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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsACLU Urges Action in Defense of Snowden
Here's the text of an ACLU email that just showed up in my mailbox. The links don't show up, but if you want to sign, you can probably just go to their web page:
Edward Snowden risked everything to expose the secret NSA spying program which surveils our calls and emails. Last night, we learned what shape those risks would takein a late night news release the Administration hoped we wouldnt notice.
Snowden has been called a traitor by politicians and had his personal safety threatened. Now hes been formally charged with violating the Espionage Actthe same law used to charge Bradley Manning, who provided information to WikiLeaks.
For his trouble, Manning was held in solitary confinement for 23 hours per day and forced to sleep naked and sheetless, in conditions even a military judge called excessive.
By bringing to light information that the powers-that-be would rather keep secret, whistleblowers like Snowden play a fundamental role in our democracy. We cant just let them be thrown into darkness.
As the Department of Justice moves in on Snowden, we need to raise our voices to ensure that Snowden is treated fairly and legally, and that the massive abuse of government power, that he risked his safety to expose, finally comes to an end.
Sign the statement below urging President Obama to guarantee due process for Snowden and to crack down on unconstitutional spying programsnot whistleblowers.
Dear President Obama
We stand opposed to any attempt to treat Edward Snowden as a traitor. Our government must also not pursue the case against him outside the ordinary course of American justice. He is entitled to the rule of law and constitutional protections that so many before us died to defend.
Snowden is innocent until proven guilty before a court of law and he must be afforded all of his rights as an American citizen. If he is brought to an American court, he must be afforded every opportunity to defend himself and convince a judge that what he did was justifiable and patriotic, even if he is charged with violating laws that themselves pose a threat to our democracy.
Finally, we say as Americans that we are tired of seeing liberty sacrificed on the altar of security and having a handful of lawmakers decide what we should and should not know. We are tired of living in a nation governed by fear instead of the principles of freedom and liberty that made this nation great.
Sign and share the statement.
Of all the terrible things that Snowden has to fear, he has told us: The greatest fear I have
is that nothing will change.
Let's make sure it does.
Thank you for taking action,
Anthony for the ACLU Action team
G_j
(40,366 posts)and some of us did take notice that Manning's treatment was judged "inhumane" by Amnesty International.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/us-accused-inhumane-treatment-over-wikileaks-soldier-case-2011-01-24
Life Long Dem
(8,582 posts)I don't think anyone is debating whether or not Snowden stole classified documents from NSA.