Hero or Traitor?

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Rep. Peter King has labeled Edward Snowden a danger to the national security of the United States. The release to the public concerning Prism has become another means to divide our country. Should the release of illegal spying on the people by the NSA and federal government be made public? This is a question that should never have to be asked.

Do we know all of this story? Probably not. But here is my opinion. If Edward Snowden released this information to stop tyranny, he is a hero. With the scope of this project and its cost, we also have to ask why no one else came out earlier?

Does this sound like a hero or a traitor?

He has had “a very comfortable life” that included a salary of roughly $200,000, a girlfriend with whom he shared a home in Hawaii, a stable career, and a family he loves. “I’m willing to sacrifice all of that because I can’t in good conscience allow the US government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they’re secretly building.”

Whatever your thoughts on this matter are, there can be no discussion on the tyranny that is rampant in the Federal government. To have a sitting Republican representative declare Mr. Snowden a danger to the national security for exposing this abuse of power is incredible to me. When will there be an investigation into perjury during Congressional hearings and the penalties for abusing the public trust? And why doesn’t Congress give Mr. Snowden immunity from prosecution for testifying in a closed session of Congress? Or is Congress too complicit in this national disgrace?

$80 billion annually to spy on the people? Why are we not in the streets? Are we too afraid that is the goal of this government to seize power?

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

Thomas Paine

Our founding fathers are ashamed of us. We have no Sacred honor.

David DeGerolamo

Edward Snowden: saving us from the United Stasi of America

Snowden’s whistleblowing gives us a chance to roll back what is tantamount to an ‘executive coup’ against the US constitution.

In my estimation, there has not been in American history a more important leak than Edward Snowden’s release of NSA material – and that definitely includes the Pentagon Papers 40 years ago. Snowden’s whistleblowing gives us the possibility to roll back a key part of what has amounted to an “executive coup” against the US constitution.

Since 9/11, there has been, at first secretly but increasingly openly, a revocation of the bill of rights for which this country fought over 200 years ago. In particular, the fourth and fifth amendments of the US constitution, which safeguard citizens from unwarranted intrusion by the government into their private lives, have been virtually suspended.

The government claims it has a court warrant under Fisa – but that unconstitutionally sweeping warrant is from a secret court, shielded from effective oversight, almost totally deferential to executive requests. As Russell Tice, a former National Security Agency analyst, put it: “It is a kangaroo court with a rubber stamp.”

For the president then to say that there is judicial oversight is nonsense – as is the alleged oversight function of the intelligence committees in Congress. Not for the first time – as with issues of torture, kidnapping, detention, assassination by drones and death squads –they have shown themselves to be thoroughly co-opted by the agencies they supposedly monitor. They are also black holes for information that the public needs to know.

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