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Text of letter to Edward Snowden from his father and father’s attorney
- Kapura 13y ago>We encourage you to engage us in regular exchanges of ideas or thoughts about approaches to curing or mitigating the hugely suboptimal political culture of the United States. This is what I want. Snowden has not acted like he's doing these things for the greater good of the U.S.; on the contrary, he seems determined to demonise the government. I am in no doubt that the government has done some shady shit, but you must have a path forward. If Snowden were willing to engage in "approaches to curing or mitigating the hugely suboptimal political culture" then I would be more willing to be on his side.
- nitrogen 13y agoYou don't have to be a composer to be a critic. In other words, the talent and courage required to expose corruption may be different from the talent and courage required to fix it. Why should one person be expected to do everything?
- Kapura 13y agoOf course he's not expected to fix everything, but is it really fair that he leaks this information (which has, in my view, damaged the Government regardless of the legality of their schemes) and then he's not responsible for it any more? It seems, too, that he should be interested and involved in what actions are taken in the US to prevent such abuses of power from continuing or happening again in the future. Are these really unreasonable expectations of Snowden?
- nitrogen 13y agoI suppose it depends on which you consider more important: the government itself, or the ideals it ostensibly represents. One can easily come to the conclusion that the damage to the government is acceptable, if the damage is necessary to correct damage the government has done to the people. I have no doubt that Snowden is interested in what actions are taken to prevent future abuses. Reading his statements after his identity was revealed, it's clear he left not because he doesn't care, but because he saw leaving the US as the best way to preserve his ability to contribute to his cause and remain safe.
- jsmcgd 13y agoHas the path forward not been made clear by Snowden's revelations? It's crystal clear to me.
- pstuart 13y agoThe role of a whistleblower is to bring the abuse to light, not to fix the problem.
- phildeschaine 13y agoInteresting that it was written by his father's lawyer on behalf of his father. Makes me wonder if this is the first contact his father has had with him since this whole thing began.
- alex_doom 13y agoI'm sure there's a backstory, that we'll never be privy too.
- mydpy 13y agoIt also contains hardly any emotion (I argue that the rhetoric used in the letter indirectly appeals to Edward). I was shocked by this.
- EthanHeilman 13y agoI read an enormous amount of emotion in the letter.
- dfc 13y agoDid you miss the last paragraph?
- bobwaycott 13y agoEveryone's different, and fathers vary, of course. But I certainly read significant emotion in the letter. I have no doubt this ordeal has been excruciating on the elder Snowden, as he helplessly watches the international bartering for his son's life and freedom. What I find admirable, and where the emotion and strength lies, is that there isn't the slightest hint of wavering in the father's resolve--no pleading, no hand-wringing. An incredible gesture of thanks, loving commitment, and support. I have little doubt it will impact Snowden in much the same way it did me.
- senorprogrammer 13y agoImagine, if you will, a father who knows he needs to make a public statement, one that will be scrutinized by an entire world. A father wanting not only only convey his pride but also to help sway a country's opinion. Such a father might well turn to a legally-educated, historically-knowledgable third-party, one well-versed in writing convincing, lucid arguments, for guidance and oversight. I think I would.
- webwanderings 13y agoIncredible.
- j2d3 13y agoWow. I cried a bit.
- jorgeseagull 13y agoSomeone loves you just as much. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Everything will be OK.
- j2d3 13y agoOk, wat? Ok.
- jorgeseagull 13y agoI was wrong. It was a "durr" moment.
- nitrogen 13y agoCrying doesn't necessarily mean sadness. Some (all?) people might cry for any emotion if the emotion is intense enough.
- j2d3 13y agoThanks for clarifying. That was the case. I shed a tear due to the incredible emotion conveyed in such a brilliant manner, and agree it is just a beautiful "I love you and am proud of you, son" type of letter... and historic, too. I was not sad or "sorry for myself."
- jorgeseagull 13y agoOK. I was wrong. I apologize.
- nitrogen 13y agoJust in case English isn't your first language, "Feeling sorry for yourself" carries a derisive tone. When someone says, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself," it's basically like saying, "Stop whining, weakling!" I have to assume that's not at all what you meant. I don't think you deserved to lose all your karma over a misunderstanding.
- rfnslyr 13y agoBeautifully written. This is the time that will make or break America. I hope we are not complacent.
- smoyer 13y agoThey did an amazing job of describing him as a patriot - the references to Paul Revere and Thomas Paine were brilliant. I hope the U.S. government actually realizes what they've unleashed. On an unrelated topic, how can the AP claim copyright to this?
- senorprogrammer 13y agoMost likely boilerplate provided by the CMS and attached to every article. Don't read too much into it.
- smoyer 13y agoThat may be true ... but when the AP lawyer sees copies of it elsewhere, the D&C's and DMCA Take-Down notices will fly. Since the MPAA, RIAA and other media companies claim dramatic damages when people violate copyright, I like to think of false claims to copyright as fraud.
- CyberDroiD 13y agoSomeone or something is claiming copyright to the content. Period. "Don't read too much into it" is a smokescreen. They are claiming copyright, are you trying to change the facts?
- UVB-76 13y agoIt's a matter of intent. Looking at a few other articles, it seems it's a stock copyright notice added to the end of every article with 'Associated Press' given as the author.
- senorprogrammer 13y ago"Changing the facts?" - I don't follow. The data is there in front of you, nothing has been changed. Most likely article authors have no capacity to remove that statement from their posts and that it's just boilerplate CMS content. We should not necessarily ascribe to malice what can be explained through lack of functionality.
- 13y ago
- pvnick 13y agoTruly amazing and inspiring. I was worried that Snowden's father was going to continue, through his attorney, to try and dissuade his terrified son from persisting in his convictions; thus, I was preparing to be disappointed in his father's loyalty. Instead, I was greeted with a well-thought-out letter of encouragement to who I'm sure is a very scared 30-year-old. My spirits have been lifted. Thank you, Lon Snowden, for making the right decision.
- quackerhacker 13y agoIt is absolutely great to hear these comparisons made and the support of his father. I'm very glad the father went through an attorney in this situation, instead of the possibility of some ludicrous claim (like interfering in an open investigation, or some other charge that I know the FBI has done to break people[0]) if he supported him directly. [0] http://www.thenation.com/article/174851/strange-case-barrett-brown%23axzz2X9RMrDLN http://www.thenation.com/article/174851/strange-case-barrett...
- ynniv 13y agoSome of these open letters are so oddly worded that I have to wonder if there is a hidden message... and how fitting that would be!
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- dfc 13y agoThe last paragraph reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from The West Wing: "Men died for us. We had a responsibility to live our lives with integrity and honesty to honor their sacrifice." McGarry to Bartlett, An Khe, S05E14
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- jgrahamc 13y agoThe greatest "I love you" from a father to a son I will ever read.
- mattdeboard 13y agoThanks for putting this in a great context.
- bobwaycott 13y agoAbsolutely. Was struck with the same sentiment. Felt a bit happy that I am highly certain it's the kind of letter my dad would send were I in a similar situation.
- wilfra 13y agoI read it closer to 'I'm proud of you' but ya, pretty awesome.
- bgilroy26 13y agoHow do you differentiate those?
- wilfra 13y agoIt's possible to love somebody without being proud of them. For example, if your son was a drug addict who was in and out of jail and did nothing with his life. You would probably not be proud of him - but you could still love him dearly.
- res0nat0r 13y agoUnfortunately I think much of this story is going to be forgotten quickly when the hunt for Snowden is over. I think the media is covering this so much just because right now it is a big cat and mouse game. When that is over and another more exciting soundbite comes up...that's that. This type of spying has been known and approved and even published in the mainstream press since at least 06 and it hasnt bothered the majority of the public until now. Therefore I think the current uproar is just excitement related to the chase and the press will forget and fall back in line to more "if it leads it bleeds" content soon enough.
- 16s 13y agoLaws make things legal or illegal. They don't make things right or wrong. The Declaration of Independence was illegal, and the men who signed it were wanted dead or alive, but it was the right thing to do.
- quantumpotato_ 13y agothe men who signed it were wanted dead or alive and it was the right thing to do Another's hatred does not condemn us.
- dllthomas 13y agoThat said, other things being equal, it's better not to be hated.
- marcelsalathe 13y agoRe D of I: I'm honestly curious: is that true? Evidence?
- aeosynth 13y agoEvidence: the American Revolutionary War. > We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately. - Benjamin Franklin
- RyanMcGreal 13y agoThe assumption is that Britain regarded it as illegal in the same way that the USA would regard it as illegal if, say, the state of Texas was to declare independence today. That said, it's apparently a hot area of debate among people who study law: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15345511 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15345511
- marcelsalathe 13y agoReally interesting. Thanks for the link.
- 13y ago
- diminoten 13y agoSomeone explain to me the practical reason this letter needed to exist, besides page views. I am struggling to see why this couldn't be sent directly to Snowden, considering we know exactly where he is.
- jasonjei 13y agoSome of the comments on the linked article are ridiculous. To paraphrase some, many seem to be blindly trusting Obama with all this data (I'm sure they'd be asking for his pardon under Bush), while others believe this ``meta data" are just call histories that couldn't possibly be abused. It makes me wonder if Snowden thinks his sacrifice was worth it. Mark Twain observed it best when he parodied the fickleness of the lynching mob in Huckleberry Finn.
- lukifer 13y agoWhile I'm sure he's discouraged by the American reaction, I assume/hope he realizes the impact he's having on the world stage.
- IsThisObvious 13y agoHe shouldn't be. The real reaction of the American public isn't the talking that happens now. Or the next month. Or the next year. It's that people like me, who are young and have decades of time we're going to put in to society - working on infrastructure, working in the military, working in civil service jobs, etc - have this information and have someone like that as a counter point to the obvious corruption happening in government. I'd wager the biggest effect of Snowden - because anyone watching suspected much of this anyway - is going to be the legacy of someone who stood up and said something about it, screw the cost. Rolemodels like that are important, especially amid a context of massive social and governmental breakdown.
- lettergram 13y agoUnfortunately, the fall of the Roman empire happened slowly and no one did anything about it. The point being, change wont happen, some, perhaps many will look to Snowden as a hero or roll model, but all he is is a sign post. There were no rallies, no strikes, what did the populous do when they heard about it? Complained silently and some are probably annoyed that it's still being reported on.
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- CyberDroiD 13y agoIt's ironic that Snowden has no fear in blabbing about Top Secret information, and no fear in claiming the moral high ground, but is fearful and scared of getting apprehended at this point in time. Sounds like his so-called fearlessness has worn off? Nah, he's just a troublemaker who is now on the run.
- resu_nimda 13y agoWhat do you mean "no fear" and "fearlessness?" Yes, he "blabbed" information, and yes he may claim the moral high ground, but he has clearly been quite afraid of what the government could do to him in the US. And with good reason, IMO. I just don't get this argument, that he's a coward or a traitor for leaving. Are you required to martyr yourself for your cause to be worthy? He wanted to get this information out, and he also felt like he shouldn't have the rest of his life ruined for it (which is a reasonable prediction if he had stayed). Ultimately, it doesn't really matter whether he was fearless or a troublemaker or anything else, this shouldn't be about him as a person.
- lttlrck 13y agoHe has already martyred himself. The question is why? Why did he feel he had to attach his personality to the leak? It's actually become an immense distraction from the core issue: PRISM
- markdown 13y ago> The question is why? Well Manning did things your way, and he was discovered and locked away, tortured. Maybe Snowden knew there was no way to hide that it was him that leaked the data. Rather than just disappear (thereby letting the NSA control the story and write his motives), he chose to make the first move. In my opinion, he couldn't have done it better. > Why did he feel he had to attach his personality to the leak? Don't be obtuse. He chose to speak out, and still the NSA managed to tar him as an enemy spy. Had he simply disappeared, he would have made their work even easier.
- lhnz 13y ago
- UVB-76 13y agoJust a heads-up on the latest development for anyone interested: https://twitter.com/AP/status/352190291882676226 https://twitter.com/AP/status/352190291882676226
- dunk010 13y agoThat link doesn't work.
- UVB-76 13y agoInteresting, the original AP tweet has now been deleted. A new tweet [1] and article [2] have now been posted. [1] https://twitter.com/AP/status/352193921415254016 https://twitter.com/AP/status/352193921415254016 [2] http://bigstory.ap.org/article/bolivian-leaders-plane-rerouted-snowden-fear http://bigstory.ap.org/article/bolivian-leaders-plane-rerout...
- bangbang 13y ago"Sorry, that page doesn’t exist!" What did it say?
- joanofarf 13y ago"Bolivian minister says Evo Morales' plane was rerouted to Austria on suspicion that Snowden was on board." Here's the story on NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/07/02/world/americas/ap-lt-nsa-surveillance-bolivia.html?hp http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/07/02/world/americas/ap...
- mvc 13y agoThat could be a pretty smart play. Spread rumors that he's on a plane to see what the reaction would be. If he wasn't on the plane, he now knows that whatever plane he does get on, he can't fly over France.
- toomuchtodo 13y ago
- denzil_correa 13y agoIn some ways - it breaks my heart. For a moment, I imagined myself in Lon Snowden's shoes and though I am not a parent; it took me some time to sink in the emotion. After reading this, I do miss my father.
- mongol 13y agoI may be dense but I think this letter conveys a deeper meaning that I can't comprehend. Can someone describe the intent and meaning it carries?
- glasz 13y agoread the us constitution and the bill of rights. both shorter than the bible and for more worth the read.
- flyinRyan 13y agoWow. I've seen some stupid things in my time but this really takes the cake. The constitution and bill of rights aren't that big of a deal. The US style of government isn't even that great so the "great minds" of the founding fathers didn't manage to produce a system of government even as nice as the land they rebelled against (e.g. at least 3rd party has some meaning in the UK system, even if the system is damaged by FPTP). The bible, on the other hand, has inspired untold millions throughout the entire world, regardless of your stance on religion.
- glasz 13y agothe united states of america is supposed to have a government for the people, by the people - like lincoln said in gettysburg, 1863. it is a republic. and that republic requires YOU to take care of it. EVERY SINGLE ONE of you citizens over there. the constitution and bill of rights were never intended as paper to regulate every single aspect of your lives. quite the opposite. and here's the problem: most people just sit in front of the tv and bend over licking boots. or at least they forgot what your country is all about.
- ChikkaChiChi 13y agoBeautiful and made me miss my father. I am glad Lon Snowden can see how difficult this must be for his son.
- FrankenPC 13y ago"hugely suboptimal political culture of the United States" LOL! Well that's one way to put it.
- glasz 13y agous congress is full of cowardly assh+les. this is not about sections 215 and 702. get the f+ck rid of the entire crap as fast as you introduced it!
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- bas 13y agoHow DARE he compare this to Omaha Beach, even obliquely! Many of the men in this picture, fighting one of the greatest land armies ever assembled (the Wehrmacht), died on this shore, never to return home: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Into_the_Jaws_of_Death_23-0455M_edit.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Into_the_... Snowden's obstacles are a revoked passport and the charges he faces upon his inevitable return to the United States.
- jaekwon 13y agoCalm down, the letter speaks of paying homage to the sacrifice of Omaha Beach. As in, if we don't act now and stop the injustice, we aren't worthy. He's talking about you and me, not Edward.