Should Edward Snowden Be Punished?

Americans are still abuzz over the NSA’s top-secret collection of phone conversations and PRISM, the internet surveillance program.

Some have reacted with “duh” to the “revelation” that the government has been harvesting information into a database while others consider this a gross intrusion upon their privacy.

Edward Snowden, 29, the ex-CIA agent and whistleblower, falls into the latter category. The former employee of NSA defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton said, "My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them. The only thing I can do is sit here and hope the Hong Kong government does not deport me."

Snowden left for Hong Kong on May 20 where he revealed the government’s program to The Guardian, aware that he would face repercussions from the US government.

Most recently, the British government has warned airlines to not allow Snowden to fly into the UK, according to CBS News. If any airline brings Snowden into the country, it will be liable to be fined $3,100, a diplomat said.

Snowden chose China because "they have a spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent," reported the Washington Times. 

Some security analysts believe Snowden may trade top-level, unreleased secrets for asylum in China or another country with shaky relations with the US.

Attorney General Eric Holder promised to hold the individual accountable for leaking information, saying the leak is “extremely damaging” to U.S. national security, reported Politico.

“The national security of the United States has been damaged as a result of those leaks,” Holder said at a U.S.-European Union ministerial meeting in Dublin on Friday, according to a CNN report. “The safety of the American people and the safety of people who reside in allied nations have been put at risk as a result of these leaks.”

Mike Rogers and Dianne Feinstein, chairmans of the U.S. House and Senate Intelligence Committees, respectively, told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that those who leaked information about the NSA surveillance program should be charged with a crime.

If caught convicted of violating the Espionage Act, Snowden could face life in prison, reported ABC News. 

However, a petition urging the Obama administration to pardon Snowden was posted to the White House website the same day.

"Edward Snowden is a national hero and should be immediately issued a full, free, and absolute pardon for any crimes he has committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs," the petition reads.

Snowden has publicly stated in an interview “I’m neither traitor nor hero. I’m an American.”

Do you agree with Edward Snowden? Or do you think he is a traitor? Or an American hero? 

Tell us below in the comments.