A petition to pardon civil rights hero Edward Snowden was started on the White House’s We The People petition site way back on June 9, 2013. Two years later, the White House staff finally decided to address the petition. Unfortunately, they are not addressing the issue honestly and are instead repeating the generic lies about Snowden’s leaks that have never been backed up with any evidence.
Here we will go over their official response and tear apart every lie and untruth contained therein.
First, here is the original text of the petition:
WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
Pardon Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden is a national hero and should be immediately issued a a full, free, and absolute pardon for any crimes he has committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs.Published Date: Jun 09, 2013
The petition was pretty straight forward. Edward Snowden revealed crimes the government was committing against the citizens of this country and around the world that our own Congress was allegedly unaware of. That is a fact that nobody can deny. The White House is apparently not interested in justice, though. They would rather continue to accuse Snowden of generically endangering the security of our country.
This is complete malarkey. There have been no specific problems that have arisen from Snowden’s disclosures. Snowden showed that U.S. citizens can’t trust their own security agencies, but that’s a good thing. The government is threatened by Snowdens actions, not the people nor the country as a whole. Of course, the government’s retaliation is to discredit Snowden despite all the good he has done in order to try to save face.
OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE TO
Pardon Edward Snowden
A Response to Your Petition on Edward Snowden
Thanks for signing a petition about Edward Snowden. This is an issue that many Americans feel strongly about. Because his actions have had serious consequences for our national security, we took this matter to Lisa Monaco, the President’s Advisor on Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. Here’s what she had to say:
His actions have NOT had serious consequences for our national security. His actions SHOULD have caused serious consequences for the NSA and the rest of our plethora of spy agencies, but they’ve instead been able to continue with the illegal activities that Snowden exposed while continuing to deny it.
“Since taking office, President Obama has worked with Congress to secure appropriate reforms that balance the protection of civil liberties with the ability of national security professionals to secure information vital to keep Americans safe.
Again, not true. Since before taking office President Obama promised more transparency, but he has not delivered. Snowden did.
As the President said in announcing recent intelligence reforms, “We have to make some important decisions about how to protect ourselves and sustain our leadership in the world, while upholding the civil liberties and privacy protections that our ideals and our Constitution require.”
We’re not in as much danger as the powers that be want you to believe. Police kill more U.S. citizens than any terrorist organization could ever hope to. We are more in danger of losing our freedom to our own government than any outside force.
Instead of constructively addressing these issues, Mr. Snowden’s dangerous decision to steal and disclose classified information had severe consequences for the security of our country and the people who work day in and day out to protect it.
Does anyone think that we would know about any of this if Snowden had taken his concerns up the chain of command? It would have gotten buried. Snowden would have gotten fired. The NSA would still be collecting all of our communications. (Without our knowledge, that is.)
If he felt his actions were consistent with civil disobedience, then he should do what those who have taken issue with their own government do: Challenge it, speak out, engage in a constructive act of protest, and — importantly — accept the consequences of his actions. He should come home to the United States, and be judged by a jury of his peers — not hide behind the cover of an authoritarian regime. Right now, he’s running away from the consequences of his actions.
Accept the consequences? Seriously? Does anybody have any idea what the consequences are of questioning authority in this police state? Snowden revealed this information in the smartest way possible while working to maintain his own freedom. Chelsea Manning knows all about the consequences of telling the truth. Tell the truth, go to prison.
We live in a dangerous world. We continue to face grave security threats like terrorism, cyber-attacks, and nuclear proliferation that our intelligence community must have all the lawful tools it needs to address. The balance between our security and the civil liberties that our ideals and our Constitution require deserves robust debate and those who are willing to engage in it here at home.”
Our world is made more dangerous by a government that cares more about protecting itself than its citizens. This country was founded by those who believe that personal freedom is more important than security, yet there are those who still insist on exaggerating dangers so that the scared citizenry will give up more freedom.
Edward Snowden is a hero, plain and simple. We are not in any danger from what he exposed. Government programs are in danger from what he exposed. Or they would be if the American people were ever allowed to hear the truth without distortion. The lies from this administration unfortunately have most of the country believing that Snowden did nothing but put us in danger. Most are completely unaware that he is the reason we found out about the NSA’s abusive data collection.
The ignorance in this country eliminates the need for specifics. We’re in danger. Don’t ask how, we just are.
So be scared.
