Letters to the editor for Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Risks Snowden took showcase his candor

The condemnation of Edward Snowden seems premature. He has given up his liberty, home country and possibly his life to meet a burden of conscience, unless anyone else can prove that he had other motives for his actions.

I am not saying that he should be called a “hero” or a “martyr,” but the risks he took in exposing the extent of the NSA’s program and revealing his identity speaks to his candor. I am not convinced this program saved as many lives as our government would like us to believe. In the case of Sami Osmakac, he may of never had the opportunity to carry out his plan if the FBI had not supplied him with the means to his designs before arresting him.

Data sifted daily by the NSA does not ease my concerns. The searching algorithms can be rewritten and used to obtain data for any pattern of calls made by any one at any time.

The administration has broken the law in order to further its own agenda. They used the tax code to harass its detractors and reward its supporters with exemptions. President Obama’s assurances regarding my phone conversations are unconvincing.

Our choice does not seem to lie between our liberties and our security, but rather between a caliphate and a secular dictatorship. The first wants to impose a brutal religious code upon those not of Islamic persuasion; the second, a rather arbitrary political agenda for the sole purpose of continued existence.

Sonja Sexton

Dayton

Side-by-side letters had opposing tones

The letters to the editor on July 2 were from two exact opposite types of people. The first appeared to be from a kind, loving person, the second from an “it’s none of your business” type. I happen to be more like the former than the latter. My mother also told me constantly to not discuss politics or religion and don’t loan to a person you want to keep as a friend. We grow up and find out that the world is full of both kind of people.

Our society, if we want it to survive, better realize that even though all people do not have the same point of view, we should all respect each other’s viewpoint. I think it terrible that the people who have different sexual orientations don’t respect those that disagree with them by trying to change our society into another Sodom and Gomorrah. To lean more towards life instead of death when it comes to late term abortion.

In closing, I just wanted to say, if we don’t use forms of expression, such as I’m using here, we are liable to lose it.

Neil Powers

Carson City