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Obama Should Pardon Snowden as Well as Manning

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#1

Obama Should Pardon Snowden as Well as Manning

Dana Gold

President Obama’s brave and principled decision to commute Chelsea Manning’s remaining 35-year prison sentence highlights the equally strong need to pardon whistleblower Edward Snowden. Offering a pardon for Snowden on the eve of Trump’s inauguration would not only be equally brave and principled, it would restore the value of truth and ethics at a time when these essential elements of democracy are more necessary, and more precarious, than ever before.

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#2

You can’t pardon someone who hasn’t even submitted himself for trial. Snowden’s hideout in Moscow ties Pres.O’s hands.

#3

How about pardoning Leonard Peltier in prison for over forty years for a crime for he was falsely accused… Never seems to come up because he is a tribal person.

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#4

Dear Dana Gold,

He didn’t pardon Chelsea, he commuted her sentence. You’re a lawyer. Isn’t there a definite difference? But yes, he ought to pardon Snowden.

#5

I suggest you ask any of the last ?? President’s why indeed Peltier hasn’t been released. I do believe it “comes up,” but let’s not make assumptions. Let’s work on it instead.

#6

How was Nixon pardoned then?

#7

Yes, Obama should – but he’s not going to. Snowden shined a light where no one dared before him and for that the ruling elite in this country want him to pay. It is all about the right to privacy.

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#8

Snowden should be pardoned for all offenses related to domestic surveillance. Offenses regarding foreign intelligence efforts should result in prosecution.

#9

You are clearly wrong: President Ford gave President Nixon a full pardon for all the crimes that Nixon undoubtedly committed, without Nixon ever presenting himself to a court. President Obama’s hands were not “tied”; he simply choses not to exercise that power of pardon which he certainly has when it comes to Snowden. It is sad that he cannot even be honest about his decision, but rather chooses to fabricate a false “limitation” which the Ford-Nixon pardon plainly negates.

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#10

Pres. Obama didn’t tell me to say that. So blame me, not him. It’s at best a fine point that I’m not interested in researching. Anyway, as Pres.O did point out yesterday, he didn’t pardon Manning, only ordered clemency to reduce her sentence to something more in line with what others have served for similar crimes.

#11

Yes, but most imprisoned people, other than being the modern slaves, are not tortured for years and solitary confinement is torture.
(how much time naked?–try that at home while sitting on a cold concrete floor–naked–after 10 minutes, then imagine so many months you lose count).