When I think of the word patriot, names like George Washington and Paul Revere come to mind. Tom Brady comes to mind too, but that's not the kind of patriot I think Professor Young is asking about. Washington and Revere are patriots, because they did so much for the greater good of the country. They risked their own lives in order to bring and preserve our freedom here in the United States. Webster's says that patriotism is love or devotion for one's country. With those examples in mind, that definition, and my small knowledge of Snowden's data I would say he is on his way to being a patriot.
I wouldn't say he is a patriot yet, because we are still unsure of all the information he has. I think it is a little odd that he started this whole crusade, because Obama didn't fulfill his promise of transparency but we aren't exactly sure what's going on with Snowden either. I can't imagine what it's like to be in his shoes with all that information and his life on the line everyday. I want to believe that he is doing this for the greater good of the nation and not for selfish purposes. Only with time and his revelations of this info will it solidify his mark in history as a patriot or not. The same happened with Washington and many others in the revolution. They were seen as rebels at first, but we are all now so grateful for their courage to fight for our freedom. As more Americans grow aware of their digital footprint and our media literacy improves we will be ready to call Snowden a patriot or not, because we will have a better understanding of what he is doing for us and we may stand alongside him fighting for better protection of our data.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope he is a Patriot, but only time will tell.
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