Ed Snowden, wikipedia
Mr President, our government no longer trusts the citizens. You guys have been spying on us unreasonably. It’s time to set things right. Here’s an excerpt from an essay about what you can do to return integrity to this relationship. (In the words of Spike Lee, do the right thing, Sir):
Perhaps the best historical precedent for a pardon of Snowden comes from our first president, George Washington. ¶ President Washington is still the only commander-in-chief to personally lead troops into battle. He did so to suppress a rebellion by farmers in western Pennsylvania over a tax on whisky. Still, Washington pardoned the very rebels he fought on the battlefield, including convicted traitors who were sentenced to hang. This did not mean Washington approved of treason, nor did it create an incentive for armed insurrection. Washington had the judgment to know that reconciliation was more important than punishment. ¶ A Snowden pardon would be an olive branch from the surveillance state to its severest critics.
This is more morally complicated than I can deal with. The crime he committed was exposing a crime, which was made a crime by the people committing the original crime. One could get a headache trying to follow that loop.
“Follow the money”, Ron. Whistle blowing has become a giant trap to catch the squealers that Big Capital won’t allow to spoil their feast. We are living in a police state of bouncers hired to protect the interests of the über wealthy 1%. Even Top Puppet & The Supremes shred the Constitution to allow gov’t to spy on the citizenry. FISA court is a rubber stamp for Wall Street.