Edward Snowden: Lets Stand Behind Him 100%

It appears that another person posted about this prior to me. So I have decided to change the topic of this thread. I think that the American citizens need to stand behind him 100%, no matter what it takes. And I am totally serious here.. We need to do everything legally possible. Marches, petitions, letters to our representatives etc... Lets just pray that this works, because I think this is something that could finally divide our country. If Obama wants to prevent a civil war, I think he needs to lay off.

Lets all make a stand! Who all is with me?




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This young man would make me proud if I was his mother. He chose to expose the NSA surveillance program, and not hide in the shadows. So Obama, you can save the US some money and stop your proble into this.

I support Edward Snowden 100% and Obama I dare you to hurt one hair on his lovely head! What really helps him out is that he does not work for the NSA and was an external contracter! Yipee!!!!

Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations

. "I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong," he said.

The 29-year-old source behind the biggest intelligence leak in the NSA's history explains his motives, his uncertain future and why he never intended on hiding in the shadows

The individual responsible for one of the most significant leaks in US political history is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Snowden has been working at the National Security Agency for the last four years as an employee of various outside contractors, including Booz Allen and Dell.

Ok, I did a search with this mans name. Got to love the ATS search. It is a great revelation no matter who posted this first! Well, off to support the other thread.

Ahh - Ive already made a post about this =/ Beat me too it.

Very interesting, and more so- the evolution technology ... You use it.. Your being watched, its that simple.

I think the man is spot on when he says the biggest fear is that nothing will change people will do nothing.



sad but true

Incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.

I can't decide which.

Stupid would have been hiding like a rat. He's incredibly brave by having done what his conscience told him must be, then standing tall to take the credit/blame for doing it.

Brave, without doubt in my book.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Maybe stupidly brave.

His biggest fear was that his disclosures would not change anything. I'm not convinced his fear won't be realized.

ETA: Btw, did this thread title change?

reply to post by loam


Sorry, there was already a similar thread. So, I figured, why waste good space?

It is still a bit too early to be backing him 100% at this point. We do not know what exactly he has chosen to disclose. I will be blunt about it, the Government does have a responsibility to hold certain secrets for various reasons. We can't just have people leaking whatever they want, when it is something they don't agree with. Bradley Manning comes to mind in that category. Mr. Snowden may very well be a different case and if it turns out that way he will go down in history for doing the right thing. It all comes down to how discerning he was in what he released.

Applaud this hero, a true patriot, and a true american.

This is a red letter day for true lovers of freedom the world over. This man has sacrificed his life for the greater good with no personal gain involved and without harming anyone. He also states he scrutinised documents and only released those he determined were in the public's interest. His family and girlfriend are already being harrassed by US agencies and every effort should be made to keep those people safe.

I am so elated that somebody would stand up and be counted so that I might be made more aware of the scrutiny we are all under. He is a brave man, a true American and I applaud him. Daniel Ellsberg has said he has been "waiting for him for 40 years." If the US administration makes a move on him, there's a world of people willing to get in the way. And THAT is how you deal with governments that overstep their bounds.

I read a post here recently decrying ATS because everybody whinges and whines about situations and then sit on their hands and don't take action. We could all take a leaf out of Mr Snowden's book:

"You can't wait around for someone else to act. I had been looking for leaders, but I realised that leadership is about being the first to act."

No. 1 trending topic on Twitter: #IStandWithEdwardSnowden

As should we all.

Originally posted by KeliOnyx
the Government does have a responsibility to hold certain secrets for various reasons.

You would say that it's okay for your own government to be spying on all communications by all American citizens? Lets ignore foreign citizens for now, just focus on the fact that the NSA has been able to monitor the phones, emails, internet searches, credit card records (and god only knows what else) for years, meaning that every judge in the land, every politician and even your own president are compromised. That's okay with you?

Originally posted by KeliOnyx
We can't just have people leaking whatever they want, when it is something they don't agree with.

Agreed, but then why would those people be going into those positions? You think a person goes into the intelligence service to deliberately leak information to the public? Of course not, they go in to serve their country and help to protect their fellow citizens. That's why what we are seeing being leaked is genuine immoral and unethical - or blatantly criminal - activity by the government or military.

Originally posted by KeliOnyx
Bradley Manning comes to mind in that category. Mr. Snowden may very well be a different case and if it turns out that way he will go down in history for doing the right thing. It all comes down to how discerning he was in what he released.

Like it or not, no one can really ever claim "I was just following orders". Everyone will be judged by their own action and their participation. Hitler's soldiers might have tried to claim that they were just following orders, but we can all spit on their grave with the knowledge that those soldiers still CHOSE to murder, or CHOSE to do nothing to stop it.

The same applies on a different scale here. If you are a person serving your fellow countryman, you have a moral requirement to speak out when you see something being done that you know is not in the interests of your fellow citizens. Members of the forces are NOT serving a government, they are serving their fellow citizens.

This young man knows the difference between serving a machine, and serving his people. He chose to serve his people and he made the right decision - as did Bradley Manning!

reply to post by Archie


Thanks for sharing. You made my day. Swowden, stood up to the most corrupt and powerful government on the planet. Yes, he is a very brave man.

I was just getting ready to post this thought: "Sometimes you have to stand alone when you stand up for your beliefs. Never think the effort is wasted. Every action has a reaction."

So happy to hear he isn't standing alone.

Originally posted by Rocker2013
He chose to serve his people and he made the right decision - as did Bradley Manning!

As did Barrett Brown.

You know, I often wondered what the most appropriate reply would be to someone who says to you that old cliche regarding government and state surveillance on the people...

"If you've nothing to hide, or if you are a law-abiding citizen, you have nothing to fear."

Well, the response has to be...

"I fear potential tyranny now, as I perceive it evolving right before my eyes, and I fear a tyranny in the future, for it will achieve it's total subjugation of the people if they do nothing to resist it in the present."

The backlash is beginning

US GOVERNMENT SECRETLY ACCESSING PHONE RECORDS US Congressman Peter King: 'If Edward Snowden did in fact leak the NSA data as he claims, the United States government must prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law and begin extradition proceedings at the earliest date. The United States must make it clear that no country should be granting this individual asylum. This is a matter of extraordinary consequence to American intelligence.' - via @NBCNews

I found this to be one of the more moving and heartfelt gestures made in recent times. This extraordinary man, probably born in the auspicious year of 1984, has laid his life on the line for the betterment of his country and his planet.

“I understand that I will be made to suffer for my actions,” he wrote in a note that accompanied the first set of documents he sent to the British newspaper. But, he added, “I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal pardon and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I love are revealed even for an instant.”

Just stunning! I'm blown away by his courage and humanity! And he did this inspite of having a very comfortable life that he gained from working for the Powers That Were:

According to The Guardian, Snowden “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. Yet Snowden says he is “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.”

The selflessness involved in such a gesture is an example for all mankind to aspire to. I really honor this guy!

Originally posted by Maluhia
The backlash is beginning

US GOVERNMENT SECRETLY ACCESSING PHONE RECORDS US Congressman Peter King: 'If Edward Snowden did in fact leak the NSA data as he claims, the United States government must prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law and begin extradition proceedings at the earliest date. The United States must make it clear that no country should be granting this individual asylum. This is a matter of extraordinary consequence to American intelligence.' - via @NBCNews

Well we have ammo also. We have this! The president swears an oath to protect the constitution. He is aware that this was unconstitutional and still supports this. This is cause for impeachment! Snowden was also expressing his freedom of speech. Last I checked this was still the US. We need that 86 page report.

the Justice Department was due to file a court motion Friday in its effort to keep secret an 86-page court opinion that determined that the government had violated the spirit of federal surveillance laws and engaged in unconstitutional spying

Justice Department Fights Release of Secret Court Opinion Finding Unconstitutional Surveillance

Originally posted by Rocker2013[/i

You would say that it's okay for your own government to be spying on all communications by all American citizens? Lets ignore foreign citizens for now, just focus on the fact that the NSA has been able to monitor the phones, emails, internet searches, credit card records (and god only knows what else) for years, meaning that every judge in the land, every politician and even your own president are compromised. That's okay with you?

Is that what I said? No it isn't but thanx for trying to pick what I said apart and mischaracterizing it. The only thing I said is it is way too soon to declare this man a hero. We do not know with any detail what exactly it is he has disclosed. Maybe he was right and used good judgement, maybe he went the Bradley route and just indiscriminately released whatever he could get his grubby hands on we just don't know yet. Like it or not, not everything the Government does should or can be held up for public scrutiny. On the issue of monitoring our communications, yes it is a good thing someone leaked this, but again we do not know what else this young man has leaked and that will be what decides his fate.