Posted on 05/06/2012 12:40:22 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Socialist Alliance gay and lesbian rights spokesperson Rachel Evans spoke in Sydney on April 24 at a rally calling to free accused WikiLeaks’ source Private Bradley Manning from prison in the US, where he is being held in solitary confinement. The protest was part of an international day of protest for Manning, who faces a court martial and possible life in prison if convicted. Evans’ speech is below.
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We are one of the many groups across 14 countries around the world taking action today because Bradley Manning is, once again, being subjected to a kangaroo court — a military “pre-trial” in Fort Meade.
Twenty-four-year-old Bradley Manning is a hero to us. But he frightens the US. The most powerful nation in the world — with its war drones, nuclear arsenal, its military bases, its air force, and all its soldiers, has decided Bradley Manning is a threat.
As a soldier in the US army, stationed in Iraq from October 2010 onwards, Manning dealt with data that showed the US and their allies are war criminals and are robbing the resources of the global South. Manning is alleged to be the source of the biggest leak of US secrets in history. It is alleged he leaked this evidence to WikiLeaks.
He faces a potential life sentence.
Manning served in the US military when you could not be openly gay. Manning defied this homophobic policy — showing the same moral determination that would later assist the people of the Middle East dying under US occupation and war. In his own way, Manning rebelled against the homophobia of the US army.
It is just one reason why we salute Manning. He is a hero to all for standing up against homophobia. A prejudice that causes high rates of suicide among queer youth and should be relegated to the dustbin of history. Manning is a role model for young people standing up against bigotry.
Recently, US President Barack Obama ended the US military’s “don't ask, don't tell” policy — finally allowing working class and poor queers — many of whom join the army simply for a chance to get an education — to be out of the closet.
But Obama has not changed the core nature of that army, which has brought so much horror, war and terror to Afghanistan and Iraq, so the US can cement its economic and strategic dominance in the region.
Manning is also gender queer. From the emails between himself and the man who sold him out to the FBI, Adrian Lamo, it is evident that Manning was trying to work out if he wanted to be a woman.
Manning was stationed in eastern Baghdad from October 2009, where he accessed thousands of files which showed the US imposing its will on people all over the global South. Acccessing these files for up to 14 hours a day, he questioned the role of US power in the world as he questioned his own identity.
That Manning was gay and potentially transitioning to become a woman is important. He knew what it was to be bullied. To be ridiculed. To be denied dignity. Knowing this, he also had empathy for the Iraqi people who were also being denied dignity and a normal life.
The US-led occupation, which includes Australian soldiers, has killed more than 1 million people in Iraq over 20 years of occupation. Women, children, men: all have lost their lives.
The invasion of Iraq has not brought democracy, women’s rights or freedom. The war was always about control of Iraq’s resources.
This was best articulated by an Iraqi high school student I saw speak at a Melbourne rally against the Gulf War in 1991. She said: “If my people's blood was made of oil, you would not have come to kill us.”
Manning showed human sympathy with the victims of US power in the global south. In the chatlog transcript with Lamo, Manning said he has access to "260,000 state department cables from embassies and consulates all over the world, explaining how the first world exploits the third, in detail, from an internal perspective”.
He also said he felt he had to take action because “it might actually change something”.
If Manning is indeed the source of leaks to WikiLeaks, then he is a hero who has helped change the world. The world will never be the same after WikiLeaks’ releases.
WikiLeaks has helped provide the anti-war movement, and democracy movements throughout the world, with the arguments and the confidence they need.
We need to continue to build such movements that challenge the US and Australian occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. The Australian government says they will leave Afghanistan. This is a victory for the movement and mass opposition to the occupation. But they also say they will leave special forces in the country.
But Australia and other occupiers must take all the troops out. They should leave Afghanistan, pay war reparations and rebuild what they have destroyed.
And they should pull all the troops from Iraq. The US’s so-called withdrawal from Iraq has left thousands of soldiers and private US paid mercenaries stationed in the country.
Like Manning, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is also facing persecution because he dared to reveal the truth. Assange has been held under house arrest without charge in Britain for more than 500 days.
Defending Manning and defending Assange and WikiLeaks is part of building the anti-war movement today.
This means we also need to turn the heat up on the Australian government, which has happily sacrificed human lives to secure the profits and power of the 1%.
I agree! Free Manning! Take him out of prison, fly him over to Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan, and let him be with the oppressed people, so he can tell them about how he wants to be a woman, how he’s a homosexual, and all these liberal lovers of his can cheer on cultural diversity as they execute Manning for his deviant behavior.
Heck, he could even do the triple header and tell them how he worships mother earth. Then they might hang him, chop off his head, and then put a bullet in his brain.
...has decided Bradley Manning is a threat...
He is. Anyone trusted with national security information is a potential threat.
Manning is alleged to be the source of the biggest leak of US secrets in history. It is alleged he leaked this evidence to WikiLeaks.
He faces a potential life sentence.
He's lucky, I'd hang him. This has absolutely nothing to do with anything about Manning other than his alleged failure to properly protect information he was entrusted with. You sign the oath, you accept the responsibility and the consequences. You don't want to do that, don't sign the oath.
Oh yeah, I forgot. Liberals aren't big on that whole personal accountability and responsibility thing. Not too keen on consequences for one's actions either. Fools.
I am ashamed that PFC Manning and I share the same MOS (military occupational specialty) of 96B. I’m pretty certain of what would’ve happened to him if he acted that way in any of my Army outfits back in the day.
They should leave Afghanistan, pay war reparations and rebuild what they have destroyed. .....Ummm..How to rebuild a big nothing? War reparations? Just hand them $1.35, that ought to do it.
I would go ahead and grant him his wish and make him a woman.
You know, I’m never big on the parental warnings about “bad influences” but in Mr. Manning’s case I’d make an exception.
He is ill served by his “friends”.
However, I will say/ask this, did wikileaks get anything “big” from Manning?
Not that what he did was ok, but my impression is he didn’t really reveal anything important.
Compare and contrast that with revelations that have been in the NY Times, etc. such as the black sites, the SWIFT international money moving stuff.
Isn’t what was in the Times far more damaging that what Manning revealed?
But he’s facing life in prison and the leakers to the Times are facing, what, another cocktail party?
Am I wrong? I hope so.
Freepers, give me the straight dope and set me right.
His disclosure of that information was a personal decision, and a violation of any clearance he had.
The bottom line, though, is that he wouldn't have had access in the first place were it not for the gay agenda.
By their fruits shall ye know them.
While the leakers in the media should be punished and almost certainly won’t be (what happened to Daniel Ellsberg?) that doesn’t excuse a man who stole and released the biggest stash of classified documents in the history of our nation. He knew what he was doing. I went to the same intelligence school that he attended decades later and I doubt that they’ve quit warning you about safeguarding classified material and the penalties for unauthorized disclosure. Plus, he took an oath when he enlisted. If there’s any justice he will face a firing squad.
“By their fruits shall ye know them”
LMGDAO
I hope they hang the SOB.
The perverts,communist and other America haters should be glad that Manning IS in prison. We used to shoot traitors...
the homophobia of the US army.
The military, as with other normal folks do not “fear perverts” (homophobia) we are just disgusted by their perversions.... Your choice, so deal with it.....
Treason is treason, HANG the bass-turd in public!
Manning isn’t gay, he’s very sad. But he is a queer. And a traitor.
Well, Ron Paul agrees. Ron Paul says that Bradley Manning is a “hero and a patriot”.
It dosen’t matter what laws, moral precepts, or ethical standards are violated, there is some libtard group willing to stand up for the violater.
Treason = summary trial & execution.
You’re right-for sheer start to finish lunatic moonbattiness this one is hard to beat.
Yeah: with a dull butter knife.
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