The Issue: How Edward Snowden should be regarded for exposing an NSA program.

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Despite being a proud “leftist” — to use Ralph Peters’ turn of phrase — I find myself in a rare moment of agreement with him (“Making Treason Cool,” PostOpinion, June 11).

Many Americans want to have it both ways: They want 100 percent security and 100 percent privacy.

Well, it just doesn’t work that way. President Obama pointed this out to the American people just a few days ago.

What I’ve always liked about Obama is that he treats us like adults, even when many of us wish to be treated like spoiled children. The fact is, we can’t have both security and privacy.

Conservatives, however, are just as hypocritical as leftists. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin has been criticizing Obama for using the Patriot Act, which he co-wrote.

And there are lots of other conservatives who are just as hypocritical. It’s nice to know that Peters is at least consistent, unlike so many others.

Peters is also accurate in his assessment that the private sector is less than wonderful when it comes to hiring for NSA contract work. Yes, this is another of the many things that big government does right.

Tea Party people, please take note of this. Understand that I would disagree with Peters 99 percent of the time, but I give credit where it is due.

Nick Smith

Brooklyn

With all due respect, I think The Post is getting ahead of itself on this Snowden matter.

Instead of rushing in with snarky cheap shots at the character, appearance or education levels of this person, let’s consider for a moment the exposé of an outrageous and un-American scheme to keep tabs on every man, woman and child in America.

Trust Congress? Trust Sen. Dianne Feinstein? Trust the we-know-better government? Hell no!

Whatever else Snowden did, I thank God he exposed this monstrosity — a hideous gouging of the Constitution.

If the only way to save our freedom is to destroy it, then what is there left for the terrorists to do? We’ll have destroyed ourselves.

Rein Virkmaa

Manhattan

I agreed with much of what Peters had to say regarding the trend toward leaking top-secret documents for self-righteous reasons.

However, I am disappointed that the author decided to politicize the issue by blaming Republicans’ preference for private-sector outsourcing.

Both public- and private-sector employees are capable of betraying their security clearances.

Just witness the recent betrayal by Pfc. Bradley Manning. There is no evidence that private contractors are more likely to commit such acts.

Matt Diesner

Brooklyn

Peters is wrong when he asserts that it’s cool to betray your country.

After all, Republicans have been doing it for years, and they’re not cool.

Brian Donahue

Manhattan

Daniel Ellsberg, Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden — are they whistleblowers or leakers? Are they patriots or traitors?

These are not esoteric questions. They should be national-security questions. In fact, they are political questions.

How can leaking sensitive information on the collection and storing of personal phone calls and e-mails that ostensibly make us all less vulnerable to terrorist attacks be political?

The answer to that lies in the administration that is collecting the data.

The Obama administration has already shown itself to be an unreliable steward of personal information.

It has no compulsion to protect it. It has not hesitated to use personal IRS information against groups and individuals it considers enemies.

As long as the Obama administration considers the Tea Party and Republican political donors as enemies while declaring the War on Terror over, I cannot consider the actions of Snowden treasonous.

Jack Kaufman

Long Beach