leaked documents which the information not only caused a stir in America but worldwide.
When questioned why he leaked NSA documents, Snowden stated, “To inform the public as to which is done in their name and to that which is done against them.” He stayed in Hong Kong for several weeks once the story broke in America until he boarded a plane to Russia and officially requested asylum, which he was granted a one year stay. Meanwhile the United States officially charged him with espionage and theft of public property. His passport was revoked and he is officially considered a fugitive by the country.
His actions have not only caused a great debate about mass surveillance and government secrecy but also Snowden’s own role in it.
Is he considered a hero and crusader that many civil liberty groups and liberals have deemed him or is he a traitor and even a spy that many in the government from the various intelligence agencies to Congress and the president himself is accusing him of?
In truth, it’s hard to say where his actions should be placed. On one hand, he woke people up to the fact our own government was data mining our phones and following our movements on the internet. Although its 2014, it sounds more like 1984 if people catch the reference. In reality these programs would probably go undisturbed today if it weren’t for his actions.
Snowden’s handling of it and tactics could be questioned. He never tried to expose his information through a higher source beyond the agency and he could’ve revealed pertinent information to foreign enemies although there is no proof that has happened. However legally the damage is done! Snowden could face up to life in prison that the charges against him bring if he ever returned to the United States to which it brings up the question of amnesty.
Personally, I feel he did more good than harm that not only made us aware of possibly illegal acts but that President Obama has now called for reforms to the NSA programs with more transparency in both how they are enacted and overseen. Maybe he may (or should?) do some reduced time but there is something inherently wrong with our system of government when the person who made the public aware of possible illegal activities against us is serving one day longer than the people who decided to spy on Americans in the first place. 
Whatever happens to Edward Snowden, he created an important discussion in constitutional and civil liberties in our post-911 world that shouldn’t go away. That alone deserves recognition.
By: Felix Cooper
Political Editor
ReelUrbanNews.com
