It's important that we elevate and primarily focus on the rights of American citizens, but it's also important that we don't forget, 95 percent of the world's population lives beyond our own borders.
Edward SnowdenRead
I care more about the country than what happens to me. But we can't allow the law to become a political weapon or agree to scare people away from standing up for their rights, no matter how good the deal. I'm not going to be part of that.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker prioritizes the welfare of the country over personal interests and emphasizes the importance of protecting individual rights against misuse of the law.
In this quote, Edward Snowden expresses his deep concern for the well-being of the country while rejecting the idea that laws should be weaponized for political purposes. He highlights the danger of allowing fear to deter individuals from advocating for their own rights, underscoring a commitment to justice and personal integrity regardless of potential consequences.
Themes
CountryRightsLawPoliticsFreedom
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech advocating for civil liberties, this quote could reinforce the importance of standing up for individual rights.
More from Edward Snowden
All quotes →I think the most important idea is to remember that there have been times throughout American history where what is right is not the same as what is legal.
Edward SnowdenRead
Congress hasn't declared war on the countries - the majority of them are our allies - but without asking for public permission, NSA is running network operations against them that affect millions of innocent people. And for what? So we can have secret access to a computer in a country we're not even fighting?
Edward SnowdenRead
A child born today will grow up with no conception of privacy at all.
Edward SnowdenRead
Being called a traitor by Dick Cheney is the highest honor you can give an American, and the more panicked talk we hear from people like him... the better off we all are.
Edward SnowdenRead
I don't see myself as a hero because what I'm doing is self-interested: I don't want to live in a world where there's no privacy and therefore no room for intellectual exploration and creativity.
Edward SnowdenRead
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