Letters: The ‘Where’s Snowden?’ game

Re “Snowden hopscotches globe, staying just out of U.S. reach,� June 24

Sounds like a kid’s show: Where is Edward Snowden?

At this point it doesn’t really matter. Snowden has sensitive, classified information that he has probably been taking with him on a Cold War tour. His first haven, Hong Kong, is in China, and then there is Russia, with Cuba next on the list.

Snowden could do real damage, as the U.S. is engaged in a technology war with its adversaries. Regardless of what the U.S. may or may not have done wrong, Snowden has set back the U.S. security apparatus.

Selby Jessup

Los Angeles

Compare Snowden’s globe-trotting quest for asylum to Martin Luther King Jr. in the Birmingham jail, civil rights marchers facing dogs and fire hoses, and Vietnam War protesters who didn’t flee to Canada but stayed here and risked going to jail for what they believed in.

Regardless of what the message or cause might be, I respect people who are willing to stand up for their beliefs and accept the consequences of their actions instead of trying to escape them.

By that measure, Snowden is no hero.

Steven Mehlman

Beaumont

I am surprised by some politicians’ harsh comments about China and Russia in response to Snowden’s movement. Bad-mouthing our allies is not an effective way to do business.

Instead, we should accept that these countries are independent and may choose not to do what the powerful United States demands.

I am not surprised that China ignored pleas to turn over Snowden, now that it knows it has been targeted by U.S. surveillance. Other nations, I believe, will similarly ignore demands for extradition. These nations will become heroes to many in the world.

I look forward to seeing American television news shows interviewing Snowden from Ecuador. He can give us a thorough understanding of the workings of the NSA without threatening national security.

In essence, he’ll be doing what our congressional oversight committees should have done long ago.

Jack McGrath

Port Hueneme

Government of the people, for the people and by the people should be transparent to the people. Therefore, people such as Snowden, Bradley Manning, Julian Assange and previously Daniel Ellsberg should be considered heroes rather than traitors.

Pauli Peter

Los Angeles

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