We need to shut down the echo chambers.

My oldest friend is gay. We met in kindergarten I think. I don’t remember meeting him, he’s just always been there. Cut to last year when my parents were saying they “don’t approve of that lifestyle” and I asked them “Well, what about [this friend]?” They know he’s gay, but since he doesn’t have an accent or a limp wrist they don’t seem to care. He lives down the street. We both went into the tech field. We hike. We’re each married to our own spouses. We have pets. I pointed all this out and told them “if you disapproved of his lifestyle, you’d also disapprove of mine. It’s not the LIFESTYLE, it’s the IDENTITY you don’t approve of.” I haven’t talked to my parents since. I’m ashamed to be related to them.

At this point it’s less about trusting Snowden and more about not trusting Russia. I wouldn’t put it past Russia to find a way to speak on his behalf and say what they want with his voice, power, and reach. That’s tantalizing. AI, Photoshop, social media posts, whatever. He’s under their control willingly or otherwise.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/02/edward-snowden-gets-russian-passport-after-swearing-oath-of-allegiance

He had my support until he signed himself over to Russia. It may have been his only choice, but what he says doesn’t matter one way or the other in my book.

I hope he dies of old age in jail.