Traitor or Patriot?

by

       M. Richard Maxson

      Edward Snowden, a secret spy for the CIA, a secret spy for the NSA, and other government agencies, never graduated high school. He didn't have to because he was far ahead of the average student. Persons like him, with high IQ's, are a  usually tremendously patriotic. They can see the "big picture" and the big picture Edward Snowden saw was that of a government that had made a left turn towards an Orwellian society. An unconstitutional society the scope of which has yet to be completely revealed.

      His exit from the United States was of fear for his life. He had asked questions, the wrong questions. He saw Constitutional violations,(since upheld by the courts)  reported them to his superiors, and was told to "not look in that direction." As he stated in the interview for NBC, "Being a patriot means knowing when to protect your country.......your Constitution.......your countrymen from the violations and encroachments from adversaries not necessarily foreign." He believes that he is "...still serving the country" by the fact that " all three branches of government have made reforms as a result of it." Even the President has said that "...this has made us stronger."

So what was the result?
1. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper had to admit he lied to Congress.
2. The House passed a bill (ostensibly) meant to stop bulk collection of phone metadata. 
3. A federal judge said the NSA phone surveillance program is unconstitutional.
4. President Barack Obama admitted there would be no surveillance debate without Snowden.

       So far the only thing that has happened from these revelations is that an illegal, unconstitutional, and dangerous surveillance system has been exposed. The people have found out
that "....senior officials are investing themselves with powers that they're not entitled to and they're doing it without asking the public for consent."

       The six part interview can be seen at the link below. Some call him a treasonous traitor, others call him a patriotic hero as we have not seen in this country in a long time. I believe him to be a scalpel cutting out the cancer that has attacked our Constitution. The cancer is still there and spreading. As Thomas Jefferson said, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

The Interview:
http://www.komando.com/happening-now/255436/edward-snowden-interview-i-was-trained-as-a-spy?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=notd&utm_content=2014-05-29-article_1-in-body-a