Throughout humanity, people have avoided others for many reasons. Whether it's the differences between two people or the wrongdoings of one person, it seems almost natural for people to turn away from each other. You would think that over time society would be more accepting of others, but instead it seems that things that were considered unfit for society in the past are still true today. Traditions and beliefs are still prevalent today, and when someone objects to them, it is seen as a reason to make that person an outcast. Whether it is the lepers of the past or the whistleblowers of today, rejection is still commonplace in today's society. Today's rejects are a new breed. With the Internet, information spreads like wildfire, creating scandals overnight and making a person a pariah. One of the most prominent examples of this type of person is Edward Snowden. Snowden worked for the US government for many years, both at the CIA and the NSA. While working for the government, he saw that many things were wrong with the way they operated, but he believed that the election of Barack Obama in 2008 would lead to reforms within the government (Greenwald, MacAskill, and Poitras) . Much to Snowden's dismay, no reforms took place; in fact, Obama pushed for the same corrupt policies that Snowden hated (Greenwald, MacAskill and Poitras). In 2013, Snowden felt it was time to release on the Internet the confidential government documents he was so concerned about, which he trusted to make public and secret (Greenwald, MacAskill, and Poitras). His motives seemed harmless enough. When asked why he leaked these documents, he replied: "They are all so... middle of paper ......ernet, news and rumors spread the same way." It seems that whether it's the hottest celebrity of the day caught up in a scandal or the average official leaking government information, people are quick to avoid those who do something unsavory to eyes of the common man. Whether this is the right thing to do for society is a matter of debate, but for now, avoidance has a strong place in daily life. Work CitedGerstein, Josh “President Obama hits Edward Snowden over NSA leaks.” Policy. January 17, 2014. Internet. February 20, 2014. Greenwald, Glenn, Ewen MacAskill and Laura Poitras. “Edward Snowden: The Whistleblower Behind the NSA Surveillance Revelations.” The Guardian. June 9, 2013. the web. February 20, 2014. Labott, Elise and Mariano Castillo. "Edward Snowden will not be pressured to end asylum, Russia says." CNN. January 24, 2014. the web. February 20 2014.