David Liu
Writer '20
I sincerely believe that America is the greatest country in the history of the world. However, I can't say that I trust our government. Thousands of years ago, Plato proclaimed that "those who seek power are not worthy of that power." Ruling, the business of exerting dominance over others, naturally draws the arrogant, the narcissistic and the corrupt. That is not to say that we have not had effective, successful governance - good governance that stemmed from the watchful eyes of the many and the courageous actions of the few.
With the creation and empowerment of shadowy surveillance agencies, government accountability has fallen to an all time low. After reading Orwell's 1984, I tried to imagine myself living in the world of Big Brother. I was thankful for the knowledge that it couldn’t happen here. We live in America, the Land of the Free. It just couldn’t happen here. However, when Snowden exposed the NSA’s surveillance activities, everything changed. For the first time, average Americans began to wonder who was listening. The once-distant spectre of Big Brother became less fictional.
No matter how you look at it, the legality of the matter is that Snowden committed treason against the State. However, the letter of the law is not as important as standing by the American people and American values. The same principles underlie all our rights, which are intrinsically entwined: if you poison one, you have poisoned them all. All those who profess to defend liberty must recognize the folly of selective outrage.
When we stood for Peter Zenger, we advanced together as a society. When we rejected Jim Crow, we advanced together as a society. Snowden’s actions and words were a call-to-arms to the timeless fight against abuses of the state. He recognized that the ever-present struggle against an Orwellian future must be a collective one, so he acted. He sacrificed his own freedom to place the future of our Nation back into the hands of the people. For the good of us all, he stood against the strongest institution of the modern world - I'd trust a man like Snowden over the government any day. The government can lay claim to titles and legislation, but the American spirit belongs to its people.
I do not trust my government, because now, more than ever, I am unsure whether it works for me. I do not trust my government, because now, more than ever, it wields ever-unaccountable power. I do not trust my government, because now, more than ever, it has sought to stifle and suppress those who would stand against it.
People say that rebellion, rejection of authority, is a phase. A love of freedom and a lifelong commitment to American values is not a phase. In order for America to be Great Again, we need to ensure government for the people.
Writer '20
I sincerely believe that America is the greatest country in the history of the world. However, I can't say that I trust our government. Thousands of years ago, Plato proclaimed that "those who seek power are not worthy of that power." Ruling, the business of exerting dominance over others, naturally draws the arrogant, the narcissistic and the corrupt. That is not to say that we have not had effective, successful governance - good governance that stemmed from the watchful eyes of the many and the courageous actions of the few.
With the creation and empowerment of shadowy surveillance agencies, government accountability has fallen to an all time low. After reading Orwell's 1984, I tried to imagine myself living in the world of Big Brother. I was thankful for the knowledge that it couldn’t happen here. We live in America, the Land of the Free. It just couldn’t happen here. However, when Snowden exposed the NSA’s surveillance activities, everything changed. For the first time, average Americans began to wonder who was listening. The once-distant spectre of Big Brother became less fictional.
No matter how you look at it, the legality of the matter is that Snowden committed treason against the State. However, the letter of the law is not as important as standing by the American people and American values. The same principles underlie all our rights, which are intrinsically entwined: if you poison one, you have poisoned them all. All those who profess to defend liberty must recognize the folly of selective outrage.
When we stood for Peter Zenger, we advanced together as a society. When we rejected Jim Crow, we advanced together as a society. Snowden’s actions and words were a call-to-arms to the timeless fight against abuses of the state. He recognized that the ever-present struggle against an Orwellian future must be a collective one, so he acted. He sacrificed his own freedom to place the future of our Nation back into the hands of the people. For the good of us all, he stood against the strongest institution of the modern world - I'd trust a man like Snowden over the government any day. The government can lay claim to titles and legislation, but the American spirit belongs to its people.
I do not trust my government, because now, more than ever, I am unsure whether it works for me. I do not trust my government, because now, more than ever, it wields ever-unaccountable power. I do not trust my government, because now, more than ever, it has sought to stifle and suppress those who would stand against it.
People say that rebellion, rejection of authority, is a phase. A love of freedom and a lifelong commitment to American values is not a phase. In order for America to be Great Again, we need to ensure government for the people.