First Amendment - Religion and Expression

The First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

The government has been trampling on the First Amendment for a long time now. Maybe we cannot see it because it doesn't directly affect us and we choose to turn a blind eye. Take the case of Edward Snowden, whistle blower to the overreaching NSA. Right or wrong, Snowden uncovered the truth about the Federal Government.

Did Snowden do everything right?  No he didn't, but how does one get the truth out when the government has safeguards in place to protect itself? (I wonder why the government has no problem with whistle blowers who tell on corporations for wrongdoing?)

Why does the NSA need to spy on all the American people? Why do they need all of our private information? Is every one of the citizens of the United States a potential treat to national security?

Why are our conversations so important they feel the need to use up the planet's number one resource? Water is more precious then gold. When storing this much information about the average Jane or Joe the NSA abuses the use of water.

Below is information anyone can access thanks to the FOI (Freedom of Information act). Everyone has the right to access information about our government's activities, as long as public monies are used or it doesn't interfere with The Privacy Act or national security.

The below information does not violate national security like the NSA claims.

"The Utah state records committee ordered the city of Bluffdale Wednesday to release records of the National Security Agency’s water use for its controversial data center, despite protests from the NSA that the information should be classified because of national security. 

The city redacted specific figures on the NSA’s water usage last year in response to a Salt Lake Tribune public records request. Estimates have ballparked the water usage of the agency’s new Bluffdale facility around 1.2 to 1.7 million gallons every day to cool an approximate 100,000 square feet of computer equipment. This information was found at thinkprogress.org"

Ask yourself: 

• Did Snowden have an obligation to make this information available to the people? 
• Should this information be available? 
• Should our tax dollars be spent to use 1.2 to 1.7 millions gallons of water everyday to store this type of information?
• Should Snowden be charged with espionage? 
• Did he give information that compromises our national security? 

Here is a video of an Edward Snowden Interview. Be sure to watch and decide what should be Snowden's fate if he comes back to the United States. What do you think of Edward Snowden's actions?