“Sometimes to do the right thing, you have to break the law.” (Snowden 2013)
The American public has some homework to do regarding the fate of Edward Snowden. He has been termed a whistleblower, a traitor, and even a narcissistic personality. The Mayo Clinic (n.d.) explains this as a person who “has an inflated image of their own importance.” Additionally, author Gordon Chang (2014) has called Snowden a “dropbox,” a holder of information to serve as a “courier” (Chang, 2014).
Diane Francis (2013), a writer with the Financial Post, as well as the post written by the editorial board of The New York Times (2014), both refer to Snowden as a “whistleblower” (These two varied written pieces are an enlightenment to the U.S. public, yet The New York Times makes Snowden appear as a “Hero of sorts.” (“Edward Snowden,” 2014) Snowden was not politically correct in his methods, however, as The New York Times reveals, he opened a major “can of worms” to showcase the …show more content…
As Francis provides her readers with facts, it is a true statement the Snowden knowingly broke the law and should face consequences that await him in the United States. Conversely, the Editorial board of The New York Times implores readers and the President alike to evoke clemency, because of all of the good that has come out of the situation. They also preach that people should stop the slandering of Mr. Snowden and give him “incentive to return home.” Finally, I am inspired by the words of Mr. Snowden (2013) and agree with him on all levels as I refer to his Christmas message from 2013: “I don’t want to live in a world, where everything I say, everything I do, everyone I talk to, every expression of creativity or love or friendship is recorded.” Mr. Snowden did indeed damage the image that the US people have of the NSA, however, he also made room for justice, confidentiality, and future purposeful