Snowden, Feinstein, Rogers, Obama: Separating Patriots from Traitors

Dear Mr. President,

Apparently it was news enough to post online but not “fit to print” in today’s NYT. I’m referring to the plea for clemency by Edward Snowden last week in a letter handed to German legislator Hans-Christian Ströbele who flew to Moscow to meet with him and explore the possibility of his testifying to the Bundestag. In the online article, your adviser, Dan Pfeiffer, said “there had been no consideration of clemency and that Mr. Snowden should return to the United States to face charges.” Rep. Mike Rogers, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said “He needs to come back and own up.” Senator Feinstein: “He’s done this enormous disservice to our country…and I think the answer is no clemency.” (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/clemency-for-snowden-u-s-officials-say-no/?ref=politics#h[HdtHdt]) Everybody on the same page singing the same tune. Feinstein and Rogers (and you) keep saying he should come back and “face justice” but any fool knows the kind of “justice” he’d get—a kangaroo court, a show trial and life in prison. For telling the truth! For telling the public what they need to know to curb the abuse of power that threatens democracy. Feinstein and Rogers have labeled Snowden, “traitor,” but my dictionary defines traitor as “1. a person who betrays another, a cause, or any trust; 2. a person who commits treason by betraying his or her country.” In the article, Feinstein says he broke the trust placed in him, that he should have picked up the phone and called one of the Intelligence Committees if he had something to reveal. Right. We know where that would have led. Directly to jail. She and Rogers work hard to keep secrets and enable the real criminals to break laws and violate the Constitution with impunity. So who’s the real traitor here, Mr. President, Snowden or the Clappers and Alexanders who lie to Congress and the public? Snowden or the Feisteins and Rogers who turn a blind eye to criminal behavior and abuse of power? Are those who believe that for democracy to exist, truth and transparency are essential, traitors? Then call me a traitor too, for I believe Snowden is a patriot and the defenders of NSA abuses are the traitors, I was taught that traitors gave government secrets to those who would do us harm. Snowden has not. But the NSA is doing our country grave harm and Feinstein, Rogers, Clapper, Alexander and you are complicit. You have all betrayed the national trust, betrayed democracy. You are all traitors.