Open Letter to Ed Snowden: sticking it to the N.S.A.

Dear Ed Snowden,

     I was at the gym today and one of the news stations trotted out some news from last July. I remember when it first came out. Eric Holder "offering" you a guarantee of no death penalty if you will only come back and "plead guilty." Screw that. I hope that you don't come back here to the United States. Things have not gotten any better here. In my opinion, many of the politicians and the people talking about the N.S.A. are all bat-shit crazy. I don't think you can trust them. I certainly don't.

     The expectation of some minimal privacy here has pretty much gone down the toilet. The N.S.A. apparently has some land in Utah where the agency is planning to dump meta-data from all of our phone calls. Some court or other today said the N.S.A. surveillance program is illegal. I don't think that really matters. The N.S.A. will continue to do as it will, regardless of what any court or politician or president says. Don't come back here.

     I think they want you back here just so the publication of the leaks will [possibly] slow down or stop. I think the corporation referred to as the United States figures if you are imprisoned, then "we" will save face and not be embarrassed. Screw that. Those arguments do not impress me. They should not impress you either.
Even if you do come back and are given a lengthy prison sentence, I don't think you will get out of it alive.

     It has been said that some folks from the C.I.A. [or maybe other agencies, who really knows?] have gone to Mexico or South America and illegally kidnapped a king drug pin so he could stand trial in the U.S.A. and is now in prison somewhere. Maybe a super-max. And it has been said that some folks from the C.I.A. [ or...?] have gone down to Mexico or South America and killed off at least one problematic person. I think your idea about asking for personal protection from the Russian police force [or even if you have to pay for private bodyguards] is a wise one. Only I suspect the real danger is that some representatives from the C.I.A. [ or...?] will visit you in Russia and make you disappear or kidnap you. Our government has become the terrorist. Please be careful.

     I've never met you. I don't know you. But what you did has touched my life for sure and the lives of many other Americans. We are not the enemy here. I think the N.S.A. is pissed off because of all of the publicity. If you hadn't distributed the information, the N.S.A. would have been able to keep doing exactly what they want to do without the bother of publicity, transparency, or responsibility to the PEOPLE. Now they have to scramble a bit in order to cover their tracks. You did a noble and honorable thing. I want you to have a long and healthy and happy life. I beg you please don't come back here, regardless of any "assurances" from spokespeople who work for our government.

                    Sail Strong, Sail Safe,

                     radical sapphoq

The N.S.A. Continues, and a free picture

     I'm glad that Ed Snowden did what he did.  He demonstrated great courage.  He risked all in order to tell us something that he believed we needed to know.  Ed Snowden remains an hero to my way of thinking.  I presume that he is still in Russia somewhere learning Russian and perhaps working by now.  I hope that he is safe from those who want to bring him back to the United States in order to prosecute him while the true criminal-- the entire N.S.A.-- remains free to spy on everyone everywhere all the time.

Yes I made it myself from a photo that I took and the legally included fonts in my legally obtained digital art/photograph editing program.  Yes you can download it and use it on the Internet.  Hot-linking is frowned upon.  Right-click and save to "My Computer" if you want it.  Copyright conglomerates, your presence is not welcome here.

     The media continues to release documents and information which makes it quite clear to the average aware citizen exactly how powerful and how bloated the agency has become.  There is outcry on Twitter and throughout the Internet.  Away from the computer, there is a certain rage lacking in the commoners that I happen across on any given day.  Anecdotally speaking only, most of the folks that I run into on a day to day basis have no idea about the extent of the information-gathering that the N.S.A. has been [insert legal word] allegedly doing.  That the N.S.A. has been conducting itself in an underhanded fashion [in my opinion] and continues to do so in spite of the revelations [in my opinion] is no longer a newsflash in the Twitter streams.

     Why doesn't the populace know about it?

radical sapphoq says:  Do this, if you want to.  Every day tell one person about the N.S.A. and what has been revealed.  Tell that one person why he or she should care.  Tell that one person why you care.  In order to change this stuff, more people have to know and reach beyond their self-imposed walls of apathy to respond.  Up the radicals!

Read This and Save That: In Support of Ed Snowden

     I bear no love for Big Government.  Big Government allows for the existence of the N.S.A. with neither meaningful oversight nor accountability to the American people.  In my opinion, the United States should not get to bully other nations with threats of trade sanctions because someone spoke up.  Seeking asylum is an honorable act.  If the American government had its' way, Ed Snowden would be arrested and brought back here to face charges of espionage.  If the American government had its' way, another Bradley Manning would be born.  Bradley Manning has existed in solitary confinement and is now facing the judgement of a kangaroo court.  Both men saw something and said something.  I don't know whether or not Bradley Manning can be saved from the injustices perpetrated upon him.  I am hopeful that Ed Snowden will be able to flee to freedom.  Whether or not he succeeds in darting past those that would kill him or torture him in the name of justice, Ed Snowden will go down in the tomes of learned historians as a hero.  He is certainly my hero.

radical sapphoq

Ed Snowden said the quotes which were collected at: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/27-edward-snowden-quotes-about-u-s-government-spying-that-should-send-a-chill-up-your-spine.  Talented other person made the original Ed Snowden hero poster which is posted here http://i.imgur.com/ouUHvyC.png in tiny form and here by Anti-Federalist http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?417348-Get-your-Ed-Snowden-quot-HERO-quot-avatar-here/page2 under #37 in larger form.  I altered colors and added the quotes.  Right-click to save to your computer if you want any of them.