There is a fine line between right and wrong. Whether it's in your personal life or in politics, it's been seen time and time again. It could be something as trivial as skipping a daytime class or something bigger like deciding your major in college. Making a decision, especially ones that could affect not only you but millions of others, is difficult to make. Choices that could affect millions of people, shape and define what the people involved see you as, some are cut to dry on which side of the spectrum they are on. For example, Nixion's involvement in the Watergate scandal led millions of Americans to see him as a fraud. Lincoln's success in ending slavery made people for the rest of history see him as an American hero, unless you're racist, of course. While for these it is clear which side they are on, others are more difficult to define as their situation can be extremely complex and controversial. Edward Snowden, arguably the most important whistleblower of this century, is one of those people. While many see him as a traitor, many others see the positive impact his leak has had on the American people. Edward Snowden's revolutionary impact on digital privacy makes him a true American hero to all of us. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Edward Snowden, a computer engineer, worked for many government agencies. He was self-taught without any kind of certification or degree. All these jobs he did and a clean history gave him a top secret clearance. This gave him access to information that he considered to be a major compromise in citizens' privacy and which would later be leaked. After thinking for a long time, he decided to leak information related to domestic espionage. After he became confident in his decisions, he began communicating with journalists who were familiar with the government's controversial articles to release this vital information to the public. An American hero can be someone different depending on the person. Many look to figures like Abraham Lincoln, George Washington or even someone like Elvis Presley. Being considered an American hero varies from person to person as it is all a matter of perspective. An American hero should not be afraid to stand up for what is right and just. They protect and enforce our freedoms and rights as American citizens. Not only do they do this, but they also go as far as expanding our digital rights, changing laws to benefit the American people. Their actions have a lasting and important impact on our country. They do all this without fear of consequences as long as there is justice. Snowden put the rights and freedoms of the American people before the government and even before his own. Putting the rights and freedoms of others before your own self-interest is one of the hallmarks of being an American hero. He saw that citizens' digital privacy was severely compromised, almost non-existent. He said: “But there is a limit to the amount of incivility, inequality and inhumanity any individual can tolerate. I crossed that line. NSA programs have targeted many Americans who are innocent of any illegal action. David Cole even said, “We were sleepwalking away from our privacy and Snowden woke us up.” Snowden knew that this was a great injustice to the American people. Since he was one of many who saw these injustices that he personally did not tolerate and no one did anything about it, he decided to.