President John F. Kennedy stated: “War will exist until that day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today.” Today with the outrageous sentencing of Pvt. Bradley Manning to 35 years in prison (functionally life in prison) the US has continued to distance itself from any notion of respect for the conscientious objector or commitment to democracy.
Through the court martial and sentencing of Bradley Manning the government has sent an unambiguous and chilling message to the American public and in particular to present-day and future whistleblowers that it will not tolerate dissent, transparency or exposing government corruption.
Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, chairperson of the No FEAR Coalition issued this statement: “Today’s sentencing of Pvt. Bradley Manning will do nothing to hasten the day when people of conscience are valued for trying to reduce human suffering. Where is the court that will judge George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld et al and their equivalent successors in the uber-Orwellian Obama administration?
Where is the court martial for the soldiers who tortured Pvt. Bradley Manning?”
“We are witnessing the opening salvos in the citizenry’s War on Government Secrecy,” offered independent investigative journalist, Kevin Berends. “If this sentence were a message to any government wrongdoer that their crimes will be prosecuted then the policy makers Manning exposed would be facing Nuremberg-scale charges of crimes against humanity. Sadly, this is aimed at whistle blowers who may feel compelled by conscience to inform we fellow citizens of crimes routinely committed by the government under the sacred cloak of ‘national security.’”
“Bradley Manning did his part. In a democracy, now that we know the sordid stench that Bradley exposed—and others equally at peril for whistle-blowing high crimes and misdemeanors—it is our duty to do our part. That’s how high the stakes are for those in power and how vulnerable they are when their lawlessness is exposed.”
(See Under Obama: tyranny is the new transparency (http://blackagendareport.com/