Is Edward Snowden A Hero Or Traitor

Edward Snowden, a government official, worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which gathers, processes, and analyzes national security information, and the National Security Agency (NSA), which is responsible for global monitoring, collecting and processing information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes. During his time of working for the government, he discovered and released private documents containing information proving government surveillance. Some of which would be tapping into phones and hearing or recording phone calls. Snowden is not a traitor to America because he wanted to help, he risked not only his freedom, but his life, too, along with the others who helped keep him safe, and he only released documents related to the surveillance on American citizens and he also wanted to protect their rights by shutting the NSA down. Upon releasing these documents, Snowden risked several things, including his freedom and his life. Releasing this information is illegal, due to the fact that it violates the contract he signed upon working for the government. Because he released these documents, Snowden could have been jailed, exiled, or killed/executed. “I didn't want to change society. I wanted to give society a chance to determine if it should change itself,” he says to an interviewer. Snowden …show more content…
Many may criticize that Snowden endangered America from its enemies but the only endangerment to government was the people because they discovered that it violated their rights. Edward Snowden was and still is a hero for serving the will of the people. He risked his own freedom for the freedom of others, he only released documents relating to the issue of the government spying, and he wanted to protect the people by shutting down the NSA. Therefore, Edward Snowden is hero to the people of