Answers Quote by Edward Snowden
“The question of whether I, as a whistleblower, should be pardoned, is not for me to answer.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public Forum, 2015
The decision to pardon a whistleblower rests on legal and ethical considerations beyond the whistleblower’s personal desire.
In simple terms: Pardons are decided by authorities, not the whistleblower.
Key Takeaway
Respect due process and public interest.
Themes
law
ethics
whistleblowing
Mood
serious
analytical
Type
legal
political
When to use this quote
- legal review
- political debate
- media coverage
- civil rights activism
Key Concepts
government accountability
public safety
Questions to Reflect On
- Should whistleblowers be pardoned automatically?
- What criteria should guide pardon decisions?
A Different Perspective
Political pressures can influence pardon outcomes.
![“It's interesting that you mention [Andrei] Sakharov's creative axis - he had produced something for the government that he then realized was something other than he intended. That's something [NSA whistleblower] Bill Binney and I share.” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/86d/edward-snowden-555_axes_it-s-interesting-that-you-mention-andrei_2123410.jpg)
![“Chelsea Manning, who's now set to be free May 17th [2017], after Obama shortened her sentence from 35 years to seven. According to her attorneys, she is already the longest-held whistleblower in U.S. history.” quote by Amy Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/30d/amy-goodman-19343_attorney_chelsea-manning-who-s-now-set-to-be-free_2480507.jpg)
![“I was right outside the NSA [on 9/11], so I remember the tension on that day. I remember hearing on the radio, 'the plane's hitting,' and I remember thinking my grandfather, who worked for the FBI at the time, was in the Pentagon when the plane hit it...I take the threat of terrorism seriously…” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e2e/edward-snowden-555_corrupt_i-was-right-outside-the-nsa-on-9-11-so-i_720447.jpg)
![“[Brazil] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data sovereignty."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af7/edward-snowden-555_brazil_brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-n_14906.jpg)
![“There was a real choice when [Barack Obama] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold senior officials to account with the same laws that every other citizen in the country is held to," or "This is a nation that believes in the rule of law."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/104/edward-snowden-555_accounts_there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obam_27838.jpg)
