The Hero of Modern Patriotism and Equality

Following the case of Edward Snowden, you can’t help but to

gain very strong feelings and opinions on just exactly who this man is. Almost everybody has one of two possible opinions on Mr. Snowden, and they are complete polar opposites. The masses either feel as if Snowden is a hero and paving the way for a better future, or they believe that he is a traitor who has gone against the United States. I know deep down that Edward Snowden is a whistleblower and he has the best interests of the people of the United States of America at heart.

During Snowden’s recent interview with Brian Williams and NBC, he laid out some very good points and very intelligently told the world why he handed over classified documents to journalists. Unbeknownst to us as Americans, our privacy is completely at stake with everything we do. From sending texts and calls, to searching something on Google, it’s all being closely watched and monitored.

Snowden states

that, in fact, he has been in extremely high levels of government security, such as the CIA and the NSA and he even helped develop security protocol for the nation. The higher up he got in the ranks, the more he found out about how the government is completely stepping over the Constitution and disregarding the people’s need for privacy. Being the true patriot that he is, Snowden handed over documents and

files to media so the public could become aware of what actually is

going on in our government.

As a free country governed under the laws laid down by the Constitution, we have the right to know exactly what the government is doing; and if we don’t agree with government methods, we are supposed to be able to vote and instill change. Well, for some reason, the American government has been spying and taking down personal information against their own people, and we had no concrete proof before Snowden came along. Having released the classified information, we as a country now know what is really going on behind closed doors, and we have the power to change it.

A patriot is defined as a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors. This is exactly what Edward Snowden is doing for the people of America, and he should be known as a hero of sorts. The government may not agree and will most definitely say that Snowden is a traitor, but one really has to look at the big picture and see how this one man is fighting for the rights of his country. Snowden does not want money, gifts or anything of the sort; he only wants the Constitution, as well as the people’s rights, to be respected, and that is the mark of a true

patriot.