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
What is right is not always the same as what is legal
Interpretation
What this quote means
Legality does not always equate to morality.
This quote by Edward Snowden emphasizes the distinction between what is legally permissible and what is ethically or morally right. It suggests that actions can be legally sanctioned yet still be fundamentally unjust or wrong, prompting reflection on the importance of our values and judgment in determining right from wrong.
Themes
EthicsLawMoralityRightJustice
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on human rights, one might reference this quote to discuss the limitations of laws.
More from Edward Snowden
All quotes βI 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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