ENEMY OF THE STATE PART THREE: A HOUSE DIVIDED

The Court of Justice of the European Union has made their opinion clear on the question of freedom of speech as well as the right to be forgotten – two things with a significant impact on national security. The opinion of the American journalism community regarding national security was also made evident recently in their awarding of the Pulitzer Prize to The Washington Post and The Guardian for their coverage of Edward Snowden’s NSA leaks. What has the American public got to say on the topic of national security? According to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center, “…the [American] public remains divided over whether those classified leaks [by Edward Snowden] served the public interest.” This sharp division is especially seen in the age 18-29 demographic in regard to whether Snowden should be tried by the U.S. government, as 42% within that age group said that Snowden should be tried while 42% said that he should not. Another pattern that emerged in the data from both a poll regarding whether or not Snowden’s leaks had served the public interest as well as a poll on whether or not the U.S. government should pursue a criminal case against Snowden that also serves to demonstrate the divide amongst the Americans on the Snowden controversy is the factor of age. On average, as the age demographics polled got increasingly older, the more likely they were to have a negative attitude towards Snowden – saying that his actions harmed the public interest and hoping that the government pursues a criminal case against Snowden. Thus, the younger age demographics were more torn in regards to their opinions of Snowden. This clear difference in opinion between the younger and older generations on Edward Snowden’s actions – with the older generations firmer in their negative opinions of Snowden and the younger generations either more conflicted or positive in their opinions of Snowden – can lead to even more issues in the United States. As Abraham Lincoln once famously said in a time long ago of controversy in the United States, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” This may very well reflect the current day and age in which the American public is, once again, divided against itself regarding another controversy – this time, however, the controversy is on national security and the Edward Snowden ordeal. (For more on Pew Research’s analysis of the American public’s opinion regarding Edward Snowden’s leaks, see here: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/04/15/nsa-coverage-wins-pulitzer-but-americans-remain-divided-on-snowden-leaks/)