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Edward Snowden, who outed himself as the person who leaked to the press that the National Security Agency was secretly monitoring citizens' and foreigners' phone and Internet activities, has turned the discussion of privacy vs. security on its ear. Is Snowden, a 29-year-old, self-described "whistleblower" a hero or a traitor? Or is it more complicated than that?
We asked members of The Californian's Sounding board for their thoughts. Here are some of their responses:
The definition of hero and traitor, like the history books, are written by the winners, so Snowden's tagline will be determined by those who prevail in this debate. Certainly those exposed by his leaks will contend that he is a traitor, because they presumably believe...
The Californian recently editorialized against a farm bill amendment from Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, that is meant to stop one state from interfering in interstate farm commerce ("Pass the farm bill, but without this harmful amendment," June...
In the mid-1970s, when I was a law student at Pepperdine and California state chairman of a conservative volunteer group, the Young Americans for Freedom, we began to get visits at the YAF offices from a brusque older gentleman named...
On June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed on the heavily fortified beaches of Normandy. Their mission: Liberate France from the Nazis' four-year-long occupation and gain a foothold for a march on Berlin from the west. Some 4,414 Allied...
As a rule, Californians shouldn't have too many East Coast friends, and we should never listen too closely to the ones we do have. East Coasters know little about California but fancy they know a lot. In their eyes, we are sun-bathing,...
On a cool, rainy day in the spring of 2012, I joined an elderly woman and her niece and nephew at a rural cemetery in north central Iowa, not far from the Minnesota state line. She was the surviving sibling of Aviation Cadet Glenn McKean,...
While Gov. Jerry Brown and his fellow Democrats are arguing about a new funding formula for dividing up some school dollars, parents like me are still scratching our heads over why, despite the passage of the temporary tax initiative...
Many of us know what it's like to see a loved one grow older. We see the joys that a grandparent experiences, but also the hardships that come with health issues and becoming more dependent on others. Often, we ride the "roller coaster of...
To the distinguished California Public High School Class of 2013: I'm sorry James Franco canceled at the last minute. I'm even sorrier you wound up getting me as your substitute commencement speaker, but I was offered gas money plus a...
At the opening of his new presidential library in Dallas last week, George W. Bush offered the phrase "we expanded freedom" to sum up his legacy. I say to those who agree: "Be careful what you wish for." Freedom is a fine evocative word,...
We're being watched -- by the IRS and by private business, on the street and in the solitude of our own homes. Is comprehensive surveillance, both online and in the flesh, worth the price of Americans' privacy? Or does a world full of...
America is a watched nation. Our lives are monitored daily, from street-corner surveillance cameras to law enforcement drones. Much of this surveillance is done in the name of security, but many people find ongoing surveillance creepy and...
America is a watched nation. Our lives are monitored daily, from street-corner surveillance cameras to law enforcement drones. Much of this surveillance is done in the name of security, but many people find ongoing surveillance creepy and...
Weave "Summer Highlights" for only $45 (Normally $90)
Sheriff's office: Man who died in custody had drugs in throat (18)
A 25-year-old man who died in Kern County sheriff’s custody Monday night had two plastic baggies with illegal drugs stuffed in his throat, the department reported.
Silva family files federal claim (12)
The family of David Silva announced Friday it has filed its long-expected federal civil rights claims against the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, six sheriff’s deputies and a sergeant, two California Highway Patrol officers, the county and the state alleging excessive police force killed him.
CSUB awards Haggard, Owens top honors (9)
He’s Dr. Merle Haggard now. The bad-boy hero of the rebel strain of music that put Bakersfield on America’s cultural map half a century ago did something Friday he hadn’t done since he was 9: He sat still in school.
Key green light for California high-speed rail (5)
SACRAMENTO -- The California High-Speed Rail Authority won approval Thursday from a federal railroad oversight board to start construction this summer on the first leg of what would be the nation's first bullet train.
Coroner's office identifies woman found dead in garage
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Local attorney arrested in shooting of his wife
A Bakersfield attorney’s rocky marriage, marked by a divorce suit and a history of loud, public arguments, reportedly erupted into violence early Wednesday morning when police say he turned a gun on his wife and fired.
Sheriff's office: Man who died in custody had drugs in throat
A 25-year-old man who died in Kern County sheriff’s custody Monday night had two plastic baggies with illegal drugs stuffed in his throat, the department reported.
Freeway opening just around the corner
At long last, Bakersfield officials see light at the end of the freeway.