LEWISBURG — International whistleblower Edward Snowden told a crowd of students and faculty at Bucknell University that surveillance is not about safety, but control.
“Our choices are being limited, guided. I think all our activities are being ‘permissioned,’” he said, via virtual visit from Russia. “Liberty is freedom from permission. That ability to act without asking.”
Snowden's visit was sponsored by the Bucknell Program for American Leadership, a faculty association, with a grant provided by the Open Discourse Coalition, consisting of Bucknell alumni. Fr. Deacon Paul Siewers, associated professor of Literary Studies at Bucknell, said Snowden was contacted through the Free Speech Foundation in San Francisco.
“I’ve been following Snowden for a long time,” said Vivienne Wildes, professor of management. She said in her course she does a chapter on Snowden and discussion if he was a hero or villain. She expected an informative event, still unsure whether to call Snowden hero or villain. After, she said, “I think he’s a hero. You can quote me.”
Snowden said he understood why people are skeptical of him.
“No matter how much of a criminal it makes me to speak the unspeakable, there was a moment in my life I realized there was a difference between working for the government and working for the public. That was always not so clear,” said Snowden, who challenged others to look at the world objectively.
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