Reply to post: What if they had had polls in 1776?

Want Edward Snowden pardoned? You're in the minority, say pollsters

ma1010
Boffin

What if they had had polls in 1776?

I sort of suspect the numbers against the rebels in 1776 would have looked similar to today's numbers against Snowden. Most folks would likely have been opposed to "those so-called patriots" who wanted to rebel against their rightful king and against those troublemakers in "that self-styled Continental Congress."

However, at times issues aren't settled by voting with one's mouth or pen. In some situations, people vote with their actions, possibly even putting their lives on the line. There were a lot of loyalists in America back then, but most of them didn't feel strongly enough to fight for their beliefs, whereas enough of the rebels felt strongly enough to go "all in" for what they believed and brought about the American Revolution. Snowden certainly went "all in" for what he believed and, as a result, has become most likely a permanent exile. It can be costly to make a stand, and most of us just don't have what it takes (I include myself in this number).

I'm morally sure that the seriously dedicated rebels who founded this country were a minority of the total population of America. Most folks probably just wanted all the commotion to end and things to get back to normal. They probably wished those rebels would just stop all their trouble-making. But Americans have a lot to thank those troublemakers for. I think we have a lot to thank Snowden for and should respect him. Yes, he's a lawbreaker. So were all the leaders of the American Revolution.

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