Controversy has followed Edward Snowden since he released "secret" U.S. government documents showing just how massive and pervasive the NSA's spying on American citizens really is. The government wants to arrest him and toss him in prison, and have been searching for him since he left Hong Kong. He is now believed to be in a Russian airport, waiting to go to a country that will grant him asylum (probably Venezuela).Some (including me) have said he should not be arrested, or tried for any crime. He simply let the American people know what the government was doing. No harmful secrets were revealed, and the government should have been upfront with citizens on their massive spying apparatus in the first place. Secrets, especially unnecessary secrets, should not be kept by a democratic government -- since the people need to know what their government is doing so they can be informed voters.
What do the American people think about Snowden? Do they agree with the government and see him as a traitor who should be put in prison? Or do they think he is just a whistle-blower, who did a good thing by exposing the spying on Americans by their government? A new Quinnipiac University Poll (conducted between June 28th and July 8th of 2,014 registered voters nationwide -- with a margin of error of 2.2 points) answers that question. And it looks like a significantly large majority of Americans disagree with the government.
About 55% of Americans say Snowden is just a whistle-blower (while only 34% say he is a traitor). And that belief cuts across political lines -- with 55% of Republicans, 49% of Democrats, and 58% of Independents calling him a whistle-blower. Only 38% of Republicans, 39% of Democrats, and 30% of Independents say he is a traitor. The numbers remain much the same when other demographic groups are considered. Here are those numbers (with the first number being those who say "whistle-blower", and the number in parentheses those who say "traitor"):
Men...............57% (34%)
Women...............52% (35%)
Whites...............56% (33%)
Blacks...............42% (43%)
Hispanics...............57% (37%)
Military households...............49% (39%)
College degree...............52% (38%)
No college degree...............56% (32%)
Under $50k...............58% (31%)
$50k-$100k...............55% (33%)
Over $100k...............52% (42%)
18 to 29...............68% (23%)
30 to 44...............60% (29%)
45 to 64...............51% (38%)
65 & over...............48% (39%)
The Obama administration is on the wrong side of this issue, and so is Congress. Both need to get together and repeal the Patriot Act -- the ridiculous law that allowed this massive surveillance of American citizens. And they need to leave Snowden alone. He did the American people a favor, and should not be punished for it.
