It's not my goal to be a leader or spokesperson, or anything like that.

I can only ask of those who care about me and the issues in my case to support me and spread the word about what is going on.

Donations to my legal defense fund really help, and I think keeping me motivated and spreading the message are also very important.

I regret if my actions hurt anyone or harmed the United States. It was never my intent to hurt anyone. When I chose to disclose classified information, I did so out of a love for my country and a sense of duty to others.

I think that some of today's focus on freedom of information and trans rights have a tendency to focus on the actions of individuals and how they should be regulated by governments. However, I think it's important to remember that it is the institutions themselves - schools, tax collection services, banks, human resources decisions, health departments, police departments, prosecutors, courts, and prisons - where the most devastating and systemic problems occur today. The scale of these problems is simply unimaginable.

I don't believe that Freedom of Information laws, which have arbitrary time periods or broad blanket exemptions, meet the level of transparency that society needs today.

I think the embryonic digital world had the same affect on me as the openness of the old American frontier.