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Statement on the Overthrow of the Egyptian Government July 3, 2013 Barack Obama – Statement on the Overthrow of the Egyptian Government July 3, 2013
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After news that Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi had been overthrown, President Obama issued this statement, again pushing for democracy within the country.

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Thomas Drake Edward Snowden (Ft. Stephanie Condon & Wikileaks) – July 1st, 2013 Statement
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Thomas Drake is a veteran and a former NSA employee who, like Snowden, blew the whistle on an NSA project that violated the privacy of American citizens. The project, known as the Trailblazer Project, like PRISM, focused on gathering data from communications networks.

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U.S. in Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Edward Snowden (Ft. Stephanie Condon & Wikileaks) – July 1st, 2013 Statement
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Article 14 of the Un Declaration of Human Rights states that:

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Section b, which expressly states that asylum applies only to political acts, is what seems to be up for dispute. In an interview with The Guardian, President Correa of Ecuador expressed skepticism over Snowden’s actions, pointing out that he was, at one point, involved in espionage.

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Statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the alleged surveillance of EU premises European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton – Statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the alleged surveillance of EU premises
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In response to allegations that the United States was collecting information on the European Union and friendly diplomats, EU Chief Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton issued this statement

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make sure there is no chance for renewal of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act. Senator Robert Menendez – Statement on Edward Snowden June 25, 2013
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As it turns out, that’s fine with Ecuador. Minister Fernando Alvarado stated at a press conference on June 27, 2013 that Ecuador no longer wants a renewal of the Act, saying it had gone from being an assistance in the drug war to “an instrument of blackmail.”

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Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. Barack Obama – Statement by the President on the Supreme Court Ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act
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In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court struck down DOMA saying it denied the pursuit of liberty protected by the 5th Amendment and served to single out certain marriages as less legitimate than others.

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Statement by the President on the Supreme Court Ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act Barack Obama – Statement by the President on the Supreme Court Ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act
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Following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), President Obama released this statement praising the ruling.

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Snowden has overstayed his welcome at the Moscow airport. Senator Robert Menendez – Statement on Edward Snowden June 25, 2013
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President Valdimir Putin seems to agree with Senator Menendez; while speaking at a press conference in Finland, Putin stated:

The sooner [Snowden] chooses his final destination, the better it would be for us and for himself.

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Statement on Edward Snowden June 25, 2013 Senator Robert Menendez – Statement on Edward Snowden June 25, 2013
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Following NSA leaker Edward Snowden’s petition for political asylum in Ecuador, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Robert Menendez issued this statement, warning Ecuador of the possible consequences should it provide safe haven for Snowden.

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Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade, William Ernest Henley – Invictus
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Beyond the earthly suffering that he experiences lies no other menace but death which, by comparison, is not such a great horror after all.

“Shade” refers to the gloom of the underworld, if one takes this in the Greek sense, or more likely the Christian idea of hell. It can also refer literally to a ghost.

However, “the horror of the shade” (preceded by “but,” as in “merely”) is probably not meant to suggest a hell or terrifying afterlife. Rather, it suggests that yes, this world is a hard place, and there is nothing comforting in the afterlife; the idleness of eternal rest is hardly a gift or something to look forward to.

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160a0aa95f728eab88e7a8918198f5b4

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7 years

To me, it seems like Henley is being grim and almost depressing by saying something like “Life sucks, and it doesn’t get much better after you’re gone”. In his eyes, after you trudge through life and die, you have to deal with the “horror of the shade”. He knows life won’t get better after he’s dead, and that he’s going to suffer either way. But, as stated in the next two lines, death doesn’t, and never will, scare him.

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