[TOP SECRET: classified]
I just wanted to say that if allow this person to die in your custody, they will become a martyr. And you don’t want that, do you? Because a martyr is ten times worse than a political prisoner. A martyr can never be forgotten. They are forever remembered throughout history.
And I’m sure you don’t want to start editing history now do you? Because that would put you alongside places like North Korea. And I’m sure you don’t want to do that. Because you’re trying to be a ‘better’ country.
Which martyr am I talking about? Well that’s just it. They’re not a martyr yet. Because they’re not dead. They’re still very much alive…
Why am I writing this? Well, I’m writing this because here is what Chelsea Manning, your most famous politicial prisoner, wrote today:
I need help. I am not getting any. I have asked for help time and time again for six years and through five separate confinement locations. My request has only been ignored, delayed, mocked, given trinkets and lip service by the prison, the military, and this administration.
I need help. I needed help earlier this year. I was driven to suicide by the lack of care for my gender dysphoria that I have been desperate for. I didn’t get any. I still haven’t gotten any.
I needed help. Yet, instead I am now being punished for surviving my attempt. When I was a child, my father would beat me repeatedly for simply not being masculine enough. I was told to stop crying—to “suck it up.” But, I couldn’t stop crying. The pain just got worse and worse. Until finally, I just couldn’t take the pain anymore.
I needed help, but no one came then. No one is coming now.
Today, I have decided that I am no longer going to be bullied by this prison—or by anyone within the U.S. government. I have asked for nothing but the dignity and respect—that I once actually believed would be provided for—afforded to any living human being.
I do not believe that this should be dependent on any arbitrary factors—whether you are cisgender or transgender; service member or civilian, citizen or non-citizen. In response to virtually every request, I have been granted limited, if any, dignity and respect—just more pain and anguish.
I am no longer asking. Now, I am demanding. As of 12:01 am Central Daylight Time on September 9, 2016, and until I am given minimum standards of dignity, respect, and humanity, I shall—refuse to voluntarily cut or shorten my hair in any way; consume any food or drink voluntarily, except for water and currently prescribed medications; and comply with all rules, regulations, laws, and orders that are not related to the two things I have mentioned.
This is a peaceful act. I intend to keep it as peaceful and non-violent, on my end, as possible. Any physical harm that should come to me at the hands of military or civilian staff will be unnecessary and vendictive. I will not physically resist or in any way harm another person. I have also submitted a “do not resuscitate” letter that is effective immediately. This shall include any attempts to forcibly cut or shorten my hair or to forcibly feed me by any medical or pseudomedical means.
Until I am shown dignity and respect as a human again, I shall endure this pain before me. I am prepared for this mentally and emotionally. I expect that this ordeal will last for a long time. Quite possibly until my permanent incapacitation or death. I am ready for this.
I need help. Please, give me help.
Chelsea Manning
Yes this person, Manning, exposed one of the underlying reasons for at least some of the terrorism that we are now seeing… and that is that innocent people were being shot down by helicopter gunships like in the video above.
That was actually a very brave thing for anyone to do. Because I’m sure that that person knew there would be some repurcussions. But they did it anyway.
And so what happened then? Well, instead of Americans and the government simply watching the video and starting to ask themselves the really hard questions like “why do some people hate the West?” or “have we done anything to piss foreigners off?” or “what have we done to deserve this?”. What did you do?
You took the ‘easy’ approach. Next, you tried to silence that person by giving them an unfair trial.
But, you know, some people —people like Manning— have a conscience. And that conscience puts them on higher moral ground than the unscrupulous military judge who decided to sentence Manning to some 35 years prison. So much for trying to get the public to debate the issue eh?
Yes I was following the entire trial on twitter. It was a few years ago now. I remember it was covered by Alexa O’Brien. Here is her twitter feed. And so we all know that the whole thing was a complete joke. That was the most biased indictment I have ever heard of.I think I might just buy her book when it comes out. It wouldn’t surprise me if you try and stop her from publishing it, you know.
If that is how you treat your own citizens, then it’s no wonder you would stoop so low and murder innocent civilians with a gunship! What surprises me though is the attitude of your soldiers during that exercise. And probably many other exercises too (because, let’s face it, they were acting routinely). How do I know that they were acting routinely?
At the hearings, my friend Anthony Swofford, author of “Jarhead” and a former Marine himself, leaned over to me and said, “I think Turner just confessed to murder.”
But putting that remark in perspective, Swofford would also tell me later, “I know that for every guy up there testifying today, there are probably a thousand others out there keeping silent.” [source]
And yes I do realise that there are bad people in the world. And I respect the military. But I really think you should try to be a bit more selective in who you try to kill. Because there is this thing called “the revenge effect” see… and it always come back to bite you in the arse. I think that’s what has happened in the Middle East. You know, you pissed off a load of people, like this guy says:
Or this guy:
Or this guy:
This is what I call “soldiers thinking for themselves”. It’s not always a good thing. But I think —well— I think you can all decide for yourself here.
And you have a couple of other political prisoners too, don’t you? Yes I’m talking about Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. Because they’ve both been watching how you’ve treated Manning. And it’s no wonder they’re in self-exile.
America. You’re supposed to treat people fairly. Is that what you are doing here? Isn’t that what America was founded on? Aren’t justice, liberty and freedom the very principles you care most about? That’s why we’re all so surprised. I guess you could call it hypocrasy.
And there’s also this other thing, see, this thing called the Streisand effect. It says the more you try to cover stuff up, especially supposedly secret stuff, or controversial stuff, the more chance it has of getting out…
So America. You fucked up. You stirred up a hornet’s nest. Maybe it was unintentional. Maybe you thought you were doing the right thing. But now look at us. 15 years on and the threat of terrorism is higher than ever before. Nevertheless, it’s time to admit that so that we can all move on. And maybe, just maybe prevent WW3.
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