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OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 3/13/11

Manning must be tortured to make an example of him and to intimidate his supporters

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The treatment of Bradley Manning shows their fear.   They know they have been exposed, that the truth of their crimes is becoming known to all.   Even the corporate-government-media cannot hold the truth back in a time when the media is being democratized.

But, even though Manning stands for a bigger issue -- a revolution of truth -- he is an individual human who is suffering at the hands of abusive jailers.   We are here today to work together to end his suffering and free Bradley Manning.  

This week Brad's father, Brian spoke for the first time.   He said his son was innocent.   He said his son was being abused.   He stood by, Brad.   When I saw him, and saw he was 55 years old -- my age, and looked again at Brad, the age of my youngest son, it pierced my heart even deeper.   It made Bradley even more human, more fragile, more vulnerable to their abuse.

Many people are coming to Brad's aid.   At the Bradley Manning Support Network, www.BradleyManning.org , thousands have donated to Bradley's legal defense and enabled our advocacy for him.   People are also donating to the Bradley Manning Advocacy Fund which is making sure Bradley's side of the story is told. In addition to making donations tonight, bidding on the many items here today, please sign up and stay involved.   It is Bradley Manning vs. the U.S. government -- a desperate dying empire that wants someone to blame.

Manning is now facing the potential of capital punishment or life in prison, not for selling secrets to U.S. enemies, but for allegedly sharing information about war crimes as well as other criminal and unethical behavior to the media. The double standard of this potential punishment is seen clearly when compared to sentences of other soldiers.   Retired Col. Ann Wright highlighted the sad absurdity when she pointed to the sentence given to a U.S. soldier convicted of mutilating Afghan civilians.   That soldier received 9 months of work detail at his base, not even in prison.   What is the message -- the message is murder, mutilation and rape are less serious offenses than allegedly providing documents that show crimes and misdeeds of government officials.

The hypocrisy does not end there.   Secretary Clinton has been lecturing the world about the need for freedom of speech, press and association in the Internet age.   At her second speech on the subject as she was talking about freedom of speech being essential to democracy, our colleague Ray McGovern, an intelligence analyst for the CIA for 27 years as well as a military veteran stood in silence to protest the U.S. wars and the treatment of Bradley Manning.   He was brutally arrested, thrown to the floor and then thrown into jail where he was left bleeding.   Secretary Clinton kept talking about the importance of freedom of speech as freedom of speech was thrown to the ground before her.

Both Secretary Clinton and President Obama have praised people in foreign governments who have exposed the corruption of their governments, but both have criticized WikiLeaks and Bradley Manning for allegedly doing the same here.   The hypocrisy is so evident it is impossible to miss -- but the corporate-government-media does not even report it.

As I was thinking about Bradley Manning for this speech, my mind wandered to another injustice.   The prosecution of Tim DeChristoher for boldly trying to stop or delay the sale of oil leases in Utah as Bidder 70, bidding on the lands to raise their price. Tim saw the sales as illegal and wanted to raise awareness about aggressive drilling in pristine western areas. Even though a federal judge later blocked many of the leases from being issued, on March 3, 2011 Tim was convicted and now faces up to ten years in jail when he is sentenced on June 23rd.   After his conviction, he came outside the courthouse and said:

"You've shown that your power will not be intimidated by any power that they have, and that's the most important thing that has happened here this week.

"Everything that went on inside that building tried to convince me that I was alone, and that I was weak. Inside that building, they tried to convince me that I was a little finger out there on my own that could easily be broken. All of you out here were the reminder, for all of us, that I wasn't just a finger all alone in there, but that I was connected to a hand, with many fingers that can unite as one fist, and that fist cannot be broken by the power that they have in there.

"That fist is not a symbol of violence. That fist is a symbol that we will not be misled into thinking that we are alone. We will not be lied to and told we are weak. We will not be divided, and we will not back down. That fist is a symbol that we are connected, and that we are powerful. It is a symbol that we hold true to our vision of a healthy and just world and we are building the self-empowering movement to make it happen. All the authorities in there wanted me to think like a finger, but our children are calling to us to think like a fist."

  So, we must Stand with Brad.   Bradley is not a finger. Bradley is part of a hand that connects all of us into a self-empowering movement for peace and justice.

To emphasize the point a large group of supporters from Peaceful Uprising stood outside, standing in unity, they said "We are all Bidder 70" and as Tim walked through the crowd hugging each of them, they sang:

I will stand with you -- Will you stand with me
We will be the change that we hope to see
In the name of love -- in the name of peace
Will you stand, will you stand with me

When injustice raises up its fist
And fights to stop us in our tracks
We will rise and as one resist
No fear nor sorrow can turn us back

I will stand with you -- Will you stand with me
We will be the change that we hope to see
In the name of love -- in the name of peace
Will you stand, will you stand with me

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Kevin Zeese Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Kevin Zeese is co-chair of Come Home America, www.ComeHomeAmerica.US which seeks to end U.S. militarism and empire. He is also co-director of Its Our Economy, www.ItsOurEconomy.US which seeks to democratize the economy and give people greater (more...)
 
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