I will have to admit, I struggle with this question, because most of my American Heros are artists who challenged the 1st Amendment, in one way or another.
My favorite American artist is Andy Warhol because he challenged what art really is.
My favorite American songwriters are Hank Williams Senior and Tom Waits because they challenged the establishment.
My favorite founding father is Ben Franklin because he challenged public information.
Snowden has challenged our security and privacy, and I truly believe he will have his day in court. I have watched countless documentaries about this person, and the one thing I have gathered is he believes a Republic Democracy can work if we work those principles. Did he break rules and laws? Oh yeah, but I think he did it with a clear conscience.
If I could sit down in a Moscow pub and have 60 minutes with this guy, I would do it in a heartbeat. I sometimes feel doing the ‘right thing’ is not always popular, in fact it can destroy you.
While I don’t pray often to the higher power, I do pray for Snowden, because his darkest days are yet to come and I hope he gets a fair trial. It is imperative to our democracy that he gets a fair trial.
