Two Honest Whistleblowers Face Reality in a World of Corruption

The infamous and globally well-known duo Snowden and Manning have made a grandiose impact on the world over the past years.

Edward Snowden, 30, and Bradley Manning, 25, are two of the most currently known whistle blowers across the world. Each has a different background but a similar reproach.

Edward Snowden, born in Elizabeth City, NA, was a former computer infrastructure specialist who worked for the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) and the NSA (National Security Agency), before leaking information on a mass-surveillance program that monitors and takes information without question or permission.

Its real initiative is to be able to have a check on possible terrorists and hazardous material; however, that involves the use of everyone’s information in the process.

Seeing as this is so, Snowden took it upon himself to let the world know that their privacy does not exist.

However, this was not seen as a heroic act in the government’s opinion. After being charged with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information, and willful communication of classified intelligence to an unauthorized person, Snowden made the move to leave the United States and fled to Russia, where he’s been granted temporary asylum.

Before those advancements, he had moved from countries, where China almost bargained him over to the United States. However Russia was willing to give Snowden asylum, after being stranded at the airport for months.

This move that Russia has made has caused some friction between President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Causing Obama to rethink flying to the St. Petersburg Summit and also attending the Russian Capitol. However, he will still be attending.

On the other hand, Bradley Manning’s case has slowly been closing. Manning, born in Crescent, Oklahoma was a United States Army soldier. He was arrested in May of 2010, being accused of leaking classified information to the website WikiLeaks.

Being charged with 22 offenses, and not leaving the country like fellow whistleblower, Snowden, Manning has become the new example of the punishment potential whistleblowers can experience. On July 13 he was convicted of most charges.

Before then, Manning was held at a Marine Corps Brig in Quantico, Virginia since May 2010 in solitary confinement, and then being transferred to Fort Leavenworth in April 2011 where he was able to communicate with other detainees.

Currently in the process of being tried, Manning didn’t consider the idea to run but to directly face it. Manning and Snowden share different perspectives on how they deal with their publicly considered “heroic” actions.

In my opinion, this is a lot to take in and one must have proper judgment considering the way things happened and what each person considers is morally correct or what is the right thing to do. I feel that both of their acts were quite heroic, taking the chance to delve themselves in a global pursuit and manhunt produced by the government which can only bring fear.