“It is not an easy task to unring a bell, nor to remove from the mind an impression once firmly imprinted there*”
“I’m not anti-government …. I’m just pro Freedom”.
-Ladar Levison, (the founder of secure email provider Lavabit, facing a court case because he closed his company rather than hand over encryption keys) interviewed in the interactive UK Guardian piece published November, 2013
Whether or not you think Snowden was a traitor or a hero; the fact remains that “the bell can not be unrung”.
Jacob Appelbaum has taken great risks to raise the alarm and warn others about the tyranny that the NSA records reveal.
Ladar Levison, who had cooperated with legitimate law enforcement writs and requests in the past, closed his business rather than capitulate to the NSA demands, stating in a Forbes article, “if you knew what I know about e-mail, you probably wouldn’t use it”.
Germany’s Speigel and the UK Guardian have taken the lead by courageously publishing a great amount of Snowden’s material, while taking great pains to redact information that could imperil individuals and entities affected by the NSA activities.
Most of the scope of the NSA activities is far too much for people to really grasp and understand – especially, since, to this point, it has been very technical in nature and filled with “insider speak”. The average person’s eyes glaze over before they can truly understand the ramifications for them, at a personal level.
The Guardian has taken the lead by compiling an impressive interactive piece published online. It includes easy to understand graphics, and interviews conducted with people in and around the industry, explaining the issues. It is definitely worth sharing with everyone you know who cares about freedom.
Once the page loads, start your journey by beginning to scroll down. During an interview, you can start or stop an interview by scrolling up or down as needed. At the end of the interactive web piece are links to some of the documents the Guardian has previously published.
As you go through the Guardian‘s piece, ask yourself:
What do you do, how do you choose to respond, when the criminals make it a crime for you to report them as criminals, let alone describe their actual crimes?
The tide of public opinion is turning. The Guardian notes in section 6 of their piece “Shifting Sentiments” that “according to a recent study, the majority of Americans believe that preserving the rights of US citizens is more important than preventing terrorist attacks. Since the NSA revelations, Americans have become more opposed to government surveillance that infringes on civil liberties.”
James Clapper, who openly lied to Congress, remains unscathed – although the question is – for how long? When does the demand for accountability begin?
Together, we can bell the cat.
Strap on your seatbelt and enter here:
NSA files DECODED: What the Revelations mean for YOU.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Chief Justice McBride, in rendering his decision in Oregon vs. Rader, a case of disputed haystack burning and cow tail cropping, decided May 28, 1912.